Hiroyuki Matsunami (松波弘之 born June 5, 1939) is a Japanese engineer, researcher and educator. He was awarded the IEEE Edison Medal in 2023 for his pioneering contributions to the development of silicon carbide material and its applications in electronic power devices.[1] Currently, he holds the position of professor emeritus at Kyoto University[2] and serves as a specially appointed professor at Kyoto University of Advanced Science.[3]
Hiroyuki Matsunami was born on June 5, 1939 in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. He graduated from Osaka Prefectural Ichioka High School and Kyoto University Faculty of Engineering. He received his Doctorate (Doctor of Engineering) from Kyoto University in 1970.[2] Over a span of 40 years, from 1964 to 2003, he held various positions at the Faculty of Electronic Engineering at Kyoto University, progressing from assistant to associate and full professor. Currently, he holds the title of professor emeritus at Kyoto University.[2] From 1976 to 1977, he served as a visiting associate professor at North Carolina State University, in the United States.[2] Additionally, from 2004 to 2013, he assumed the role of director of the Innovation Plaza Kyoto, one of the 16 satellite offices of the Japan Science and Technology Agency.[2]
Matsunami directed his focus towards the significant potential of silicon carbide (SiC) as a material for optical and electronic power semiconductor applications. Commencing SiC research in 1968, his inspiration came from the preface of the Proceedings of International Conference on SiC published in 1959, in which Dr. William Shockley (the father of the transistor) predicted the superiority of SiC over silicon (Si).[4] Previously used primarily as an abrasive or in refractory bricks, SiC underwent comprehensive exploration by Matsunami.
This exploration encompassed various facets of SiC, including material preparation, crystal growth, material characterization, device fabrication, and device performance characterization. Throughout his research and education career at Kyoto University, starting in 1964, Matsunami consistently delved into SiC advancements. In 1986, he and his team discovered an effective method for achieving high-quality SiC crystal growth by introducing an appropriate tilt angle to the substrate. This innovation led to the development of a method to grow high-quality epitaxial SiC, devoid of polytype mixture (approximately 200 kinds), marking a groundbreaking achievement. He named the novel method "step-controlled epitaxy",[5] which became the standard SiC epitaxial growth technique in the SiC semiconductor industry.
In 1995, Matsunami demonstrated high-voltage, low power loss SiC Schottky barrier diodes (SBDs),[6] followed by the introduction of high-performance SiC metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) for the first time, in 1999.[7] Subsequently, SiC emerged as the preferred semiconductor material for high-performance power devices, with the performance profile unattainable with silicon (Si). Matsunami's pioneering research[8] garnered significant attention, laying the foundation for the SiC-based power semiconductor industry. The surge in demand for power semiconductors, particularly with the rise of electric vehicles, has further underscored the pivotal role of SiC semiconductors[9]
Throughout his 40-year tenure as an educator at Kyoto University, his laboratory has had approximately 300 graduates in bachelors, masters, and doctoral programs specialized in electrical engineering, semiconductor physics, materials, and device fields.[10] Many of these graduates have gone to become active professionals, holding positions as engineers, industry leaders, and educators in the electrical, electronic, and semiconductor disciplines. Several have gained international recognition as entrepreneurs, patent attorneys, and interdisciplinary researchers.[10]
Since the 1980s, following his return from North Carolina State University in the United States, he has actively engaged in international exchanges by accepting students from around the world and participating in joint research efforts.[10] Today, international graduates of Matsunami’s laboratory are making significant contributions in various fields, both in their home nations and overseas.[10] This initiative has also provided the members of his laboratory with the opportunity to appreciate and understand the importance of international exchange and cooperation.
1998 The 15th Japan Crystal Growth Society Best Paper Award (Step-controlled epitaxy of semiconductor silicon carbide)[2]
2001 The 1st Yamazaki-Teiichi Prize (in the field of semiconductors and semiconductor devices) from Foundation for Promotion of Material Science and Technology of Japan[12]
^Shockley, W. (1960). "Introductory remarks". Proceedings of the First Conference on Silicon Carbide, Boston, April 2–3, 1959. Pergamon Press: xvii–xix.
^Kimoto, Tsunenobu; Nishino, Hironori; Yoo, Woo Sik; Matsunami, Hiroyuki (1993-01-15). "Growth mechanism of 6H-SiC in step-controlled epitaxy". Journal of Applied Physics. 73 (2): 726–732. Bibcode:1993JAP....73..726K. doi:10.1063/1.353329. ISSN0021-8979.
