Hiroshi Amano was born on September 11, 1960, inHamamatsu, Japan, the son of father Tatsuji and mother Yoshiko.[2]
During elementary school days, Amano playedsoccer as a goalkeeper andsoftball as a catcher. He was also passionate aboutamateur radio and despite hating studying, he was good atmathematics. Upon entering high school, he began taking his studies seriously and became a top student by studying every day late into the night.
In 1979, Amano enteredNagoya University, where he received hisB.E.,M.E., andD.E. degrees in 1983, 1985, and 1989, respectively.[3]
From 1988 to 1992, Amano was a research associate atNagoya University. In 1992, he moved toMeijo University as an assistant professor. From 1998 to 2002, he was an associate professor. In 2002, he became a professor. In 2010, Amano returned to Nagoya University, where he is currently a professor in the Graduate School of Engineering.[3]
Amano joined ProfessorIsamu Akasaki's group in 1982 as an undergraduate student. Since then, he has been doing research on the growth, characterization and device applications of group IIInitride semiconductors, which are well known as materials used in blue light-emitting diodes today. In 1985, he developed low-temperature deposited buffer layers for the growth of group III nitride semiconductor films on a sapphire substrate, which led to the realization of group-III-nitride semiconductor based light-emitting diodes and laser diodes. In 1989, he succeeded in growing p-type GaN and fabricating a p-n-junction-type GaN-based UV/blue light-emitting diode for the first time in the world.
Known to be keen on research, Amano's laboratory was always lit late at night, such as weekdays, holidays, New Year's Day, and was called "no night castle".[4] According to his students in the laboratory, Amano has an optimistic and temperate personality, and is never angry.[5][6]
Amano, H.; Sawaki, N.; Akasaki, I.; Toyoda, Y. (February 3, 1986). "Metalorganic vapor phase epitaxial growth of a high quality GaN film using an AlN buffer layer".Applied Physics Letters.48 (5). AIP Publishing:353–355.Bibcode:1986ApPhL..48..353A.doi:10.1063/1.96549.ISSN0003-6951.
Amano, Hiroshi; Akasaki, Isamu; Kozawa, Takahiro; Hiramatsu, Kazumasa; Sawaki, Nobuhiko; Ikeda, Kousuke; Ishii, Yoshikazu (1988). "Electron beam effects on blue luminescence of zinc-doped GaN".Journal of Luminescence.40–41. Elsevier BV:121–122.Bibcode:1988JLum...40..121A.doi:10.1016/0022-2313(88)90117-2.ISSN0022-2313.
Murakami, Hiroshi; Asahi, Tsunemori; Amano, Hiroshi; Hiramatsu, Kazumasa; Sawaki, Nobuhiko; Akasaki, Isamu (1991). "Growth of Si-doped AlxGa1–xN on (0001) sapphire substrate by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy".Journal of Crystal Growth.115 (1–4). Elsevier BV:648–651.Bibcode:1991JCrGr.115..648M.doi:10.1016/0022-0248(91)90820-u.ISSN0022-0248.
Itoh, Kenji; Kawamoto, Takeshi; Amano, Hiroshi; Hiramatsu, Kazumasa; Akasaki, Isamu (September 15, 1991). "Metalorganic Vapor Phase Epitaxial Growth and Properties of GaN/Al0.1Ga0.9N Layered Structures".Japanese Journal of Applied Physics.30 (Part 1, No. 9A). Japan Society of Applied Physics:1924–1927.Bibcode:1991JaJAP..30.1924I.doi:10.1143/jjap.30.1924.ISSN0021-4922.S2CID123428785.
I. Akasaki, H. Amano, K. Itoh, N. Koide & K. Manabe, Int. Phys. Conf. Ser. 129, 851 (1992).
Akasaki, Isamu; Amano, Hiroshi; Sota, Shigetoshi; Sakai, Hiromitsu; Tanaka, Toshiyuki; Koike, Masayoshi (November 1, 1995). "Stimulated Emission by Current Injection from an AlGaN/GaN/GaInN Quantum Well Device".Japanese Journal of Applied Physics.34 (11B) L1517. Japan Society of Applied Physics.doi:10.7567/jjap.34.l1517.ISSN0021-4922.S2CID122963134.
