23rd Hermann Staudinger Lecture with Nobel Laureate Hiroshi Amano (Nagoya University)

Nitride-Based Future Electronics for Establishing a Sustainable Society

Hermann Staudinger Lecture by Nobel Laureate Hiroshi Amano
Director, Center for Integrated Research of Future Electronics (CIRFE), Institute of Materials and Systems for Sustainability (IMaSS), Akasaki Research Center, Venture Business Laboratory, Nagoya University, Nagoya 484-8603, Japan
The younger generation can enjoy full-color portable games because of the emergence of GaN-based blue LEDs. In combination with phosphors, they can act as  white light source and are used in general lighting. AlGaN-based deep-UV LEDs are effective for sterilization and purification of water. Microwave amplifiers employing GaAs-based HFETs are being replaced with those employing GaN-based HFETs because of their capability of higher-power operation. By replacing Si-based power devices, the average efficiency of inverters or converters can be improved from 95% to more than 99%. The current status of our understanding of nitride semiconductors will be discussed.