Ryota Fukuda, a KUAS Graduate Student, Receives Prestigious ISPP2024 Award

Ryota Fukuda, a second-year master’s course student at KUAS Graduate School of Engineering has received the Student Award from the 17th International Symposium on Sputtering & Plasma Processes (ISSP2024) held in Kyoto Research Park for his presentation entitled “Effect of O content on self-propagating exothermic reaction in Ti/ SiO_x multilayer films deposited by RF/DC sputtering”. This award recognizes outstanding research work and presentation performed by students at the ISSP2024. Firstly, 50 great papers were selected from in total 140 papers that the first author was student, and then only 3 students were selected as the Student Award with their great presentations. Ryota’s research and presentation were very positively evaluated, leading to this award. He was sole Japanese student in the three winners.

Under Professor Takahiro Namazu’s supervision, Ryota is conducting research into self-propagating exothermic materials. In the Nanomechatronics Laboratory, they are developing exothermic metal films, such as Al/Ni, and developing instantaneous bonding technology for SiC power semiconductors. Ryota is interested in the application of this instantaneous exothermic material to the medical field, and is working to understand the phenomenon of self-propagating exothermic reactions in Ti and SiO_x, which are known as biocompatible materials. He discovered that the mechanism of the exothermic reaction changes as the oxygen content changes, and the exothermic performances can be controlled by the amount of oxygen.

Ryota said joyfully, “I enrolled in KUAS Graduate School of Engineering from another university. The Nanomechatronics Laboratory focuses on evaluating the physical properties and developing the functions of nano- to micro-materials. The technical challenges involved were a series of difficulties. This award made me feel like my hard work has been rewarded. I will continue to work hard until the end on my master’s thesis”. Professor Namazu praised him, and said, “I am pleased that the results of Ryota’s steady daily efforts, despite receiving my strict supervision at weekly laboratory meetings, have been recognized. He deserves the award”.

(Hiroshi Kawakami, Faculty of Engineering)