Functional Material Laboratory

Building a materials science research field of the 21st century by utilizing space and non-gravity environments

As the International Space Station gears up its operations, high expectations are being placed on the experiments to let liquids float in the air without a container at the Japanese experiment module, Kibo. Our laboratory is also developing various kinds of floating-process technologies on the premise that they will be used at Kibo. Moreover, we are conducting research on the creation of new materials by establishing unprecedented methods such as floating through gas-jet levitation to attain non-convection and a high degree of supercooling that is similar to space environments. Additionally, we are conducting experiments to cool the floated liquid very quickly by using drop tubes, the free-fall section of which is 2.5 meters long. These methods have not been used anywhere else in the world.

College of Engineering Department of Materials Science and Engineering

Faculty Name

NAGAYAMA, Katsuhisa

Keyword

Materials science, , , , , III-V semiconductors,,Space,The non-container process,High performance rare earth magnet,Next-generation semiconductors,III-V semiconductors,Semiconductors

Laboratory location

Research Building TOYOSU Campus 10F 10M25

This lab is for this SDG activity:

STUDY FIELDS

Materials science and engineering
Materials science
Condensed matter physics
Magnetic engineering
Semiconductor engineering

FOR SOCIETY

We aim to introduce the quantum and electron theories to conduct research on the creation of new materials of the 21st century by using space environments while trying to make theories about the expression of properties that cannot be elucidated with conventional concepts. To that end, we are conducting experiments to create new materials such as next-generation semiconductors, high-performance permanent magnets, amorphous substances, quasi crystals and nanomaterials.

RESEARCH THEMES

Creation of next-generation silicon solar cells by using the drop-tube technique and III-V semiconductor single crystal particles
Creation of iron silicide semiconductors as well as magnetic and semiconductive single crystal particles using the drop-tube technique
Creation of high-performance and neodymium permanent magnets by the floating and high-speed-fall-and-compression methods
Creating nanocomposite and neodymium permanent magnets by the floating and high-speed-fall-and-compression methods
Research on the liquid phase epitaxy of III-V and magnetic semiconductors
Research on the crystal growth of nitrogen compound semiconductors grown directly from the melt.