Masashi Sahashi PhD

Masashi SAHASHI, Ph.D. has been a professor at Tohoku University since 2013 with electronic engineering department. Since this October he also serves a program manager, CSTI ImPACT Program which is a new challenging R&D program founded by CSTI, Cabinet Office, Government of JAPAN. Prior to joining Tohoku University, “SAHASHI” was a senior fellow for R&D Center, TOSHIBA Corporation. During his 29 years at TOSHIBA Corporation, “SAHASHI” spent time doing Project Management for HDD head, Planning Staff work for R&D Center and Development of magnetic materials. His achievement for HDD head brought in the Purple Ribbon Emperor Medal, Japan in 2002, Emperor Award for Invention, Japan in 2001 and Secretary Award of the Science and Technology Agency, Japan in 1999 in Japan. SAHASHi received a doctorate in crystalline material science and engineering with the research and development of high performance GMR-Spin-Valve sensor material with (111) orientated Co-Fe alloy thin film and Ir-Mn antiferromagnetic thin film for HDD reader from Nagoya University in 2002. After he completed a M.S. degree from Nagoya University in 1974, he joined R&D center at Toshiba Corporation in the same year, where he directed his research to rare earth-transition metal compounds for high energy-product permanent magnet, giant magnetostrictive device and magnetic regenerator material for 4K G-M refrigerator in 1974-1990. Thereafter He projected a new MR reader with GMR material in 1990 and presided over a project manager for Toshiba GMR head development project in 1992-2002. He pioneered the practical use of GMR head with Ir-Mn antiferromagnet, which is now a defacto-standard for HDD reader and MRAM/STT-MRAM, in 1997.