Isamu Akasaki

Isamu Akasaki
Born January 30, 1929
Chiran, Kawanabe District, Kagoshima Prefecture
Institutions Meijo University
Nagoya University
Alma mater Kyoto University
Nagoya University
Notable awards Asahi Prize (2001)
Takeda Award (2002)
IEEE Edison Medal (2011)
Nobel Prize in Physics (2014)
Charles Stark Draper Prize (2015)

Isamu Akasaki (赤﨑 勇 Akasaki Isamu, born January 30, 1929) is a Japanese scientist and Nobel Prize laureate, known for inventing the bright gallium nitride (GaN) p-n junction blue LED in 1989 and subsequently the high-brightness GaN blue LED as well.[1][2][3][4][5]

For this and other work Isamu Akasaki was awarded the Kyoto Prize in Advanced Technology in 2009[6] and the IEEE Edison Medal in 2011.[7] He was also awarded the 2014 Nobel prize in Physics, together with Hiroshi Amano and Shuji Nakamura.[8]

Career

Born in Kagoshima Prefecture, Akasaki graduated from Kyoto University in 1952, and obtained a Dr.Eng. degree in Electronics from Nagoya University in 1964. He started working on GaN-based blue LEDs in the late 1960s. Step by step, he improved the quality of GaN crystals and device structures[9] at Matsushita Research Institute Tokyo, Inc.(MRIT), where he decided to adopt metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) as the preferred growth method for GaN.

In 1981 he started afresh the growth of GaN by MOVPE at Nagoya University, and in 1985 he and his group succeeded in growing high-quality GaN on sapphire substrate by pioneering the low-temperature (LT) buffer layer technology.[10][11]

This high-quality GaN enabled them to discover p-type GaN by doping with magnesium (Mg) and subsequent activation by electron irradiation (1989), to produce the first GaN p-n junction blue/UV LED (1989), and to achieve conductivity control of n-type GaN (1990)[12] and related alloys (1991)[13] by doping with silicon (Si), enabling the use of hetero structures and multiple quantum wells in the design and structure of more efficient p-n junction light emitting structures.

They achieved stimulated emission from the GaN firstly at room temperature in 1990,[14] and developed in 1995 the stimulated emission at 388 nm with pulsed current injection from high-quality AlGaN/GaN/GaInN quantum well device.[15] They verified quantum size effect (1991)[16] and quantum confined Stark effect (1997)[17] in nitride system, and in 2000 showed theoretically the orientation dependence of piezoelectric field and the existence of non-/semi-polar GaN crystals,[18] which have triggered today’s world-wide efforts to grow those crystals for application to more efficient light emitters.

Nagoya University Akasaki Institute

Professor Akasaki’s patents were produced from these inventions, and the patents have been rewarded as royalties. Nagoya University Akasaki Institute[19] opened on October 20, 2006. The cost of construction of the institute was covered with the patent royalty income to the university, which was also used for a wide range of activities in Nagoya University. The institute consists of an LED gallery to display the history of blue LED research/developments and applications, an office for research collaboration, laboratories for innovative research, and Professor Akasaki's office on the top sixth floor. The institute is situated in the center of the collaboration research zone in Nagoya University Higashiyama campus.

Professional record

Honors and awards

Scientific and academic

National

References

  1. http://jjap.jsap.jp/link?JJAP/45/9001/
  2. http://jjap.jsap.jp/link?JJAP/47/3781/
  3. Hiroshi Amano, Masahiro Kito, Kazumasa Hiramatsu and Isamu Akasaki: "P-Type Conduction in Mg-doped GaN Treated with Low-Energy Electron Beam Irradiation (LEEBI)", Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. Vol. 28, No.12, December 1989, pp. L2112-L2114, (accepted for pub. Nov. 1989).
  4. I. Akasaki, H. Amano, M. Kito and K. Hiramatsu :”Photoluminescence of Mg doped p-type GaN and electroluminescence of GaN p-n junction LED” J. Cryst. Growth, Vol. 48&49 pp.666-670, 1991
  5. Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano, Kenji Itoh, Norikatsu Koide and Katsuhide Manabe: “GaN-based UV/blue light emitting devices”, Inst. Phys. Conf. Ser. No.129, pp. 851-856, 1992
  6. http://www.inamori-f.or.jp/laureates/k25_a_isamu/ctn_e.html
  7. 7.0 7.1 "IEEE Jack S. Kilby Signal Processing Medal Recipients" (PDF). IEEE. Retrieved April 15, 2012.
  8. 8.0 8.1 "The 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics - Press Release". Nobelprize.org. Nobel Media AB 2014. Retrieved October 7, 2014.
  9. Y. Ohki, Y. Toyoda, H. Kobayasi and I. Akasaki: “Fabrication and properties of a practical blue-emitting GaN m-i-s diode. Inst. Phys. Conf. Ser. No. 63, pp. 479-484 (Proc. of the 9th Intl. Symposium on Gallium Arsenide and Related Compounds, 1981).
  10. H. Amano, N. Sawaki I. Akasaki and Y. Toyoda: "Metalorganic vapor phase epitaxial growth of a high quality GaN film using an AlN buffer layer,"
  11. Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano, Yasuo Koide, Kazumasa Hiramatsu and Nobuhiko Sawaki: "Effects of AlN buffer layer on crystallographic structure and on electrical and optical properties of GaN and Ga1-xAl xN (0<x < = 0,4) films grown on sapphire substrate by MOVPE", J. Crystal Growth, Vol.98 (1989), pp.209-219
  12. H. Amano and I. Akasaki: "Fabrication and Properties of GaN p-n Junction LED", Mater. Res. Soc. Extended Abstract (EA-21), pp.165-168, 1990, (Fall Meeting 1989)
  13. Hiroshi Murakami, Tsunemori Asahi, Hiroshi Amano, Kazumasa Hiramatsu, Nobuhiko Sawaki and Isamu Akasaki: "Growth of Si-doped AlxGa 1-xN on (0001) sapphire substrate by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy", J. Crystal Growth, Vol.115 (1991), pp. 648-651.
  14. H. Amano, T. Asahi and I. Akasaki: “Stimulated Emission Near Ultraviolet at Room Temperature from a GaN Film Grown on Sapphire by MOVPE Using an AlN Buffer Layer” Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. Vol. 29, pp. L205-L206, 1990.
  15. Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano, Shigetoshi Sota, Hiromitsu Sakai, Toshiyuki Tanaka and Masayoshi Koike: "Stimulated Emission by Current Injection from an AlGaN/GaN/GaInN Quantum Well Device" Jpn. J. Appl. Phys., Vol. 34 (1995) pp. L1517-1519, Part 2, No.11B, 15 November 1995 (accepted for pub. October 16, 1995).
  16. K. Itoh, T. Kawamoto, H. Amano, K. Hiramatsu and I. Akasaki: “Metalorganic Vapor Phase Epitaxial Growth and Properties of GaN/Al0.1Ga0.9N Layered Structures” Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. Vol. 30, pp.1924-1927, 1991.
  17. T. Takeuchi, S. Sota, M. Katsuragawa, M. Komori, H. Takeuchi, H. Amano and I. Akasaki: “Quantum-Confined Stark Effect due to Piezoelectric Fields in GaInN Strained Quantum Wells” Jpn. J. Appl. Phys., Vol.36, Pt. 2, No. 4A, pp. L382-385, 1997.
  18. Tetsuya Takeuchi, Hiroshi Amano and Isamu Akasaki: "Theoretical Study of Orientation Dependence of Piezoelectric Effects in Wurtzite Strained GaInN/GaN Heterostructures and Quantum Wells", Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. Vol. 39, pp. 413-416, Part1, No.2A, Feb.2000. (accepted for pub., November 1, 1999).
  19. http://www.nagoya-u.ac.jp/en/about-nu/pdf/profile2008_en.pdf
  20. http://www.chunichi.co.jp/info/award/culture/index.html
  21. http://www.nec.co.jp/press/en/9811/0401.html
  22. http://www.iocg.org/prizes/frank_laudise_prize.html
  23. http://www.ieee.org/documents/morton_rl.pdf
  24. http://www.rankprize.org/opto-electronics1.htm
  25. http://www.ieee.org/membership_services/membership/fellows/chronology/fellows_1999.html
  26. http://www.electrochem.org/awards/ecs/recipients/ssst_recipients.htm
  27. http://www.toray.com/tsf/kagaku/kag_004.html
  28. http://www.asahi.com/shimbun/award/asahi/english.html#winners2009
  29. http://www.nipponpapergroup.com/e/csr/fujiwara.html
  30. http://www.takeda-foundation.jp/en/award/takeda/2002/recipient/01.html
  31. http://www.interacademies.net/About.aspx
  32. http://www.tms.org/Society/Honors/2006/Bardeen2006.html
  33. http://www.nae.edu/MembersSection/Directory20412/31054.aspx
  34. http://www.inamori-f.or.jp/laureates/k25_a_isamu/prf_e.html
  35. http://www8.cao.go.jp/shokun/en/types-of-medals.html
  36. http://www8.cao.go.jp/shokun/en/orders-of-the-rising-sun.html
  37. http://www8.cao.go.jp/shokun/en/order-of-culture.html
  38. http://newsonjapan.com/html/newsdesk/article/92718.php
  39. http://homepage1.nifty.com/kitabatake/biunka.html

Additional reading