Masayuki Tsutsumi, a graduate of Kuroki Lab (now at Sony Semiconductor Solutions Inc.), received the Young Scientist Award in Silicon-based Semiconductor Electronics (Kenji Natori Young Scientist Award b) from the Japan Society of Applied Physics for his work at Hiroshima University.
2025/01/01
Masayuki Tsutsumi, a graduate of Kuroki Laboratory (now at Sony Semiconductor Solutions Inc.), received the Young Scientist Award in Silicon-based Semiconductor Electronics (Kenji Natori Young Scientist Award b) from the Japan Society of Applied Physics for his work at Hiroshima University. (January 1, 2025)
The Japan Society of Applied Physics Award for Young Scientists in Silicon-based Semiconductor Electronics (Kenji Natori Young Scientist Award b)
Dr. Masayuki Tsutsumi (Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation)
Achievement: Contribution to Improvement of Radiation Tolerance by Using SiC MOSFETs in Pixels of CMOS Image Sensors
(The following is a quotation from the award description.)
Masayuki Tsutsumi received his master's degree from the Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University, and is currently a member of Sony Semiconductor Solutions Inc. The subject of this award is his research results on CMOS image sensors using silicon carbide (SiC), which he worked on at Hiroshima University.
SiC is a semiconductor that is being actively researched and developed for high-performance power devices. Its wide bandgap is expected to significantly improve radiation resistance. In Japan, the development of image sensors with high resistance to gamma irradiation in the megagray class (Gray-Gy, a unit of energy imparted to an object by radiation) is strongly desired as a response to the decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.
Given the above background, this research aims to realize a CMOS image sensor with improved radiation tolerance of MGy class by using SiC, whereas it was only kGy or lower when SiC was used.
Tsutsumi designed, fabricated, and evaluated three-transistor and four-transistor active pixel sensors. His research included SiC photodiode design and SiC MOSFET prototyping. In addition, a prototype 8×8 pixel array was fabricated to demonstrate the imaging function. Furthermore, we showed that the prototype pixel sensor works even after gamma irradiation up to 2 MGy. This value is three to four orders of magnitude higher than silicon-based sensors and about twice as high as recently published values for CMOS image sensors using SiC MOSFETs.
The above research results are of great technological significance, from the social viewpoint of greatly accelerating the development of real-time imaging in environments where radiation tolerance is strongly required, as well as from the perspective of greatly expanding the range of SiC applications. The award deserves the Encouragement Award for Young Scientists in Silicon-based Semiconductor Electronics (Kenji Natori Award for Young Scientists b).
He is the recipient of the 2nd Semiconductor Field Future Fund Award:
https://www.jsap.or.jp/handotai-award/recipients/recipients2#ss4
Semiconductor Field Future Fund Award (Kenji Natori Award):
https://www.jsap.or.jp/handotai-award
Related Papers:
[1] M. Tsutsumi, T. Meguro, A. Takeyama, T. Ohshima, Y. Tanaka, and S.-I. Kuroki," Integrated 4H-SiC Photosensors with Active Pixel Sensor -Type Circuits for MGy-Class Radiation Hardened CMOS UV Image Sensor," IEEE Electron Device Lett. 103, Jan. 2023, doi: 10.1109/LED.2022.3226494.
https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9969646
[2] T. Meguro, M. Tsutsumi, A. Takeyama, T. Ohshima, Y. Tanaka and S.-I. Kuroki, "4H-SiC 64-pixels CMOS image sensors with 3T/4T-APS arrays," Appl. Phys. Express, 17, 081005-1 - 081005-5, Aug. 2024, doi: 10.35848/1882-0786/ad665f.
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.35848/1882-0786/ad665f/pdf
The Japan Society of Applied Physics Award for Young Scientists in Silicon-based Semiconductor Electronics (Kenji Natori Young Scientist Award b)
Dr. Masayuki Tsutsumi (Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation)
Achievement: Contribution to Improvement of Radiation Tolerance by Using SiC MOSFETs in Pixels of CMOS Image Sensors
(The following is a quotation from the award description.)
Masayuki Tsutsumi received his master's degree from the Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University, and is currently a member of Sony Semiconductor Solutions Inc. The subject of this award is his research results on CMOS image sensors using silicon carbide (SiC), which he worked on at Hiroshima University.
SiC is a semiconductor that is being actively researched and developed for high-performance power devices. Its wide bandgap is expected to significantly improve radiation resistance. In Japan, the development of image sensors with high resistance to gamma irradiation in the megagray class (Gray-Gy, a unit of energy imparted to an object by radiation) is strongly desired as a response to the decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.
Given the above background, this research aims to realize a CMOS image sensor with improved radiation tolerance of MGy class by using SiC, whereas it was only kGy or lower when SiC was used.
Tsutsumi designed, fabricated, and evaluated three-transistor and four-transistor active pixel sensors. His research included SiC photodiode design and SiC MOSFET prototyping. In addition, a prototype 8×8 pixel array was fabricated to demonstrate the imaging function. Furthermore, we showed that the prototype pixel sensor works even after gamma irradiation up to 2 MGy. This value is three to four orders of magnitude higher than silicon-based sensors and about twice as high as recently published values for CMOS image sensors using SiC MOSFETs.
The above research results are of great technological significance, from the social viewpoint of greatly accelerating the development of real-time imaging in environments where radiation tolerance is strongly required, as well as from the perspective of greatly expanding the range of SiC applications. The award deserves the Encouragement Award for Young Scientists in Silicon-based Semiconductor Electronics (Kenji Natori Award for Young Scientists b).
He is the recipient of the 2nd Semiconductor Field Future Fund Award:
https://www.jsap.or.jp/handotai-award/recipients/recipients2#ss4
Semiconductor Field Future Fund Award (Kenji Natori Award):
https://www.jsap.or.jp/handotai-award
Related Papers:
[1] M. Tsutsumi, T. Meguro, A. Takeyama, T. Ohshima, Y. Tanaka, and S.-I. Kuroki," Integrated 4H-SiC Photosensors with Active Pixel Sensor -Type Circuits for MGy-Class Radiation Hardened CMOS UV Image Sensor," IEEE Electron Device Lett. 103, Jan. 2023, doi: 10.1109/LED.2022.3226494.
https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9969646
[2] T. Meguro, M. Tsutsumi, A. Takeyama, T. Ohshima, Y. Tanaka and S.-I. Kuroki, "4H-SiC 64-pixels CMOS image sensors with 3T/4T-APS arrays," Appl. Phys. Express, 17, 081005-1 - 081005-5, Aug. 2024, doi: 10.35848/1882-0786/ad665f.
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.35848/1882-0786/ad665f/pdf