Ryo Matsumura, Senior Researcher in the Nanostructured Semiconducting Materials Group, has been awarded the "MRM Poster Award 2023: Silver Award" at the international conference MRM2023/IUMRS-ICA2023. This award is presented to researchers who have conducted advanced research contributing to the progress of material science.

The focus of Matsumura's award-winning research is on the technologies for developing materials critical to the next generation of optoelectronic integrated devices. By pioneering a novel technique for the high-speed crystallization of germanium-based thin films using continuous wave (CW) lasers, Matsumura achieved remarkable results. His method facilitated the crystallization of germanium-based thin films exhibiting extraordinarily high tensile strain, a feat previously unattained. This process not only achieved n-type doping with the highest activation ever reported for germanium-based thin films but also led to a dramatic enhancement in their optical properties.

MRM2023/IUMRS-ICA2023 is a joint international conference organized by the Japan MRS (MRS-J), which was launched in 2019 to advance material science and technology, and the International Union of Materials Research Societies (IUMRS), which hosts international conferences on new materials and compounds. The collaboration aims to broaden the scope of international conferences, enhancing the exchange of knowledge and fostering interdisciplinary cooperation across a diverse range of scientific fields.