KUAS Engineering’s Abbhiraj Singh receives JSME 2023 Young Fellow Award

Abbhiraj Singh, a third-year bachelor student at KUAS Engineering has received the Young Fellow Award from the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers (JSME) 2023 Annual Meeting held in Tokyo Metropolitan University for his presentation entitled “Strength control of silicon MEMS using electron beam induced silicon nanodots”. This award recognizes outstanding research work and presentations performed by young researchers among the presenters at the conferences organized by JSME. Abbhiraj’s research and presentation were very positively evaluated, leading to this award.

Under Professor Takahiro Namazu’s supervision, Abbhiraj has addressed a challenging research project “Nanodot-based Nanomechanical Switch” as a Cornerstone Project, which is a self-motivated project-type research and development that KUAS Engineering bachelor students can do. The Nanomechatronics Laboratory (specializing in nanomechanics, nanotechnology, and functional materials, directed by Professor Takahiro Namazu) is researching a new technique for nucleation of Si nanodots with a diameter of about 10 nanometers in Si oxide film by simply irradiating an electron beam to the film. Abbhiraj thought “by creating a large number of Si nanodots inside an oxidized Si nanowire, which can be made by oxidizing a Si nanowire, a current can flow through the nanowire. Under the condition, if the nanowire is stretched, the current flow would be interrupted due to an increase of the distance between two Si nanodots inside the nanowire. That phenomenon can be used as a nanoscale switching mechanism.” During his project, Abbhiraj discovered that the strength of the nanowire can be controlled by growing Si nanodots inside. This is a groundbreaking idea and research outcome, which overturns the conventional idea that materials’ strength is automatically determined by process history and the size and number of defects contained.

Abbhiraj said, “It is a great honor for my project results to be recognized. It was very hard for me to pursue experiments during my spare time after lectures. The lab’s seniors and Namazu sensei always supported me, so I did it! Thanks, everyone!” Professor Namazu added, “During the limited time available, Abbhiraj actively visited the laboratory and did his best in the experiment. His serious and proactive approach to everything led him to receive this award. He deserves it and I am proud of him.” Abbhiraj will join the Nanomechatronics Laboratory in April 2024 on a laboratory Project and will continue to work hard on his research activities.

(Hiroshi Kawakami, Faculty of Engineering)