News Article
Isamu Akasaki awarded Edison medal for blue LEDs
The pioneer of blue gallium nitride LEDs has been recognised for his outstanding contribution to research in the field.
Isamu Akasaki, with whom Toyoda Gosei has cooperated with in the development of LEDs since 1986, was awarded the 2011 Edison Medal from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
The Edison Medal is presented “for a career of meritorious achievement in electrical science, electrical engineering or the electrical arts.” Akasaki, a research fellow at Akasaki Research Centre in Nagoya University,is the second Japanese to receive it after Junichi Nishizawa, who was a professor of Iwate Prefectural University and received the award in 2000.
On Akasaki’s achievements, Toyoda Gosei has expressed its congratulations and says that under his instruction, that the company succeeded in the development of the first ever GaN blue LEDs in 1991. By 1995, Toyoda started selling the LEDs commercially.
Demand for LEDs is escalating for their energy-saving and long-lived features, and their applications are noticeably broadened in lighting devices.
Akasaki has been pioneering the development of GaN blue LEDs, which is now receiving wide recognition.
