NIMS Postdoctoral Researcher Dr. Mahito Yamamoto of the π-Electron Electronics Unit has been selected to receive the 39th Japan Society of Applied Physics (JSAP) Young Scientist Presentation Award from JSAP. This award is for young researchers who make valuable presentations which are expected to contribute to the development of the field of applied physics.

Dr. Yamamoto’s presentation, entitled “Thickness-controlled oxidation of atomically thin WSe2”, was highly evaluated as a research study that merits this prestigious award. The atomic layers of the Group VI transition metal dichalcogenides such as WSe2 are of great interest as ultrathin semiconductor materials which could be alternative to silicon. However, a critical challenge for practical use is to create high-quality insulating oxides on the atomic layer surfaces precisely and simply, like the silicon oxidation process. Dr. Yamamoto succeeded in growing atomically uniform oxide films on the surfaces of WSe2 atomic layers with the controlled thicknesses from one to three layers, simply by exposure to ozone at relatively low temperature.

The Award Ceremony will be held during the 63th Spring Meeting 2016 of JSAP.