Milestone-Proposal talk:Realization of Blue Light Emitting Diode, 1989-1993

Advocates’ Checklist (Read Only; Do not edit)

1. Is the proposal for an achievement rather than for a person? If the citation includes a person's name, have the proposers provided the required justification for inclusion of the person's name?
2. Was the proposed achievement a significant advance rather than an incremental improvement to an existing technology?
3. Were there prior or contemporary achievements of a similar nature? If so, have they been properly considered in the background information and in the citation?
4. Has the achievement truly led to a functioning, useful, or marketable technology?
5. Is the proposal adequately supported by significant references (minimum of five) such as patents, contemporary newspaper articles, journal articles, or citations to pages in scholarly books? At least one of the references should be from a peer-reviewed scholarly book or journal article. The full text of the material, not just the references, shall be present. If the supporting texts are copyright-encumbered and cannot be posted on the ETHW for intellectual property reasons, the proposers shall email a copy to the History Center so that it can be forwarded to the Advocate. If the Advocate does not consider the supporting references sufficient, the Advocate may ask the proposer(s) for additional ones.
6. Are the scholarly references sufficiently recent?
7. Does the proposed citation explain why the achievement was successful and impactful?
8. Does the proposed citation include important technical aspects of the achievement?
9. Is the proposed citation readable and understandable by the general public?
10. Will the citation be read correctly in the future by only using past tense? Does the citation wording avoid statements that read accurately only at the time that the proposal is written?
11. Does the proposed plaque site fulfill the requirements?
12. Is the proposal quality comparable to that of IEEE publications?
13. Are any scientific and technical units correct (e.g., km, mm, hertz, etc.)? Are acronyms correct and properly upper-cased or lower-cased? Are the letters in any acronym explained in the title or the citation?
14. Are date formats correct as specified in Section 6 of Milestones Program Guidelines? Helpful Hints on Citations, plaque locations
15. Do the year(s) appearing in the citation fall within the range of the year(s) included at the end of the title?
16. Note that it is the Advocate's responsibility to confirm that the independent reviewers have no conflict of interest (e.g., that they do not work for a company or a team involved in the achievement being proposed, that they have not published with the proposer(s), and have not worked on a project related to the funding of the achievement). An example of a way to check for this would be to search reviewers' publications on IEEE Xplore.

Independent Expert Reviewers’ Checklist (Read only; Do not edit)

1. Is suggested wording of the Plaque Citation accurate?
2. Is evidence presented in the proposal of sufficient substance and accuracy to support the Plaque Citation?
3. Does proposed milestone represent a significant technical achievement?
4. Were there similar or competing achievements? If so, have the proposers adequately described these and their relationship to the achievement being proposed?
5. Have proposers shown a clear benefit to humanity?

In answering the questions above, the History Committee asks that independent expert reviewers apply a similar level of rigor to that used to peer-review an article, or evaluate a research proposal. Some elaboration is desirable. Of course the Committee would welcome any additional observations that you may have regarding this proposal.

Submission and Approval Log (For staff use only)

Submitted date: 30 January 2025
Advocate approval date: 15 February 25
History Committee approval date:
Board of Directors approval date:

Message from Advocate to Proposers -- Tomohiro Hase (talk) 01:28, 1 February 2025 (UTC)

Dear Proposers

I have been appointed by the History Committee as advocate for your proposal. According to the status report, your proposal stay status C1. Then I will start to review process.

Best regards, Dr. Tomohiro Hase, Advocate.

Expert Reviewer's Report_1_Sugiura uploaded by Advocate -- Tomohiro Hase (talk) 05:48, 1 February 2025 (UTC)

Dear Dr. Hase,

Thank you very much for asking me to review the “Milestone-Proposal: Realization of Blue Light Emitting Diode, 1989-1993”. I am very happy to provide my feedback on this important milestone.

I have thoroughly reviewed the proposal and have answered the six questions you provided as follows:

(1) Is suggested wording of the Plaque Citation accurate?

Yes, the wording of the plaque citation is accurate. It succinctly captures the significant achievement of the development of the blue light emitting diode (LED) and honors the key contributors to this groundbreaking technology.

(2) Is evidence presented in the proposal of sufficient substance and accuracy to support the Plaque Citation?

Yes, the proposal provides ample evidence, particularly in the "Historical Significance" section. For example, references to Figure 8 and [9] clearly demonstrate the accuracy of the citation and support the historical importance of the blue LED.

(3) The Citation mentions Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano, and Shuji Nakamura as inventors of the Blue LED. Do you agree with this Citation?

Yes, I fully agree with the citation naming Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano, and Shuji Nakamura as the inventors of the blue LED. The justification provided in the proposal outlines their pivotal roles in the development of this technology and their contributions are well-documented.The fact that these three professors were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics 2014 shows that their achievements are remarkable worldwide.

(4) Does the proposed milestone represent a significant technical achievement?

Yes, the proposed milestone represents a highly significant technical achievement. The realization of the blue LED is not only a major scientific breakthrough but also has had a profound impact on a wide range of industries, from display technologies to energy-efficient lightings.They contributed not only to the invention of blue LEDs but also to the development of blue and UV lasers, with an immeasurable social impact.

(5) Were there similar or competing achievements? If so, have the proposers adequately described these and their relationship to the achievement being proposed?

Yes, there were similar efforts in the development of light-emitting diodes, but the proposal effectively addresses how the contributions of Akasaki, Amano and Nakamura set this work apart. In the section "Features Setting This Work Apart from Similar Achievements," it is clear that the successful development of a practical blue LED was a critical breakthrough that was previously unattainable by other methods.

(6) Have proposers shown a clear benefit to humanity?

Yes, the proposal clearly highlights the societal impact of blue LEDs. As described in the "Social Impact of the Realization of Blue Light Emitting Diodes" section, the development of blue LEDs has led to energy-efficient lighting solutions and contributed to sustainability across various sectors, with substantial benefits for global society.

In conclusion, I strongly recommend that this proposal be recognized as the IEEE Milestone. The development of the blue LED is an achievement of monumental technical and historical significance, and it is a technology that continues to provide widespread benefits to humanity and society. I believe it is entirely deserving of this prestigious recognition.

I deeply appreciate the opportunity to contribute this review.

Very best regards,

Dr. Hiroaki Sugiura, IEEE Fellow. Chief Technical Adviser, Mitsubishi Electric Corp.

Vice President, The Laser Society of Japan.

New Proposed Title and Citation -- Bberg (talk) 23:34, 2 February 2025 (UTC)

I propose a new title and citation for this proposal:

The Blue Light-Emitting Diode (LED), 1989-1993
In 1989, the first p-n junction blue light-emitting diode (LED) was illuminated using gallium nitride (GaN) crystals grown by Isamu Akasaki and Hiroshi Amano. This breakthrough led to creation of a high-brightness blue LED by Shuji Nakamura in 1993. These three professors received the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics. Power efficiency and compact size have enabled worldwide usage of LEDs in home, business, and the mobile consumer electronics industry.

Thank you. Brian Berg, 2024 Milestones Subcommittee Chair

Re: New Proposed Title and Citation -- Tomohiro Hase (talk) 00:33, 3 February 2025 (UTC)

Dear Brian Berg san

Thank you very much. After discussing with the proposers, we will make the necessary adjustments based on your advice.

Best regards, Tomohiro Hase, Advocate for Milestone #2024-32

Expert Reviewer's Report_2_Gil uploaded by Advocate -- Tomohiro Hase (talk) 15:02, 3 February 2025 (UTC)

Dear Dr. Hase,

I am very flattered by this honor that is made to me to evaluate this Milestone-Proposal entitled: Realization of Blue Light Emitting Diode, 1989-1993. Please find below the treatment of the questions to which you request to be brought answers:

(1) Is suggested wording of the Plaque Citation accurate?

Yes, it is perfectly accurate and it matches exactly to the contributions of science of materials, technology of semiconductors, sustainable and economic developments of our current society.

(2) Is evidence presented in the proposal of sufficient substance and accuracy to support the Plaque Citation?

My opinion is that this is concisely but perfectly formulated. The chronological steps leading to high material qualities, to their doping till the realization of devices performant enough for the industry adapted for substantial sustainable applications and energy saving issues are clearly treated and offered to future readers

(3) The Citation mentions Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano, and Shuji Nakamura as inventors of the Blue LED. Do you agree with this Citation?

I totally agree with this distribution between these three scientists who were altogether awarded the 2014 Nobel prize. They had complementary contributions to the developments of blue LED such as that they become commercially available at the highest worldwide scale.

(4) Does the proposed milestone represent a significant technical achievement?

Of course it does represent a significant technical achievement and even more than this. Simultaneously with its development, the successive technological progress that led to the blue LED required to engineer a lot of set-ups for growing the new materials of the different basic building blocks of the device under unprecedented purities and conditions of doping, simultaneously with the development of novel modern characterization technique in situ the material growths chambers. Adding the processing techniques that were developed in clean rooms for improving each step of the protocols required to design the devices , it is the whole industry of semiconductors that profitability benefited of this invention of blue LEDs. To be complete there have been a lot of spill-overs of this technology, all linked to the improved control of the quality of the materials, in the areas of for instance lasers (other devices for optoelectronics) but also in the field of advanced transistors. This is obviously also to be underlined here.

(5) Were there similar or competing achievements? If so, have the proposers adequately described these and their relationship to the achievement being proposed?

There had been previous efforts development of blue light-emitting diodes in the world but the progress had been in stand-by since many years. The angle under which Akasaki, Amano and Nakamura was really innovative and the technique they discovered triggered the development of the blue LED technology, but impacted extremely positively all was is now extremely lively in the areas of UV LEDs and of advanced transistors operating in harsh conditions .

(6) Have proposers shown a clear benefit to humanity?

Yes, they are clear benefits for humanity in terms of energy savings in the areas of outdoor and indoor lighting, but it is also profitable in a lot of different areas in straightforward relation with processing of miniature LEDs assembled to form ultra- high-resolution displays in displays and other devices of the same vein for instance concerning medical imaging for the detection of diseases at their very early stages. My opinion is that is particularly meaningful to award the IEEE Milestone to this project of extremely high societal and sustainable impact. Almost forty years after the initial demonstration of the growth of high purity GaN, the potentialities of this semiconductor and of its heterostructures, the benefits this technology for the human kind are still to be exactly framed.

Thank you very much again for asking my advice.

Faith fully yours,

Dr. Bernard Gil

Director of Research of exceptional class at CNRS. Professor Honoris Causa University of St Petersburg. Professor Honoris Causa University Meijo of Nagoya.

Expert Reviewer's Report_3_Kimoto uploaded by Advocate -- Tomohiro Hase (talk) 06:36, 4 February 2025 (UTC)

Dear Prof. Hase

Here are the answers on the questions posed by you:

(1) Is suggested wording of the Plaque Citation accurate?

Yes, the Plaque Citation is correct and accurate.

(2) Is evidence presented in the proposal of sufficient substance and accuracy to support the Plaque Citation?

I have looked through the references [1]–[19]. These references clearly show the background and significance of this groundbreaking invention (blue light emitting diode). I judge that the evidence to support the Plaque Citation is fully shown in the proposal.

(3) The Citation mentions Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano and Shuji Nakamura, as inventors of the Blue LED. Do you agree with this Citation?

Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano and Shuji Nakamura are the true inventors of a blue emitting diode, and this was objectively demonstrated by the Nobel Prize of Physics 2014. I completely agree with this Citation.

(4) Does proposed milestone represent a significant technical achievement?

Although infrared, red, orange, and yellow light-emitting devices had been commercialized, it had been extremely difficult to fabricate blue light emitting devices with any electronic materials for a long time (more than 30 years) in spite of very strong demands. Most scientists and engineers in the related fields gave up and were very negative about realization of blue light emitting devices in 1980s. Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano and Shuji Nakamura have overcome all the technical difficulties by using a GaN-based material, growth of the world-first high-quality GaN, successful p-type doping, formation of a high-quality GaN pn junction, and introduction of InGaN, which resulted in the world-first demonstration and commercialization of highly efficient and high-brightness blue light emitting diodes based on GaN. So far, any other equivalent technologies have not been (and will not be) established. Thus, this invention is of extraordinarily impactful significance in the history of science and technology.

(5) Were there similar or competing achievements? If so, have the proposers adequately described these and their relationship to the achievement being proposed?

The invention of a blue light emitting diode by Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano and Shuji Nakamura is quite exclusive and I cannot find any other competing achievements. In the early stage before this invention, several other materials and devices were investigated toward blue light emitting devices, but all of them failed. Such situations are well described in the proposal.

(6) Have proposers shown a clear benefit to humanity?

The GaN-based blue emitting diodes have enabled production of numerous innovative devices such as high-efficiency white lighting and smart traffic signals. For example, replacing conventional incandescent bulbs and fluorescent lamps with the novel white lamps using GaN blue light emitting diodes has led to huge energy saving all over the world. The white lamps using GaN blue light emitting diodes are also adopted in numerous other devices such as smart phones, personal computers, displays, and so on.

In conclusion, a blue light emitting diode invented by Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano and Shuji Nakamura in 1989–1993 is an exceptionally innovative and impactful achievement, showing an extraordinary value and benefits to humanity. I strongly recommend this achievement as the IEEE Milestone. It is very difficult to find a better candidate for the Milestone other than a blue light emitting diode.

Best regards,

Dr. Tsunenobu Kimoto,

Professor, Kyoto University

Expert Reviewer's Report_4_Hara uploaded by Advocate -- Tomohiro Hase (talk) 05:50, 7 February 2025 (UTC)

Dear Dr. Hase,

Thank you very much for inviting me to review the IEEE Milestone Proposal for the realization of the Blue LED. After carefully examining the provided proposal at the following URL:

https://ieeemilestones.ethw.org/Milestone-Proposal:Realization_of_Blue_Light_Emitting_Diode,_1989-1993

I am pleased to provide my responses to your questions:

1. Is suggested wording of the Plaque Citation accurate?

Yes, the wording of the Plaque Citation is accurate.

2. Is evidence presented in the proposal of sufficient substance and accuracy to support the Plaque Citation?

Yes, the evidence presented in the proposal is of sufficient substance and accuracy to support the Plaque Citation. I have reviewed the Historical Significance section, particularly references [number(s)], and I agree with the historical importance outlined in the proposal.

3. The Citation mentions Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano, and Shuji Nakamura as inventors of the Blue LED. Do you agree with this Citation?

Yes, I agree with the inclusion of Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano, and Shuji Nakamura's names as the inventors of the Blue LED, as justified in the Justification of name-in-citation section.

4. Does the proposed milestone represent a significant technical achievement?

Yes, the proposed milestone represents a significant technical achievement. The Historical Significance section clearly outlines the global value of the first Blue LED.

5. Were there similar or competing achievements? If so, have the proposers adequately described these and their relationship to the achievement being proposed?

The proposal introduces blue light emission from neon signs, fluorescent lights, cathode ray tubes, etc. as a method of emitting blue light similar to blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs). All of these have issues, such as the need for large power consumption and the difficulty of scale down the light-emitting unit. The blue LEDs is expected to result in a significant reduction in power consumption, a longer life and reduced maintenance costs associated with lamp replacement, as well as the miniaturization of the light-emitting unit and reduced waste.

6.Have proposers shown a clear benefit to humanity?

Yes, the proposers have shown a clear benefit to humanity. The Social Impact of the Realization of Blue Light Emitting Diodes section explains the energy savings and various societal benefits that resulted from this invention. Figure 8 shows an example of an industrial application, where expectation for ultra-thin televisions is shown. As for the practical application of blue LEDs, the three primary colors of LEDs were complete, making a revolutionary change in the display industry. For example, LEDs are used in the backlights of LCD televisions, leading to improved image quality and energy savings. Large displays with an array of light-emitting elements have achieved higher resolution, longer life, higher reliability, and lower costs compared to conventional display devices (applications of CRTs and fluorescent lamps etc.), and by around 2000 they had almost all been replaced by the LED system.

In conclusion, I strongly recommend that the realization of the Blue LED be recognized as an IEEE Milestone due to its significant technological and historical value and the Social Impact.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this important proposal.

Dr. Zenichiro Hara, IEEE Fellow.

[Advocate’s remarks] Dr. Hara is an expert of display systems. He is a proposer of the IEEE Milestone #185 “Outdoor Large-Scale Color Display System, 1980”.

Expert Reviewer's Report_5_Fujioka uploaded by Advocate -- Tomohiro Hase (talk) 18:06, 11 February 2025 (UTC)

Dear Dr. Hase,　

Thank you very much for your e-mail. I read the IEEE Milestone Proposal carefully and now I feel honored to answer your questions.

(1) Is suggested wording of the Plaque Citation accurate?

Yes, the Plaque Citation is accurate.

(2) Is evidence presented in the proposal of sufficient substance and accuracy to support the Plaque Citation?

Yes, the proposal is presented with sufficient content and accuracy as evidenced in the proposal. I agree with the historical importance written in the Proposal

(3) The Citation mentions Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano and Shuji Nakamura, as inventors of the Blue LED. Do you agree with this Citation?

I think it is appropriate to list the names of “Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano, and Shuji Nakamura” as inventors of the blue LED.

(4) Does proposed milestone represent a significant technical achievement?

Yes, it is historically valuable as the world's first blue LED

(5) Were there similar or competing achievements? If so, have the proposers adequately described these and their relationship to the achievement being proposed?

Yes, the proposer adequately explains the relationship between similar technologies and the proposed technology.

(6) Have proposers shown a clear benefit to humanity?

Yes, this invention has resulted in energy savings and has created a multifaceted benefit to society.

In my overall opinion, I strongly recommend blue LEDs as a worthy IEEE Milestone because of their value as a technological and historical asset.

Best regards

Hiroshi Fujioka, Professor, Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo.

Expert Reviewer's Report_6_Miyake uploaded by Advocate -- Tomohiro Hase (talk) 08:17, 15 February 2025 (UTC)

Dear Dr. Hase

This is my review of IEEE Milestone Proposal Docket #2024-32, “Realization of the Blue Light-Emitting Diode (LED), 1989-1993”.

Q1. Is the suggested wording of the Plaque Citation accurate?

The suggested wording of the Plaque Citation is accurate and effectively conveys the significance of the achievement. In particular, it correctly states that Isamu Akasaki and Hiroshi Amano achieved GaN crystal growth and pn junction formation in 1989, followed by Shuji Nakamura's realization of high-brightness blue LEDs in 1993. This information aligns well with widely recognized historical facts regarding the development of blue LEDs.

Q2. Is evidence presented in the proposal of sufficient substance and accuracy to support the Plaque Citation?

Yes, the proposal provides substantial and well-documented evidence to support the Plaque Citation. It includes detailed descriptions of the technological advancements, the contributions of key individuals, and the step-by-step progress leading to the realization of blue LEDs. The references and supporting materials accurately reflect the historical and technical significance of this achievement.

Q3. The Citation mentions Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano, and Shuji Nakamura as inventors of the Blue LED. Do you agree with this Citation?

Yes, I fully agree with the citation. Isamu Akasaki and Hiroshi Amano successfully achieved high-quality GaN crystal growth and pn junction formation, laying the foundation for blue LEDs. Subsequently, Shuji Nakamura realized high-brightness blue LEDs, making the technology commercially viable. The contributions of these three individuals have been internationally recognized, including being awarded the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics. (nobelprize.org)

Q4. Does the proposed milestone represent a significant technical achievement?

Absolutely. The realization of blue LEDs marks a major breakthrough in semiconductor technology, revolutionizing the lighting industry. The development of blue LEDs enabled white LED lighting, which significantly improved energy efficiency compared to conventional lighting methods. This innovation has had a profound and lasting impact on technology and society.

Q5. Were there similar or competing achievements? If so, have the proposers adequately described these and their relationship to the achievement being proposed?

While there were previous attempts at blue light emission, the realization of high-brightness blue LEDs using GaN had no direct equivalent. The proposal provides a clear and well-balanced discussion of related prior research and effectively distinguishes the unique technological advancements that led to the milestone.

Q6. Have proposers shown a clear benefit to humanity?

Yes, the proposers have convincingly demonstrated the significant benefits of this achievement for humanity. The widespread adoption of energy-efficient LED lighting has led to substantial reductions in power consumption and environmental impact, contributing to a more sustainable society.

Based on this evaluation, the proposed milestone represents a highly significant technical and societal achievement and is well-suited for IEEE Milestone recognition.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this Milestone proposal.

Regards,

Dr. Hideto Miyake.

Professor, Graduate School of Regional Innovation Studies, Mie University.

Advocate’s Recommendation -- Tomohiro Hase (talk) 10:22, 15 February 2025 (UTC)

Advocate's Recommendation for the IEEE Milestone #2024-32 “Realization of the Blue Light-Emitting Diode (LED), 1989-1993”

February 12, 2025

Dear IEEE History Committee,

I am honored to be an advocate for the Milestone Proposal #2024-32, “Realization of the Blue Light-Emitting Diode (LED), 1989-1993”.

URL to Proposal: https://ieeemilestones.ethw.org/Milestone-Proposal:Realization_of_Blue_Light_Emitting_Diode,_1989-1993

(1) Expert Review:

I invited six independent experts in the field to conduct a detailed technical review of the proposal. I asked the expert reviewers the following six questions:

Q1: Is the suggested wording of the Plaque Citation accurate?

Q2: Is the evidence presented in the proposal of sufficient substance and accuracy to support the Citation?

Q3: The Citation mentions Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano, and Shuji Nakamura as inventors of the Blue LED. Do you agree with this Citation?

Q4: Does the proposed milestone represent a significant technical achievement?

Q5: Were there similar or competing achievements? If so, have the proposers adequately described these and their relationship to the achievement being proposed?

Q6: Have the proposers shown a clear benefit to humanity?

I have uploaded the six Expert Reviewers’ Reports to the ETHW website at the following URL to Expert Reviewer’s Reports: https://ieeemilestones.ethw.org/Milestone-Proposal_talk:Realization_of_Blue_Light_Emitting_Diode,_1989-1993

Based on my reading of the six Expert Reviewer Reports, I have received positive ratings from all, indicating their agreement with the proposal's appropriateness for the Milestone.

(2) Advocate’s Checklist:

Below is my checklist with responses:

1. Is the proposal for an achievement rather than for a person? If the citation includes a person's name, have the proposers provided the required justification for inclusion of the person's name? <Yes>

2. Was the proposed achievement a significant advance rather than an incremental improvement to existing technology? <Yes>

3. Were there prior or contemporary achievements of a similar nature? If so, have they been properly considered in the background information and the citation? <Yes>

4. Has the achievement truly led to a functioning, useful, or marketable technology? <Yes>

5. Is the proposal adequately supported by significant references (minimum of five) such as patents, contemporary newspaper articles, journal articles, or citations to pages in scholarly books? At least one reference should be from a peer-reviewed scholarly book or journal article. The full text of the material, not just the references, must be present. If the supporting texts are copyright-encumbered and cannot be posted on the ETHW for intellectual property reasons, the proposers shall email a copy to the History Center so it can be forwarded to the Advocate. If the Advocate does not consider the supporting references sufficient, the Advocate may ask the proposer(s) for additional ones. <Yes>

6. Are the scholarly references sufficiently recent? <Yes>

7. Does the proposed citation explain why the achievement was successful and impactful? <Yes>

8. Does the proposed citation include important technical aspects of the achievement? <Yes>

9. Is the proposed citation readable and understandable by the general public? <Yes>

10. Will the citation be read correctly in the future by only using past tense? Does the citation wording avoid statements that read accurately only at the time the proposal is written? <Yes>

11. Does the proposed plaque site fulfill the requirements? <Yes>

12. Is the proposal quality comparable to that of IEEE publications? <Yes>

13. Are any scientific and technical units correct (e.g., km, mm, hertz, etc.)? Are acronyms correct and properly upper-cased or lower-cased? Are the letters in any acronym explained in the title or the citation? <Yes>

14. Are date formats correct as specified in Section 6 of Milestones Program Guidelines? Helpful Hints on Citations, plaque locations. <Yes>

15. Do the year(s) appearing in the citation fall within the range of the year(s) included at the end of the title? <Yes>

16. Note that it is the Advocate's responsibility to confirm that the independent reviewers have no conflict of interest (e.g., that they do not work for a company or a team involved in the achievement being proposed, that they have not published with the proposer(s), and have not worked on a project related to the funding of the achievement). An example of a way to check for this would be to search reviewers' publications on IEEE Xplore. <Yes>

(3) Advocate’s Comment and Conclusion:

I received satisfactory peer review results from six experts in the field. Their reports and discussions were very useful for my decision as an advocate for Milestone #2024-32.

1. Citation:

The six expert reviewers confirmed the citation’s accuracy and that the contents are supported by evidence, as judged by their responses to questions Q1 and Q2. As an advocate, I share the same judgment as the reviewers.

2. Name-in-Citation:

The six reviewers agreed that including three professors, Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano, and Shuji Nakamura, name in the citation is appropriate, based on their responses to question Q3. They acknowledged his sole accomplishment in this feat. As an advocate, I concur with their judgment.

3. Technical Significance and Historical Value:

The six expert reviewers provided detailed reviews of questions Q4 and Q5. They acknowledged the historical significance and great impact of three professors, Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano, and Shuji Nakamura, Blue Light-Emitting Diode (LED). As an advocate, I share their judgment.

4. Benefit to Humanity:

All six expert reviewers provided positive comments, as judged by their responses to question Q6. I concur with their judgment.

5. Advocate’s Conclusion:

All six expert reviewers strongly recognized and supported the proposal, deeming it worthy of the IEEE Milestone recognition. After careful consideration of both the proposal and the expert reviewers’ reports, I strongly recommend the proposal, #2024-32 “Realization of the Blue Light-Emitting Diode (LED), 1989-1993”, for the IEEE Milestone.

Best regards,

Dr. Tomohiro Hase, IEEE Fellow

Advocate for Milestone #2024-32, IEEE History Committee

tightening up citation? -- Amy Bix (talk) 20:43, 20 February 2025 (UTC)

For readability and getting the citation closer to the recommended 60-word goal, may I recommend some rewriting?:

"In 1989, Isamu Akasaki and Hiroshi Amano invented the first p-n junction blue light-emitting diode (LED), which produced light using gallium nitride (GaN) crystals. In 1993, Shuji Nakamura created a high-brightness blue LED. These three professors earned the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics. LEDs offered power efficiency in compact size, promoting their worldwide adoption in home technologies, businesses, and mobile consumer electronics."

Re: tightening up citation? -- Zephyrus00jp (talk) 03:02, 21 February 2025 (UTC)

This is Chiaki Ishikawa, the proposer of the Milestone.

Thank you for your comment.

I created a slightly modified version based on your input.

I wanted to mention the timeline of the invention of Akasaki and Amano that led to eventual Nakamura's high-brightness blue led. They are related. Nakamura's work did not appear out of blue.

Also, come to think of it, LEDs still offer the advantage, so I changed "offered" to "have offered."

This obviously added words. I looked around and realize "(GaN)" is not referenced again and thus we do not need an abbreviation. (Or do we, maybe due to the popularity of GaN?)

So I removed it.

Here is the modified version. It is 66 words and a bit lengthy.

In 1989, Isamu Akasaki and Hiroshi Amano invented the first p-n junction blue light-emitting diode (LED), which produced light using gallium nitride crystals. This invention led Shuji Nakamura to create a high-brightness blue LED in 1993. These three professors earned the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics. LEDs have offered power efficiency in compact size, promoting their worldwide adoption in home technologies, businesses, and mobile consumer electronics.

Then I thought again.

It seems that we might want to begin sentences with the nouns of objects (tangible and ideas) since IEEE Milestone is given for such things and not to people. With that in mind, I overhauled the above into the following, trying also to minimize the use of the repeated word "LED" somewhat . Since the result became much shorter, I resurrected "(GaN)". The total words are 61. I added "for practical use" to "high-brightness LED" so that there is an implicit understanding that the first version did not produce bright enough blue light, which was the case.

The first p-n junction blue light-emitting diode (LED), invented by Isamu Akasaki and Hiroshi Amano in 1989, utilized gallium nitride (GaN) crystals. Enhanced into a high-brightness LED for practical use by Shuji Nakamura in 1993, these technical breakthroughs earned them the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics. Compact, efficient LEDs then transformed lighting and electronics globally across homes, businesses, and mobile devices.

I wonder what people think of the modification. The first sentence might lack the shock that the invention caused in 1989 since nobody had produced blue light from an LED before, but 70 words limit is very tight. I think we need to live with "first" to indicate that.

Re: Re: tightening up citation? -- Bberg (talk) 01:03, 22 February 2025 (UTC)

Dear Chiaki Ishikawa san,

I like your proposed citation of 61 words. Also, importantly, it includes the invention before any personal names, which was a goal when I worked with you on the citation over email. I note that Amy Bix's proposed wording inlcuded an inventor's name at the very start, and that is contrary to our policy to put the invention before a personal name.

Re: Re: Re: tightening up citation? -- Zephyrus00jp (talk) 06:34, 23 February 2025 (UTC)

Thank you for your comment. I think History Committee may want to write down this implicit policy in guideline somewhere clearly. If it is already written down, I think we might want to move to more prominent place or create an independent section to court the attention of the submitters. I have to confess this policy escaped my mind when I created the original citation.

That said, I would like to add a phrase to clarify Dr. Nakamura's contribution to use "double-heterojunction" in the second sentence. I added "blue" before the "LED" in the second sentence. Thus, the still modified version follows. It is 64 words long.

The first p-n junction blue light-emitting diode (LED), invented by Isamu Akasaki and Hiroshi Amano in 1989, utilized gallium nitride (GaN) crystals. Enhanced into a high-brightness blue LED with double-heterojunction for practical use by Shuji Nakamura in 1993, these technical breakthroughs earned them the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics. Compact, efficient LEDs then transformed lighting and electronics globally across homes, businesses, and mobile devices.

Re: Re: Re: Re: tightening up citation? -- Bberg (talk) 19:19, 23 February 2025 (UTC)

Since the huge impact of the LED is well recognized, I suggest that the last sentence be reworded, shortening the citation to these 61 words:

The first p-n junction blue light-emitting diode (LED), invented by Isamu Akasaki and Hiroshi Amano in 1989, utilized gallium nitride (GaN) crystals. Enhanced into a high-brightness blue LED with double-heterojunction for practical use by Shuji Nakamura in 1993, these technical breakthroughs earned them the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics. The LED's compact size and power efficiency transformed lighting and electronics worldwide.

Brian Berg

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: tightening up citation? -- Zephyrus00jp (talk) 08:41, 24 February 2025 (UTC)

Thank you for the comment.

"the huge impact of the LED is well recognized": That is quite true.

I will adopt your version for now, but come to think of it, shouldn't "transformed" be "have transformed"?

The first p-n junction blue light-emitting diode (LED), invented by Isamu Akasaki and Hiroshi Amano in 1989, utilized gallium nitride (GaN) crystals. Enhanced into a high-brightness blue LED with double-heterojunction for practical use by Shuji Nakamura in 1993, these technical breakthroughs earned them the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics. The LED's compact size and power efficiency have transformed lighting and electronics worldwide.

Chiaki Ishikawa

=Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: tightening up citation? -- Amy Bix (talk) 04:39, 25 February 2025 (UTC)=

No, better to have "transformed" rather than "have transformed" - since these plaques should be around for 50 years plus, lighting and electronics will undoubtedly have been transformed again by the time later observers get to this.

Support of the Milestone Proposal but a minor question on the plaque site. moved from 14.1.1.1.2 by advocate -- Tomohiro Hase (talk) 13:09, 24 February 2025 (UTC)

Support of the Milestone Proposal but a minor question on the plaque site. - The proposal suggested the plaque will be fixed on the wall of the entrance hall in C-TEFs building, Nagoya University. Is the owner is Hiroshi Amano, not Nagoya University? Current President is Naoshi Sugiyama.

Dae-Gwon

Re: Support of the Milestone Proposal but a minor question on the plaque site. moved from 14.1.1.1.2 by advocate -- Tomohiro Hase (talk) 13:21, 24 February 2025 (UTC)

Dear Dae-Gwon san

Thank you very much for your expression of support.

I'd like to answer your questions here.

With the help of an external donation, Professor Amano has established his research and laboratory buildings on the campus of Nagoya University. A plaque will be placed at the entrance on the first floor of the building, which houses a gallery commemorating his Nobel Prize.

Best regards,

Dr. Tomohiro Hase, IEEE Fellow. Advocate.

Addition of description regarding conventional (red, green, etc) LEDs and Patent references. -- Zephyrus00jp (talk) 09:27, 25 February 2025 (UTC)

This is Chiaki Ishikawa, the proposer for this application.

Through the advocate I have learned that there was a request regarding
- more description of conventional (red, green, etc) LEDs, and
- more clearer indication of patents (mentioned in the bibliograph) in the main text.

I have modified the main text accordingly. Patents are referenced in the main text as [P1], [P2], and [P3]. I added the US patent # to the reference in the main text.

Thank you in advance for your attention.
Chiaki Ishikawa
Submitter

Re: Addition of description regarding conventional (red, green, etc) LEDs and Patent references. -- Bberg (talk) 14:08, 25 February 2025 (UTC)

Thank you for these additions to this proposal, which was already rich with supporting information!

Brian Berg

Revision to citation -- Dmichelson (talk) 17:48, 26 February 2025 (UTC)

Title of the proposed milestone:

Realization of the Blue Light-Emitting Diode (LED), 1989-1993

Plaque citation

In 1989, power-efficient blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs) fabricated using gallium nitride (GaN) were demonstrated by Isamu Akasaki and Hiroshi Amano. In 1993, Shuji Nakamura overcame the limitations of their work and demonstrated a commercially viable prototype that was 1000 times brighter than previous work. The results of their combined efforts, which were recognized by the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics, have transformed lighting and electronics worldwide.

[65 words]

Re: Revision to citation -- Zephyrus00jp (talk) 00:56, 27 February 2025 (UTC)

Thank you for the comment. If the implicit rule to put the noun for object (tangible or idea) should come first is observed, the second sentence could be modified to make the proposed citation read as follows.

In 1989, power-efficient blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs) fabricated using gallium nitride (GaN) were demonstrated by Isamu Akasaki and Hiroshi Amano. In 1993, a commercially viable prototype that was 1000 times brighter than previous work was demonstrated by Shuji Nakamura who overcame the limitations of their work. The results of their combined efforts, which were recognized by the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics, have transformed lighting and electronics worldwide. (68 words)

This gets a bit longer so I modified still further to reduce words.

In 1989, power-efficient blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs) fabricated using gallium nitride (GaN) were demonstrated by Isamu Akasaki and Hiroshi Amano. In 1993, a commercially viable prototype, 1000 times brighter than the previous work, was demonstrated by Shuji Nakamura who overcame the limitations of their work. The results of their combined efforts, recognized by the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics, have transformed lighting and electronics worldwide. (64 words).

What do you think?

I support this Milestone proposal. -- John Vardalas (talk) 18:34, 27 February 2025 (UTC)

Excellent proposal. I support this proposal for a Milestone.

Re: I support this Milestone proposal. -- Jbart64 (talk) 18:48, 27 February 2025 (UTC)

The updates made to this proposal seem to have responded to the remaining outstanding questions. I support this version. Dave Bart

Re: I support this Milestone proposal. -- Coronath (talk) 00:52, 28 February 2025 (UTC)

This is a very well documented proposal with good responses to suggested edits. I concur with moving forward.