Obituary of Masao Atoji

Dr. Masao Atoji, 80, a former senior scientist at Argonne National Laboratory, died Nov. 20 in Downers Grove, Ill. Atoji was one of the few neutron scattering scientists involved in the Manhattan Project. (Source: Jerel L. Zarestky office (865) 574-4951 Ames Laboratory Neutron Scattering Group FAX (865)574-6268 Ames Laboratory / Iowa State University email: zarestkyjl@ornl.gov ). He worked with the Atomic Research Institute after the war at Ames Laboratory, doing groundbreaking work in neutron diffraction, working with notable researchers such as Dr. F.H. Spedding, Dr. Robert Rundle, and others. (http://www.ornl.gov/~jxz/ALNS_history/ )

He was a contributor to the Nobel Prize winning work (molecular structure of Boron) of Dr. William Lipscomb, Chemistry Nobel Laureate, professor emeritus, Harvard University.

His achievements include research in material science, neutron and X-ray diffraction, crystal and magnetic structures, semiconductor crystal growth and fabrications, metallurgy, cryogenics, high-temperature instrumentation, spectroscopes, thermal analysis.

After leaving Argonne in 1978, Dr. Atoji was senior staff scientist with Motorola, Inc., where he set up and directed a new materials laboratory for quality control and process and process development of electronic electronic materials and of printed and hybrid circuit boards. Before Motorola, Dr. Atoji carried out the design and construction of a multi-purpose neutron diffractometer with cryomagnetic and high-temperature devices at Litton Systems, Inc. His group contributed significantly to understanding magnetic and crystal structures of metals, alloys and advanced materials. At Northwestern’s BIRL, Dr. Atoji was responsible for the development and operation of the laboratory’s crystal growth facility. Finally, for the last 10 years, Dr. Atoji has been an associate editor at Chemical Abstracts Service, where he was involved in the translation of scientific documents.

Dr. Atoji was also a faculty member at Iowa State University and University of Minnesota, where he performed X-ray and neutron diffraction as well as chemical bond studies. Most of these studies involved single crystal growth using Czochralski, Bridgman, arc melting, strain anneal, vapor-phase transport and molten-salt electrolysis.

Dr. Atoji holds a Ph.D. in physical chemistry from Osaka University and is author or co-author of more than 200 research publications. In addition he is a Fellow of American Physical Society.

Dr. Atoji is survived by his wife, Iris; three children, a brother, and a grandson.