Shuji Nakamura facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Shuji Nakamura
FREng
|
|
|---|---|
| 中村修二 | |
.jpg)
Nakamura in 2014
|
|
| Born | 22 May 1954 Ikata, Ehime, Japan
|
| Citizenship | Japan (until 2005) United States (since 2005) |
| Alma mater | University of Tokushima |
| Known for | Blue and white LEDs |
| Awards | Millennium Technology Prize (2006) Harvey Prize (2009) Nobel Prize in Physics (2014) Global Energy Prize (2015) National Inventors Hall of Fame (2015) Mountbatten Medal (2017) Zayed Future Energy Prize (2018) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Electronics engineering |
| Institutions | University of California, Santa Barbara Academia Sinica |
Shuji Nakamura (中村 修二, Nakamura Shūji, born May 22, 1954) is a Japanese electronic engineer. He is famous for helping to invent the blue LED. This invention was a huge step forward in lighting technology.
In 2014, he won the Nobel Prize in Physics for his work. Nakamura is an expert in semiconductor technology. He is also a professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB).
Shuji Nakamura, along with Isamu Akasaki and Hiroshi Amano, received the 2014 Nobel Prize for Physics. They were honored for creating efficient blue light-emitting diodes. These LEDs made bright and energy-saving white light possible. In 2015, he was recognized with the Global Energy Prize. This was for his role in making energy-efficient white LED lighting widely available. In 2021, Nakamura and others received the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering. This award was for creating and developing LED lighting. This technology is now the basis for all modern solid-state lighting.
Contents
Shuji Nakamura's Journey in Engineering
Shuji Nakamura started his journey in engineering at the University of Tokushima. He earned his first degree in electronic engineering in 1977. Two years later, he completed his master's degree in the same field. After finishing his studies, he joined a company called Nichia Corporation. This company was also located in Tokushima, Japan.
Inventing the Blue LED
While working at Nichia, Nakamura made a very important discovery. He found a way to create the first bright gallium nitride (GaN) LED. This LED produced a brilliant blue light. When this blue light was partly changed to yellow by a special coating, it created white light. This was the key to modern white LED lighting. Production of this new lighting began in 1993.
Before Nakamura's breakthrough, many scientists tried to make a GaN LED. However, they faced a big challenge. It was very hard to make GaN that could conduct electricity well. Nakamura built on the work of another Japanese team led by Professor Isamu Akasaki. Akasaki's team found a way to make GaN conduct electricity better. But their method was not good for making many LEDs quickly.
Nakamura then developed a new method using heat. This method was much better for mass production. He and his team also figured out why the GaN was not working well. They discovered that hydrogen was the problem.
Overcoming Challenges
At the time, many people thought creating a GaN LED was too difficult. Luckily, the founder of Nichia, Nobuo Ogawa, believed in Nakamura's project. He was willing to support and fund the GaN research. However, the company's leadership changed in 1989. The new leader told Nakamura to stop working on GaN. They thought it was costing too much time and money.
But Nakamura did not give up. He continued to develop the blue LED on his own. In 1993, he successfully created the device. Once Nakamura had a working prototype, Nichia realized its potential. The new blue LED was 1,000 times brighter than previous blue LEDs.
The company's sales grew a lot because of the blue LED products. By 2001, 60 percent of Nichia's sales came from blue LEDs. Nakamura received a higher degree, a D.Eng., from the University of Tokushima in 1994.
Moving to the United States
In 1999, Nakamura left Nichia Corporation. He joined the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) as a professor. The university's leader, Henry T. Yang, personally invited him. Yang traveled to Japan three times to convince Nakamura to join UCSB. He promised new research facilities and a Japanese-speaking research team.
In 2001, Nakamura had a disagreement with his former employer, Nichia. He felt he had not been fairly rewarded for his invention. He claimed he received only about $180 for his discovery. Nichia, however, stated they had given him promotions and bonuses over the years.
Nakamura sued for a larger share of the invention's value. A court initially awarded him a very large sum. However, after an appeal, they settled in 2005 for about $8.1 million. This was still the largest payment ever made by a Japanese company to an employee for an invention. Nakamura has often said that Japanese companies should give their researchers more recognition and better pay.
Further Innovations and Ventures
Besides blue LEDs, Nakamura also worked on green LEDs. He is responsible for creating the white LED. He also developed blue laser diodes. These are used in technologies like Blu-ray Discs and HD DVDs.
Today, Nakamura is a professor of Materials at UCSB. In 2008, he co-founded a company called Soraa. This company develops lighting technology using pure gallium nitride. As of May 2020, Nakamura holds 208 US patents for his inventions.
In November 2022, Nakamura started a new company called Blue Laser Fusion. This company focuses on commercial fusion energy. In July 2023, Blue Laser Fusion raised $25 million from investors.
Personal Life
Shuji Nakamura is married to Yuki Nakamura.
Awards and Recognitions
Shuji Nakamura has received many awards for his groundbreaking work:
- 1998 – Rank Prize
- 2001 – Asahi Prize
- 2002 – Benjamin Franklin Medal in Physics
- 2006 – Finland's Millennium Technology Prize
- 2008 – Prince of Asturias Award for Technical and Scientific Research
- 2008 – Honorary Doctor of Engineering degree from Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
- 2009 – Harvey Prize from the Technion
- 2012 – Silicon Valley Intellectual Property Law Association (SVIPLA) Inventor of the Year
- 2014 – Order of Culture
- 2014 – Nobel Prize in Physics (with Prof. Isamu Akasaki and Prof. Hiroshi Amano)
- 2015 – Global Energy Prize
- 2015 – Asia Game Changer Award
- 2016 – Asian Scientist 100
- 2016 – Outstanding Achievement in Science & Technology at The Asian Awards
- 2017 – Institution of Engineering and Technology Mountbatten Medal
- 2018 – Zayed Future Energy Prize
- 2021 – Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering
- 2022 – Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement
- 2025 – Honorary Doctorate from McGill University
See also
In Spanish: Shūji Nakamura para niños
- List of Japanese Nobel laureates and nominees
