Hands-On Access Fabrication Facility –Open Facility for MEMS and Semiconductor Prototyping–

Features

We offer a hands-on-access fabrication facility for MEMS and semiconductor research and development. The facility is located at the 1800m2 clean room, Jun-ichi Nishizawa Memorial Research Center, Tohoku University, and started in 2010. The principle is an open access that users can utilize the fab and operate the equipment by themselves. Users also can access a great deal of know-how accumulated at Tohoku University. More than 260 companies have utilized the fab for developing various devices. To accelerate University's R&D and education, product fabrication by a company user is started in July 2013.

Targeted Application(s)/Industry

Our target is MEMS and semiconductor devices including sensors (accelerometer, gyroscope, pressure sensor, force sensor, photo diode, radiation sensor, microphone, bio sensor), solar cell, RF device, optical device, micro actuator. Process technology, such as etching, sputtering, oxidation/diffusion, CVD and bonding is also available.

Electronic properties of nanostructures and nanodevices

Features

1) We investigate interesting properties of nanostructures and develop materials and devices utilizing nanostructures.
2) We have techniques and skills on low-noise electric measurements, cryogenics, nanofabrication, and data informatics. We are open to new collaborations.

Targeted Application(s)/Industry

Highly Functional Semiconductor Lasers and Nanoimaging Applications

Features

We are pursuing the ultimate functions of semiconductor lasers and their application potentials. Concerning the application research aspect, development of advanced biomedical technologies, in which photonic methods play key roles, is an important issue. Such applied science field is called to be biophotonics, and a goal of our biophotonics research is to accomplish a high-resolution imaging for very deep sites of bio-tissues by employing nonlinear optical effects. Another important issue is the super-resolution "nanoimaging", which can provide nanometer-scale spatial resolution images by optical methods.
To realize the above functionalities, very advanced light sources are required. For example, features of ultrashort temporal duration, high peak-power, and broadband wavelength selectivity should be incorporated. With this background, we are developing highly functional light sources based on the semiconductor laser technologies; these light sources will be practical (real-world-use) ones, rather than just for scientific use. The core of our technology is the novel semiconductor laser, which can produce ultrashort and high-peak-power light pulses.

Targeted Application(s)/Industry

Regarding academic-industrial cooperative research subjects, we expect to produce novel functional light sources that are compact, stable, cost effective, and thus widely usable for real world applications. Advanced biomedical measurement and diagnostic systems with these light sources will be also developed.

R&D in Semiconductor Materials and their Device Applications Bringing System Evolutions

Features

1. Development of Distributed Feedback (DFB) Laser Diodes (LD) widely used in optical communications systems realizing a highly information-based society. This LD increases the transmission capacity by 25,000 times per fiber which means the bit rate of 10Tb/s.

2. Nitride semiconductors famous for blue light emitting diodes.
(a) Proposal of InGaAlN system considering device applications in 1989
(b) Success in growth of single crystalline InGaN by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) in 1989
(c) Prediction of band-gap energy (Eg) of InN much smaller than the values reported in 1980s and its 　 experimental confirmation in 2002
(d) Observation of photoluminescence from InGaN in 1991
(e) Prediction of phase separation in InGaAlN in 1997

Targeted Application(s)/Industry

DFB-LD: Fabrication of periodic structure with submicron scale, Epitaxial growth of semiconductor films on the substrate with fine structures, LD fabrication process, device evaluation, and device simulation

Nitride Semiconductors: MOVPE growth, N-polar growth, Evaluation of semiconductor materials, Fabrication of light-emitting devices, solar cells, and high-power transistors

Hands-On Access Fabrication Facility –Open Facility for MEMS and Semiconductor Prototyping–

Features

We offer a hands-on-access fabrication facility for MEMS and semiconductor research and development. The facility is located at the 1800m2 clean room, Jun-ichi Nishizawa Memorial Research Center, Tohoku University, and started in 2010. The principle is an open access that users can utilize the fab and operate the equipment by themselves. Users also can access a great deal of know-how accumulated at Tohoku University. More than 260 companies have utilized the fab for developing various devices. To accelerate University's R&D and education, product fabrication by a company user is started in July 2013.

Targeted Application(s)/Industry

Our target is MEMS and semiconductor devices including sensors (accelerometer, gyroscope, pressure sensor, force sensor, photo diode, radiation sensor, microphone, bio sensor), solar cell, RF device, optical device, micro actuator. Process technology, such as etching, sputtering, oxidation/diffusion, CVD and bonding is also available.

MEMS/Micromachines and Microfabrication Technology

Features

We are studying MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) and related technologies, which are typically used for the input/output of information/communication devices, the safety of automobiles etc. Our representative topics include integrated sensors, piezoelectric devices, RF MEMS, micro energy devices and wafer-level packages. Our facilities are open-accessible and well equipped with a lot of tools for lithography, dry/wet etching, thin film deposition, wafer bonding, device mounting and evaluations, which can be operated by each researcher. Using these tools, a variety of MEMS are being prototyped. Also, new microfabrication tools are being developed by ourselves.

Targeted Application(s)/Industry

We are collaborating with many companies, from which visiting researchers are dispatched to our laboratory. We also accept companies which want to just use specific tools in our facilities. Consultation is always welcome.

Design, fabrication and test of high performance miniaturized sensor and actuator systems

Features

Micro and nano electro-mechanical systems (MEMS/NEMS) have completely changed human society in the past decades. Many devices that are taken for granted these days like smart phone, future car and drone would be unthinkable without them.
The integration of various new kinds of materials, such as metallic glass and nanostructures into micro technologies allows us to create devices with novel performance and characteristics; examples include acoustic sensors and actuators, thermoelectric generators and wafer level packages.
In collaboration with partners inside and outside Tohoku University, technologies are being developed that can be transferred to industry ranging from material integration and processes to packaging and reliability.

Targeted Application(s)/Industry

Wide collaboration in Microsystem technology is possible. We develop, implement and optimize processes, devices and systems until they are ready for use, keeping in mind reliability, yield and other important features for commercialization. We work with also with partners, such as Fraunhofer. Flexible interlinking of expertise and capacities with other research groups enables us to meet broad project requirements and create complex system solutions.

Novel Cu-Based Shape Memory Alloy with High Ductility

Features

Recently, we have developed a novel Cu-Al-Mn based shape memory alloy with high SM properties and with a ductility twice higher than that in Nitinol . Furthermore, this novel SM alloy needs no die for the shape setting and is fabricated with relatively low cost. Very recently, we have successfully developed a device to cure ingrown toenail by using this SM alloy.

Targeted Application(s)/Industry

Very recently, we established a fabrication process for the Cu-Al-Mn sheet, wire and bar with 0.1 - 20mm in thickness or diameter. We hope to conduct collaborative research with a willing company for a practical application with this new SM alloy.

Novel CoCr-based superelastic metallic biomaterial with low Young's modulus

Features

General metallic biomaterials, such as stainless steels and conventional CoCr alloys, show a high Young's modulus ten times higher than that of human bones. This is an unfavored feature because it causes the so-called "stress shielding effect" when they are used as implants. β-type Ti alloys have a relatively lower Young's modulus, but they come with a compromise of low wear resistance. The current novel CoCr-based alloys are a breakthrough; they exhibit both a low Young's modulus similar to human bones and a high wear and corrosion resistance. Moreover, they exhibit superelasticity with a huge recoverable strain over 17%, also showing promise as shape memory alloys.

Targeted Application(s)/Industry

It is the first time that a low Young's modulus, a high corrosion and wear resistance, and a superior superelastic behavior are simultaneously obtained in a single material. The current novel CoCr-based alloys are promising for biomedical applications such as total hip or knee joint replacements, bone plates, spinal fixation devices, and vascular stents.