Hiroyuki Matsunami

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 the material silicon carbide and its applications in electronic power devices. Currently, he holds the position of professor emeritus at Kyoto University and serves as a specially appointed professor at Kyoto University of Advanced Science.

Biography 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. 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 any polytype mixture (approximately 200 kinds), marking a groundbreaking achievement. He named the novel method "step-controlled epitaxy", 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), followed by the introduction of high-performance SiC metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) for the first time, in 1999. Subsequently, SiC emerged as the preferred semiconductor material for high-performance power devices. Matsunami's pioneering research 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

Education

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. 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. The fellow of Institute of Electronics, Information Science and Communication Engineers 2002 The Commendation for Science and Technology by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan in 2002 (Research Contribution Award) 2023 IEEE Edison Medal from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 2024 Asian Scientist 100, Asian Scientist 2025 The SSDM Award 2025, 2025 International Conference on Solid State Devices and Materials