153rd Committee on Plasma Materials Science

Aims and Goals

Plasma processing, which utilizes electric discharge, is applied to a broad range of fields: not only does plasma processing serve as the core technology for electronic device processing, which is the quintessential advanced technology, but it is also applied to the production of various functional thin films, the syntheses of nano particles and clusters, surface treatment, the machining of materials, combustion, and the disposal of waste matter. Plasma processing is also closely related to the generation and utilization of light beams, including laser beams, and to the generation and measurement of chemically active radicals, and it can be expected to be applied to new fields in the future. For researchers and planners responsible for creating new materials, developing new apparatuses, and addressing energy and environmental problems and radical advances in technology, it will become even more important from here on to understand the basics of plasma and to master its use. In industry, techniques for plasma use are ahead of the still insufficient basic understanding of the mechanisms and control of plasma generating apparatuses and processes.

The committee will

firstly, taking into consideration the requests of its members, provide the latest information on various plasmas and their utilization;

secondly, create a forum in which opinions are exchanged and discussed regarding problems of the basic science underlying the applications of plasma (this will help the participants deepen their understanding of plasma and provide them with hints on the development of new uses of plasma not only in the fields of materials and devices but also in new areas, including bio-medicine); and

thirdly, offer opportunities for researchers and engineers from industry, the government, and academia in Japan to come into contact with not only one another but also plasma researchers abroad and actively support human contacts and information exchanges.

Research Themes

Committee Chairperson

Takayuki Watanabe
Professor
Kyushu University

Duration

April 2018 to March 2023 (Seventh term, Five years)

Membership Composition   (As of Apr.2019)

Academia: 41
Industry: 41
Total membership: 82

Committee Achievements and Special Activities

1. Study meetings (about six times a year, of which four are held in Tokyo)

Lectures and discussions on various themes related to materials and plasma

2. Holding of Symposium on Plasma Science for Materials (SPSM)

The symposium the committee will hold in mid-June will comprise scholarly lectures and presentations of research findings and will take place in conjunction with the biannual Asia-Pacific Conference on Plasma Science and Technology (APCPST).

3. Plasma Materials Science Award

Commendation of engineers and researchers having made distinguished achievements in the field of plasma materials science

4. Research for the Future Program Projects

In fiscal 1997, the creation of a thermal plasma ultra-high speed cluster film formation method using high-dimensionally controlled nano-scopic electronic materials was proposed by a group represented by Professor Toyonobu Yoshida (School of Engineering, University of Tokyo), the former chairperson of the 153rd committee, and selected as a research theme, and the research was carried out mainly by the members of the 153rd committee.

In fiscal 1999, the development of bio-mimetic materials processing was co-proposed by the 69th Committee on Materials Processing and Applications (main promoter) and the 131st Committee on Thin Films—represented by Professor Osamu Takai (Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University), chairperson of the 153rd committee—and was selected as a research theme, and the members of the committees conducted the research in cooperation with each other (completed at the end of fiscal 2004)

Committee Web Site

http://plasma153.org/