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Tel +81-(0)3-3274-5125 Fax +81-(0)3-3274-5103 http://www.hondafoundation.jp/en/September 25, 2017

Dr. Hiroyuki Matsunami, Professor Emeritus, Kyoto University
Received the Honda Prize 2017 for Contribution to Pioneering Research on
Silicon Carbide (SiC) Power Devices and its Practical Applications
Honda Foundation, a public-interest incorporated foundation created by Soichiro Honda, the founder ofHonda Motor Co., Ltd. and his younger brother, Benjiro Honda, and currently headed by Hiroto Ishida, ispleased to announce that the Honda Prize 2017 will be awarded to Dr. Hiroyuki Matsunami, ProfessorEmeritus, Kyoto University who has made tremendous contributions to pioneering research on “siliconcarbide (SiC) power devices” and its practical applications.
Established in 1980, the Honda Prize is Japan’s first international award in the field of Science andTechnology. It is awarded annually to an individual or group to recognize accomplishments in the field ofecotechnology*1, which works to advance human achievement while concurrently preserving the naturalenvironment. Dr. Matsunami has been a world pioneer in conducting research on utilizing a material called“silicon carbide (SiC),” which realizes highly efficient power control, for semiconductor elements called“power devices,” used for power control. Through his research, SiC power devices have been put into
practical use and are contributing to the reduction of power loss occurring in the control process during
power supply, that Dr. Matsunami’s endeavor is recognized by the award of the Honda Prize.
Dr. Matsunami is the 38th Honda Prize laureate. The award ceremony will be held at the Imperial Hotel inTokyo, Japan on November 16, 2017. In addition to the prize medal and the diploma, the laureate will beawarded 10 million yen.
<Dr. Matsunami’s SiC Power Devices>
Throughout the process from electric power generation at power plants to the use of generated power asenergy, this electric power is subject to various controls such as voltage boosting and dropping, conversion
between alternating current and direct current, and electric energy regulation. Semiconductor elements usedin the course of power control are called “power device” and silicon (Si) is used as its main material. Whenelectric current flows into the power device, it consumes electric power as power control is performed, andsome of the electric power turns to heat, causing an energy loss. Therefore, while worldwide efforts havebeen made to redesign the power device structure, the development of a new material substitute for Si thatis compatible with the power devices is anticipated in order to promote resource and energy conservation.

-1-

As a new materials, research on “silicon carbide (SiC)” started in mid 1950s in the United States. SiC is acompound of Si and carbon (C), which is an exceedingly hard material exemplifies the diamonds. The
research on SiC aimed for realization of the development of electronic devices for electronics, that isoperable in a high-temperature environment has spread on a global scale. Dr. Matsunami had an interest in
SiC from early on, and started basic research from the late 1960s to develop electronic devices utilizing
SiC’s excellent physical properties—high-temperature operability and radiation resistance.
While Si has a characteristics of a single crystal with a regular diamond structure, SiC is a hard-to-handle
material as performing crystal growth with few defects was difficult. Also SiC has 200 different types ofcrystal structure states (crystal polymorphism), the most appropriate crystal polymorphism forcommercialization was not yet determined. Furthermore, with a robust structure as hard as diamond, SiC
makes its processing extremely difficult and challenging. Although many research institutes attempted torealize SiC’s practical applications, none overcame the difficulties in processing and most of themwithdrew from the project.
Dr. Matsunami continued basic research on SiC and, about 20 years from the commencement of hisresearch, in 1987, he published a method called “Step-Controlled Epitaxy*2,” enabling production ofhomogeneous SiC thin membrane with uniformed crystal polymorphism by tilting the surface of a substrate
a few degrees. Around 1990, as Si power devices were facing their performance limit, thanks to this
discovery, the SiC utilization came under the world’s spot light and development of the SiC power devices
dramatically advanced.
Around 2010, practical applications of SiC power devices has started. Utilizing SiC in power devices led toa tremendous reduction in power loss, enabling high-speed, high-efficiency power control. Likewise, as
SiC has high-voltage resistance and high-temperature resistance characteristics, cooling systems became
more compact, leading to downsizing of power control mechanisms. In 2013, SiC power devices wereintroduced to Tokyo Metro subway and registered a 30% energy reduction compared to the amount ofenergy required by conventional train cars. In recent years, SiC power devices have been installed on suchas suburban trains, high-speed elevators, power conditioners for solar batteries, fuel cell vehicles, andexperiments for installation on hybrid cars and the Tokaido Shinkansen have been started as well.
Although there are still some challenges in dissemination of SiC power devices including establishment ofmass-production technology, cost reduction, and so forth, its application to electric vehicles is also
expected when further reduction in power consumption, space-saving through downsizing of the devices,and cost reduction are achieved.
Starting with Step-Controlled Epitaxy developed through long years of Dr. Matsunami’s research, SiC
production method and the technologies enabling the practical applications of SiC to power devices have
paved the way for new possibilities for SiC as a novel material. As realization of the practical uses of SiC
power devices would also lead to resolution of a rapid increase in fossil fuel consumption and the amount-2-

of waste from power generation accompanied by a surge in power consumption on a global scale, hisaccomplishments were considered appropriate for the Honda Prize recognition.
*1 Ecotechnology: Coined from “ecology”—the house of civilization—and “technology.” It has been put
forward since 1979 as the guiding philosophy for a better symbiosis between technology-driven
civilization and nature.
*2 Epitaxy: Phenomenon where on the surface of a crystal, crystals with aligned axes or other crystals ofsimilar structures grow. This is applied to the production process of diodes and transistors.

For more information, contact the Honda Foundation via:
phone at +81-3-3274-5125 or fax at +81-3-3274-5103
Honda Yaesu Building, 2-6-20 Yaesu, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0028, Japan
http://www.hondafoundation.jp/en/
You may also contact Honda Motor’s Coporate PR Department via phone at +81-3-5412-1512.

-3-Dr. Hiroyuki Matsunami
Professor Emeritus, Kyoto University
Date of BirthJune 5th, 1939
Biography
1962: Department of Electronic Engineering, Faculty of Engineering,
Kyoto University
1964: Master’s Degree, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University
1964: Research Associate, Kyoto University
1970: Doctor of Engineering, Kyoto University
1971: Assistant Professor, Kyoto University
1976–1977: Visiting Associate Professor, North Carolina State University, U.S.A.
1983: Professor, Kyoto University
2003: Mandatory retirement from Kyoto University and appointed as Professor Emeritus
2004–2012: Director, Innovation Plaza Kyoto, Japan Science and Technology Agency
Academic Society/Association Activities
President, SiC Alliance, General Incorporated Association (2015–)
The Japan Society of Applied Physics; The Institute of Electronics, Information Science andCommunication Engineers; The Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan; The Japanese Association forCrystal Growth; IEEE (The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc.)
Selected Publications
Silicon Carbide Vol. I, II (Akademie Verlag, 1997)
Silicon Carbide—Recent Major Advances— (Springer, 2003)
Semiconductor SiC Technology and Applications (Nikkan Kogyo Shimbunsha, 2003)
Semiconductor SiC Technology and Applications Second Edition (Nikkan Kogyo Shimbunsha, 2011)
Wide Gap Semiconductors—From Dawn to the Frontlines—(Baifukan, 2013)
Awards and Honors
2001: The 1st Yamazaki-Teiichi Prize (in the field of semiconductors and semiconductor devices),Foundation for Promotion of Material Science and Technology of Japan
2002: The Commendation for Science and Technology by the Minister of Education,Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in 2002 (Research Contribution Award)
2004: The 4th (2003) Research Achievement Award, The Japan Society of Applied Physics
2004: The 41st (2003) Research Achievement Award, The Institute of Electronics, Information Science andCommunication Engineers
2005: The SSDM Award-2005
2013: The 2012 Asahi Prize (pioneering research of power semiconductor silicon carbides)
2016: The IEEE David Sarnoff Award
2017: The Academia PrizeAlso, appointed to Fellow of the Japan Society of Applied Physics, Fellow of the Institute of Electronics,Information and Communication Engineers, and Life Fellow of the IEEE