奈良先端科学技術大学院大学 物質創成科学領域

Summary

Mr. Rivaldo Marsel Tumbelaka, who is a Ph. D candidate in Nara Institute of Science and Technology under the guidance of Assoc. Prof. Ken Hattori, won the Distinguished Student Award in American Physical Society (APS) Global Summit 2026, which was held in Colorado Convention Center, Denver, Colorado, USA, Mar.15-20, 2026. In the international conference, more than 14,000 physicists from around the world attended including >5,500 graduate students and >950 undergraduate students.
APS Global Summit 2026

The Distinguished Student Award ceremony was held in Mar. 19, and about 10 students were rewarded.

Presentation title

Development of sub-nm roughness evaluation method using electron diffraction on HOPG

Authors

R. M. Tumbelaka, T. Fujiwara, Y. Kitagawa, Y. Ida, Y. Kimoto, K. Matsue, A. N. Hattori, H. Momono, and K. Hattori

Research detail

Mr. Tumbelaka and co-authors demonstrated the potential of high-energy reflected electron diffraction as a quantitative tool for evaluating sub-nanometer surface roughness, particularly for complex three-dimensional surfaces where conventional atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements are difficult to perform. Precise evaluation of sub-nm surface roughness is essential for advanced technologies such as semiconductor manufacturing, thin-film growth, and materials engineering at the nanoscale.

Comment

I am truly honored to receive the Distinguished Student Award at the Forum International Physics, APS Global Physics Summit 2026. Having the opportunity to present my research at such an international conference and engage with researchers from various fields was an unforgettable and valuable experience for me. I would like also to express my heartfelt gratitude to Professor Ken Hattori for his guidance and continuous support throughout this research. I am also sincerely thankful to my collaborators, laboratory members, and the J-PEAKS Grant program for paying the attendance fees and making it possible for me to participate in this conference. Without their encouragement and support, I would not have been able to obtain this recognition. This award has inspired me to continue pursuing deeper understanding in surface science and electron diffraction, and to further contribute to the development of advanced nanoscale characterization techniques for future semiconductor and nanomaterial technologies.