Tohoku University. Research Profiles

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"S" Keywords - 161 Result(s)

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[Si]

A novel crystal growth via controlling an energy relationship between crystal and melt with applying an electric field

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Features

This lab is concerned with the novel approach mainly for the growth from melt by studying the relationship between the interface dynamics during growth and properties of grown crystals. Special interests lie in the growth of new crystals via the imposition of an interface-electric field. Nano-scaled control of crystal growth is executed in an electric double layer of ~nm thickness that is induced by applying an external electric field on the growth interface. Some of our growth results brought by applying an electric field are;
1. Growth of Langasite-type crystals for the pressure sensor at high temperature by manipulating the energy relationship between crystal and melt.
2. Easy nucleation of protein crystals that are normally hard to crystallize.
3. Formation of Si crystals with desired structure by manipulating the interface instability of Si.
Crystals developed this way will widen an opportunity to collaborate with industries in the field of the piezoelectric, magnetic, optic and other fields related to the highly-networked information society.

Institute for Materials Research
UDA Satoshi, Professor Ph.D.

[Si semiconductors]

Development of Interconnect Materials and Processes for High Performance and High Reliability Electric Devices

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Electronic products can be operated not only by semiconductors but also by metal interconnections attached to the semiconductors. Required properties for the metal interconnections are ohmic contact, diffusion barrier property, adhesion with semiconductors, and low resistivity, corrosion resistance, process reliability. Our group has committed ourselves to develop new metals and processes to meet the needs of wide-ranged device producers with consideration of cost performance. Topics of our research include (1) Cu alloys to self-form a diffusion barrier layer in multilayer interconnection of Si devices, (2) Cu alloys to form a reaction-doping layer in IGZO oxide semiconductors, (3) Nb alloys to achieve mechanical and thermal reliability with good ohmic property for SiC power devices, (4) Cu alloys for transparent conductive oxide such as ITO, (5) screen-printable Cu paste lines for solar cells, etc..

Targeted Application(s)/Industry

Our research efforts are targeted at metallization and interconnections for advanced LSI, flat panel displays, touch panels, power modules, solar cells, and other electronic devices. Collaborators include material producers, equipment vendors, and device producers in the entire value chain of electronic products.

Department of Materials Science, Graduate School of Engineering
KOIKE Junichi, Professor PhD

[Sialadenitis]

Development of Recombinant Inbred Mice with a Genetic Predisposition to Collagen Disease

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Eleven strains of recombinant inbred (RI) mice derived from MRL/lpr and C3H/lpr mice were established. This RI is the only one in the world that randomly develops lesions such as nephritis, arthritis, sialadenitis, vasculitis, and production of autoantibodies in each strain. The genomes of the two strains of mice are randomly held in homozygous condition, and the phenotypes of each strain and the effects of administered drugs could be compared based on their genotype maps. It is possible to identify the regions of gene loci involved in the phenotype and drug sensitivity.

Targeted Application(s)/Industry

Development of diagnostic and therapeutic agents for autoimmune diseases. It can be applied to the elucidation of the mechanism of onset of immunological adverse events caused by immune checkpoint inhibitors and the development of drugs to prevent the onset of such events, and industry-academia collaboration with pharmaceutical companies, test reagent companies, etc. is possible.

Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering
KODAMA Tetsuya, Professor PhD (Engineering), PhD (Medicine)

Development of McH-lpr/lpr-RA1 mouse, a study model that spontaneously develops severe autoimmune arthritis, vasculitis, and sialadenitis

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McH/lpr-RA1 mice are recombinant congenic mice descended from MRL/lpr and C3H/lpr mice and develop arthritis, vasculitis, and sialadenitis with high frequency and severity, with severe pannus formation similar to rheumatoid arthritis, polyarteritis nodosa, and Sjogren's syndrome. On the other hand, McH/lpr-RA1 mice do not develop systemic lymphadenopathy and severe nephritis as seen in MRL/lpr mice, so they are easy to breed and maintain and can be used for long-term drug administration experiments.

Targeted Application(s)/Industry

Development of diagnostic and therapeutic agents for collagen diseases. It can be applied to the elucidation of the mechanism of onset of immunological adverse events caused by immune checkpoint inhibitors and the development of drugs to prevent the onset of such events, etc. Industry-academia collaboration with pharmaceutical companies, test reagent companies, etc. is possible.

Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering
KODAMA Tetsuya, Professor PhD (Engineering), PhD (Medicine)

[SiC power devices]

Development of Interconnect Materials and Processes for High Performance and High Reliability Electric Devices

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Features

Electronic products can be operated not only by semiconductors but also by metal interconnections attached to the semiconductors. Required properties for the metal interconnections are ohmic contact, diffusion barrier property, adhesion with semiconductors, and low resistivity, corrosion resistance, process reliability. Our group has committed ourselves to develop new metals and processes to meet the needs of wide-ranged device producers with consideration of cost performance. Topics of our research include (1) Cu alloys to self-form a diffusion barrier layer in multilayer interconnection of Si devices, (2) Cu alloys to form a reaction-doping layer in IGZO oxide semiconductors, (3) Nb alloys to achieve mechanical and thermal reliability with good ohmic property for SiC power devices, (4) Cu alloys for transparent conductive oxide such as ITO, (5) screen-printable Cu paste lines for solar cells, etc..

Targeted Application(s)/Industry

Our research efforts are targeted at metallization and interconnections for advanced LSI, flat panel displays, touch panels, power modules, solar cells, and other electronic devices. Collaborators include material producers, equipment vendors, and device producers in the entire value chain of electronic products.

Department of Materials Science, Graduate School of Engineering
KOIKE Junichi, Professor PhD

[Side-Channel Attack]

Visual Computing with Secure ICT in the Big Data Era

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Our study focuses on sensing, processing, recognition, understanding, and analysis of enormous visual data collected in real-world environments. We have invented a set of advanced techniques of sub-pixel image analysis using phase-based image matching. Potential applications include personal recognition using various biometric traits (e.g., face, fingerprint, palm print, finger knuckle print, iris, and medical radiographs), machine vision, multi-view 3D reconstruction, image database search, and medical image computing. We are also studying fundamental techniques for building secure ICT infrastructure for the big data era; our research interests include tamper-resistant cryptographic processing and biometrics-based secure remote authentication.

Targeted Application(s)/Industry

We can provide collaboration and information exchange services for industries and other research organizations in the fields of image processing, computer vision, information security, biometrics, LSI design, and embedded system technologies. Many researchers and engineers from various companies, universities, and research institutions have visited our laboratory regardless of their technology fields. Our staff at the Intelligent Information System (IIS) Research Center will welcome potential collaborators: info@iisrc.ecei.tohoku.ac.jp

Graduate School of Information Sciences
AOKI Takafumi, Professor Doctor of Engineering

[Signal processing]

Study on Tactile/Touch Feeling Sensor

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Tactile sense and the sense of touch are multiple combinations of fundamental sensations, such as smooth and rough, soft and hard, dry and wet, and hot and cold sensations. These sensations are described with the information on force, distortion, temperature, stickiness and oscillation.
A tactile sensor corresponding to several types of human skin sensory receptors and an active tactile sensor system that is an integrated sensor structure imitating human haptic motions have been developed. These sensor systems allowed measurement of "Kansei" words that are extremely vague tactile feelings, and roughness, softness and temperature sensations. However, tactile sense or the sense of touch also includes other sensations and combinations of them. Therefore, to develop a sensor, it is important to define how the sensations and physical information relating to the sensations are obtained and what relationships exist between them.
In this research, the relationships between sensations, including fundamental sensations that have already been obtained and other sensations, and the relevant physical information are being investigated. Additionally, on the basis of the knowledge through the investigation, an advanced sensor system that allows obtaining haptic information is being developed.

Targeted Application(s)/Industry

The research is beneficial not only to life science but also to manufacturing fields.

Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering
TANAKA Mami, Professor PhD (Engineering)

[silicon carbide]

Low-Temperature Synthesis of SiC Porous Bulk by Using Na

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SiC ceramics is generally prepared at high temperature of 1200–2000ºC. We are able to prepare SiC at around 700ºC by using Na. Nano-powder of beta-type SiC was obtained from a mixture of Si and carbon powders in a Na melt. SiC porous ceramics were synthesized by heating mixtures of Si powder and carbon black at 700–900ºC in Na vapor. Biomorphic cellular SiC ceramics were formed by heating carbonized woods at 700 ºC with a Na-Si melt.

Targeted Application(s)/Industry

Applications : SiC porous ceramics are used in a wide range of applications, such as filters for gas or molten metal, diesel particle filters, catalysis supports, and light-weight structural materials.
Industry : Ceramic Engineering

Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials
YAMANE Hisanori, Professor Doctor of Science

[Silicon Neural Probe]

Development of Biomedical Micro/Nano Integrated System Using LSI Technology

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Semiconductor neural engineering is a discipline that uses semiconductor process/device/circuit technologies to further understand properties of neural systems and to create novel fusion systems of living body and machine.

Targeted Application(s)/Industry

One of the goals in this laboratory is to establish semiconductor neural engineering and develop biomedical micro/nano integrated systems.
Another goal is to educate the next generation of leaders in biomedical engineering through research including:
1. Intelligent Si neural probe and biomedical signal processing LSI
2. Fully-implantable retinal prosthesis system
3. Bio/nano technology and novel Bio-FET sensor
4. 3-dimensional integration technology and analog/digital LSI design

Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering
TANAKA Tetsu, Professor Ph.D. (Engineering)

[Simulation]

High Performance Computer Architectures and their Applications

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My research interests include the design and development of high-performance supercomputing systems and their applications. Targeted areas range from the key components of supercomputing systems, which include processor architectures, memory subsystems, network systems, task schedulers, and compilers, to high-performance multimedia processing algorithms such as photo-realistic computer graphics.

Targeted Application(s)/Industry

Currently I am conducting joint-research projects with several companies in the fields of high-performance computer architecture design and advanced simulation technologies for industrial design such as next-generation supercomputers and highly efficient and comfortable regional jets.

Graduate School of Information Sciences
KOBAYASHI Hiroaki, Professor Doctor of Engineering

Powder Processing Contributing to the Global Environmental Protection

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Material properties and characteristics of the product as a raw material powder are dependent on the particle packing structure as well as the chemical composition. Sophisticated control of the powder processing such as mixing and grinding is strongly required. In our laboratory, we are creating the simulation method as a tool for controlling the powder processing and optimizing the powder process for achieving a resource-saving and energy-saving by the computer simulation.

Targeted Application(s)/Industry

We are conducting research on analysis/optimization of powder processing such as grinding, mixing, and packing by using simulation, metal recycle from urban mine through active utilization of mechanochemical effect, and generation of energy from biomass.

Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials
KANO Junya, Professor Doctor of Engineering

[simultaneous measurement of pressure and velocity]

Understanding and application of thermoacoustic phenomena

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Acoustic oscillations of a gas column in narrow flow channels can lead to various thermal phenomena such as production and amplification of acoustic power from heat and generation of low temperatures. We aim at understanding these thermoacoustic phenomena from experimental point of view, and developing heat engines that can operate without any moving parts like solid pistons.

Targeted Application(s)/Industry

Acoustic prime mover can use various heat sources like industrial waste heat and sunlight. Acoustic cooler is a Helium-gas based heat pump that needs no Freon gases as a coolant.

Graduate School of Engineering
BIWA Tetsushi, Professor Doctor of Engineering

[sinensetin]

Drug Development for Fundamental Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease

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Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder with a large unmet medical need. Recently, our pilot clinical study suggested the possibility that 1-year oral administration of decocted nobiletin-rich Citrus reticulata peel could be of benefit for improving the cognition of patients with AD, with the following pharmacological features: 1) this Kampo medicine includes a large amount of nobiletin that can rescue the memory impairment and prevents hippocampal amyloid beta accumulation in APP-Tg mice, as originally reported by us, and 2) the medicine reversed impaired learning and memory to a greater degree than nobiletin in animal, to which sinensetin, another constituent contributes in large part.
Research plan: We thus try to identify endogenous molecules that can bind selectively to nobiletin and sinensetin in hippocampal neurons, and to further synthesize novel compounds that are capable of more potently improving learning and memory impairment in animals than both natural compounds.

Targeted Application(s)/Industry

Our research goal is discovery of the drugs for fundamental treatment of AD. I hope to conduct collaborative research with a willing company for a practical application of this technology in industry.

Department of Pharmacotherapy, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences
YAMAKUNI Tohru, PhD

[single cell analysis]

Biological Application of Scanning Probe Microscope

Features

We have invented a unique method to non-invasively evaluate the quality of individual mammalian embryos based on oxygen consumption. A Pt microelectrode was scanned near the single embryo sample to obtain oxygen concentration profile. Respiration activity of single embryo was estimated based on spherical diffusion theory. Further, it was found that the respiration activities of individual embryos corresponded the developmental potential of the embryos. Independently, we have developed a procedure of mRNA quantification from single-cell based on SPM featuring multi-functional probes. Next, we are going to combine the two methods mentioned above for quality control of mammalian embryos and embryonic stem cells.

Targeted Application(s)/Industry

Our methods will be applied for assisted reprodictive technoloy (ART), pancreatic islet transplantation, or animal breeding.

Graduate School of Engineering
SHIKU Hitoshi, Professor Doctor of Engineering

[Sintering]

Microwave Processing of Functional Inorganic Materials

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Microwave processing is one of the attractive fields in recent materials processing. We perform various materials processing using non-equilibrium reaction field induced by microwave and/or ultrasonic irradiation. The topic contains powder metallurgy, nitride coatings, synthesis of new functional materials, fabrication of nanoparticles, etc. Recently we have developed a new TiN coating method using our microwave irradiation equipment operated at a frequency of 2.45 GHz. The method is simple but applicable to various substrates with complex shape. This method can be applied to various nitride coatings and will open a new coating technology in many fields of applications.

Targeted Application(s)/Industry

The major targets of TiN coatings are for cutting tools, ball bearings, dental implants, die and mold for stamping, and ornaments. The newly developed method makes it possible to perform nitride coatings within a short time using a standard microwave heating equipment. We hope to conduct collaborative research with a willing company for a practical application of these technology.

Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering
TAKIZAWA Hirotsugu, Professor Doctor of Engineering

[Sjogren's syndrome]

Development of McH-lpr/lpr-RA1 mouse, a study model that spontaneously develops severe autoimmune arthritis, vasculitis, and sialadenitis

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McH/lpr-RA1 mice are recombinant congenic mice descended from MRL/lpr and C3H/lpr mice and develop arthritis, vasculitis, and sialadenitis with high frequency and severity, with severe pannus formation similar to rheumatoid arthritis, polyarteritis nodosa, and Sjogren's syndrome. On the other hand, McH/lpr-RA1 mice do not develop systemic lymphadenopathy and severe nephritis as seen in MRL/lpr mice, so they are easy to breed and maintain and can be used for long-term drug administration experiments.

Targeted Application(s)/Industry

Development of diagnostic and therapeutic agents for collagen diseases. It can be applied to the elucidation of the mechanism of onset of immunological adverse events caused by immune checkpoint inhibitors and the development of drugs to prevent the onset of such events, etc. Industry-academia collaboration with pharmaceutical companies, test reagent companies, etc. is possible.

Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering
KODAMA Tetsuya, Professor PhD (Engineering), PhD (Medicine)

[Skeletal Muscle]

Exercising "Cultured" Myotubes!

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We succeeded in generating highly developed cultured C2C12 myotubes by manipulating intracellular Ca2+ transients with electric pulse stimulation (EPS), that are endowed with similar properties to in vivo skeletal muscle in terms of (1) excitation-induced contractile activity as a result of de novo sarcomere formation, (2) higher energy expenditure (as assessed by AMPK activation), and (3) improved insulin responsiveness (as assessed by exofacial myc-GLUT4 translocation assay).

Targeted Application(s)/Industry

Taking advantage of our “in vitro Exercise Model", our innovation will be an excellent alternative for the animal experimentation that can be applicable for a wide array of skeletal muscle research including drug screen.

Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering
KANZAKI Makoto, Professor PhD

[skin]

Visualization of Biological Microstructure with High Frequency Ultrasound and Photoacoustic Imaging

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"Features"
High-resolution imaging of biological tissue is non-invasively obtained with high frequency ultrasound. We have developed some ultrasound microscope systems which realized the resolution of 15-micron with 100 MHz and resolution to visualize a single cell with GHz range ultrasound. Ultrasonic imaging provides not only tissue morphology but also information on tissue elasticity. Recently, we have developed a real-time three-dimensional photoacoustic imaging system for visualization of subcutaneous micro vasculature and oxygen saturation.
"Targeted Application(s)/Industry"
High frequency ultrasound and photoacoustic imaging is repeatedly and non-invasively applied for early diagnosis of atherosclerosis, skin aging and tissue metabolism. They are useful for efficacy assessment of cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. High frequency ultrasound is also applied in the industrial areas where thickness measurement of opaque film or bilayer thin coating with the precision of 0.1 micron is required.

Targeted Application(s)/Industry

Biomedical Imaging Laboratory, Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering
SAIJO Yoshifumi, Professor PhD (Medicine)