Tohoku University. Research Profiles

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"W" Keywords - 24 Result(s)

W

 W

[Wafer Level Packaging]

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

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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.

Advanced Institute for Materials Research
FROEMEL Joerg, Associate Professor Doctor of Engineering

[Wafer-level packaging]

MEMS/Micromachines and Microfabrication Technology

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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.

Department of Bioengineering and Robotics, Graduate School of Engineering
TANAKA Shuji, Professor Doctor of Engineering

[wall thinning]

[Waste recycle]

Development of a reaction process in supercritical water

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We are developing a new continuous flow type process for supercritical reactions. Under the supercritical state, the organic molecules and metal salt aqueous solutions are miscible and water molecule works as an acid/base catalyst which leads to rapid reactions. In order to apply such new reaction fields to an industrial process, it is necessary to establish the process design basis by understanding phenomena in the reaction fields, on the basis of phase equilibrium, flux and reaction kinetics theory. So while developing a process, we are doing research for the establishment of the process design basis.

Targeted Application(s)/Industry

Examples are a process for the synthesis of organic modified nanoparticles (MPs), a process for the pretreatment and solubilization of biomass in the supercritical/subcritical water and a process for the refinery of heavy oil in the supercritical water.

Advanced Institute for Materials Research
ADSCHIRI Tadafumi, Professor Doctor of Engineering

[waste recycling]

Low temperature reforming of hydrocarbons using metal oxide nanoparticles synthesized by supercritical method

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Our research group has succeeded in synthesizing various metal oxide nanoparticles with controlled size and exposure crystal planes by using organic modifiers under supercritical water conditions. The oxygen storage/release capacity of those materials in the low-temperature region is very high, and the reforming reaction of oxidative hydrocarbon proceeds at a significant rate. Besides, by combining the supercritical CO2 drying method, we have succeeded in forming a complex in which oxide nanoparticles are dispersed at a high concentration on the surface of the porous material, realizing both high oxygen storage/release capability and stability.

Targeted Application(s)/Industry

Low-temperature reforming reaction of biomass wastes, heavy oils, and methane. In the future, it is expected to be a technology that will lead to the construction of a low-carbon society, including CO2-free complete recycling of waste plastics.

Advanced Institute for Materials Research
ADSCHIRI Tadafumi, Professor Doctor of Engineering

[waste treatment]

The Construction of a Decentralized Energy Production System Using Small Methane Fermentation Systems That Utilize Exhaust Heat or Hot Springs and a Local Circulation System

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In this project, we reduce the costs of energy production via anaerobic digestion by utilizing exhaust heat from a factory, which resulted in a positive energy balance, although the methane fermentation system tested was on a small scale.
Using small-scale methane fermentation with a positive energy balance, the initial investment is small, enabling a company to invest in, and install, such a system. This would decentralize energy production within an area. Moreover, this system not only produces energy, but is a basis for resource recycling.

Targeted Application(s)/Industry

Food factory, hotel, restaurant, where food garbage or organic waste was produced much.

Department of Agricultural Science
TADA Chika, Associate Professor Doctor of Agriculture

[water]

Supercritical Fluid Technology Based on its Unique Properties

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We have investigated various physical properties of supercritical fluids and their mixture. The properties studied are density, viscosity, phase equilibria, solubility, etc. under high temperatures and pressures. Using these suprecritical fluid features, we have proposed their application technologies; such as extraction of natural resources, cleaning, drying, catalyst preparation, polymer processing, polymer recycling, biomass conversion and controlled delivery. The methodologies used are experiments, simulation and theretical ones.

Targeted Application(s)/Industry

Cleaning Technology: precision machinery component, optical component, etc.
Extraction of Natural Resources: food, supplements, aroma.
Polymer Processing: functional resin, electronic component, etc.

Graduate School of Engineering
INOMATA Hiroshi, Professor Doctor of Engineering

[water electrolysis]

Metal complex catalysts for energy devices

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We have developed a new catalyst for fuel cells and metal-air batteries with using metal azaphthalocyanine unimolecular layer (AZUL) adsorbed on carbon materials. We applied it to variety of applications in the field of energy conversion and next generation energy devices.

Targeted Application(s)/Industry

Industries relating with energy and mobilities.

WPI-AIMR
YABU Hiroshi, Associate Professor Doctor of Science

[Water-Rock Interaction]

Development of Geothermal Energy and Geosphere Environmental Informatics

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My research field is Geothermal Geology, Resource Geology and Environmental Geology. I am conducting exploration of heat source, hydrothermal alteration and characterization of geothermal reservoir by geological techniques. I study water-rock interaction and fluid dynamics in reservoirs on the basis of hydrothermal experiments under sub- to supercritical conditions and numerical simulation. Additionally, risk assessment of soil, river water in terms of heavy metal pollution.

Targeted Application(s)/Industry

I am conducting international collaboration with respect to geothermal geology, mining geology, and geoengineering related to risk assessment of geosphere environment.

Graduate School of Environmental Studies
TSUCHIYA Noriyoshi, Professor Doctor of Engineering

[Wear resistance]

Development of High Performance Carbon Nanotube-Alumina Composite

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One of the important challenges in the development of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) reinforced ceramic composites is uniform dispersion of CNTs in the matrix. The mechanical properties of CNT/ceramics composites have been limited to date due to the formation of CNT agglomerates in the composite. We have successfully produced CNT/alumina composites with world top class strength and toughness, by employing a newly developed CNTs dispersion technique based on a flocculation method. The processing method developed in this study enables us to prepare high performance CNT materials using a pressureless sintering method.

Targeted Application(s)/Industry

The possible applications of the CNT/alumina composites developed in this study include tribological materials (ball bearing), biomaterials (artificial hip joint), micro-actuator materials utilizing electrostrictive effects, electromagnetic wave absorber, particularly in the frequency range of several GHz and several ten GHz.

Graduate School of Engineering
HASHIDA Toshiyuki, Professor Doctor of Engineering

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

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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.

Department of Materials Science, Graduate School of Engineering
XU Xiao, Assistant Professor PhD

[wearable sensor]

Development of Wearable Motion Measurement System for Motor Rehabilitation and Healthcare

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In order to realize wealthy and vibrant local communities, it is desired that people in the community are healthy. However, the amount of the daily activity decreases as they get older, which increases the risks of the fall by weakened lower limb muscles and of the cerebrovascular disease, and so on. Therefore, for the elderly people, there is increased need of the walking training and the movement assistance in daily life, and of the rehabilitation aid.
In this study, focusing on the motor function of the lower limbs that is important for independent activities of daily living and that relates to the health maintenance, development of assistive technologies for decreased gait ability or for dysfunction of lower limbs are performed based on the technologies of electronics and signal processing. Especially, the wearable sensor system using gyroscopes and accelerometers are developed to measure kinetic information, and then the evaluation system for the gait ability and the lower limbs motor function is developed in this study.

Targeted Application(s)/Industry

The goal of this study is to realize simple and convenient measurement and accumulation of various information of gait, to visualize the obtained data for determination of training effect and evaluation of motor function, and to provide appropriate training program for each subject.

Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering
WATANABE Takashi, Professor Doctor of Engineering

[Weld interface]

Design and control of new weld interface during welding of dissimilar materials

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Welding of dissimilar materials is an important process to manufacture the future structures and devices, but it is hard to produce the high-performance welds because the excessive reaction at the weld interface deteriorates the weld properties. Our group attempts to develop the new dissimilar welding process to yield the new interface with the aimed properties through design and control of interfacial reaction as well as usage of solid-state welding processes, such as friction stir welding and ultrasonic welding.

Targeted Application(s)/Industry

We hope to have collaborative researches with willing companies for practical application of welding of dissimilar materials, including metal/metal and metal/thermoplastic composite, in transportation, infrastructure, and energy industries.

Department of Materials Processing, Graduate School of Engineering
SATO Yutaka, Professor Ph.D.

[Welding ]

Joule Heat Welding of Ultrathin Metallic Wires and its Application for Producing Functionality

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For producing a new functionality from metallic micro and nano matarials, the welding and cutting technologies for small scale materials utilizing Joule heat has been developed (Fig. 1). A constant direct current is supplied to the system, where the free ends of two metallic wires are contacted, and the ends are successfully welded together in self-completed manner. This technology is also useful for manipulating a small scale materials.

Targeted Application(s)/Industry

Joule heat welding technology enables us to produce the functional elements on the electrode chips, e.g., a free-standing micro-ring and very-thin thermoelectric element (Fig. 2). Moreover, we have developed the technique for characterizing the physical properties of small scale materials (Fig. 3). We hope to conduct collaborative research with a willing company for a practical application of this technology in industry.

Graduate School of Engineering
TOHMYOH Hironori, Professor Doctor of Engineering

Suppression of Intergranular Degradation of Polycrystalline Materials by Grain Boundary Engineering

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Intergranular degradation often results in decreased lifetime, reliability and economical efficiency of polycrystalline materials. In spite of persistent efforts to prevent such degradation, its complete suppression has not yet been achieved. Grain boundary studies have revealed that coincidence-site-lattice (CSL) boundaries have stronger resistance to intergranular degradations than random boundaries. The concept of ‘grain boundary design and control' has been refined as grain boundary engineering (GBE). GBEed materials which are characterized by high frequencies of CSL boundaries are resistant to intergranular degradations. Our group has achieved very high frequencies of CSL boundaries in commercial stainless steels by GBE. GBEed stainless steels showed significantly stronger resistance to intergranular corrosion (see Figs. 1 and 2), weld-decay, knife-line attack, stress corrosion cracking, liquid-metal embrittlement, radiation damage, etc. and much longer creep life (see Fig. 3) than the unGBEed ones.

Targeted Application(s)/Industry

By using this GBE processing, we expect to conduct effective collaborative research in related fields.

Department of Materials Processing, Graduate School of Engineering
SATO Yutaka, Professor Ph.D.

[Welding and Joining]

Design and control of new weld interface during welding of dissimilar materials

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Features

Welding of dissimilar materials is an important process to manufacture the future structures and devices, but it is hard to produce the high-performance welds because the excessive reaction at the weld interface deteriorates the weld properties. Our group attempts to develop the new dissimilar welding process to yield the new interface with the aimed properties through design and control of interfacial reaction as well as usage of solid-state welding processes, such as friction stir welding and ultrasonic welding.

Targeted Application(s)/Industry

We hope to have collaborative researches with willing companies for practical application of welding of dissimilar materials, including metal/metal and metal/thermoplastic composite, in transportation, infrastructure, and energy industries.

Department of Materials Processing, Graduate School of Engineering
SATO Yutaka, Professor Ph.D.

[well crystallized alloy nanoparticle]

Morphology Control of Alloy Nanoparticles by Restrict Controlling of Metal Complex

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To apply the specific properties of nano materials for the industrial products, various technologies, such as synthesis method for single phase alloy nanoparticles which shows the effective activity for aimed reaction, that for well crystallized alloy nanoparticles which shows the resistively against for undesirable reaction, and that for single layered surface control method, etc, is developed by precise control of metal complexes in the solution by using the calculation and various research equipment including the photon factory.

Targeted Application(s)/Industry

Our technology can be useful for various industry which need the restrict control of surface properties, such as catalysts and electronics.

Graduate school of Environmental studies
TAKAHASHI Hideyuki, Professor Doctor of Engineering

[wheat]

Methods to Restore Strelity of Gramineous Plants under High- and Low-Temperature Stress Conditions

Features

Plant reproductive development is more sensitive than vegetative growth to many environmental stresses. High-temperature injury is becoming an increasingly serious problem due to recent global warming. In wheat, barley, and other crops, the early phase of anther development is most susceptible to high temperature. Oppositely, grain yields in rice plants are often reduced by exposure to low temperature. Unexpected climate change, such as abnormally hot or cool summer temperatures, have occurred repeatedly during recent years. This method indicates that an appropriate use of specific phytohormones, such as auxin and GA, may promote stress tolerance and adaptation to abiotic stresses.

Targeted Application(s)/Industry

These potentially novel functions of the classical phytohormones will be important sustainable agriculture in the face of global climate change.

Graduate School of Life Sciences
HIGASHITANI Atsushi, Professor Doctor of Science

[WiFi]

Network Roaming System with Flexible Access Control

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The laboratory works on development of authentication wireless LAN systems which refer user attribute to realize flexible access control capability.Improvement and evaluation of new access control is devised based on experience of operation of an international wireless lan roaming service ‘eduroam' which is based on 802.1x authorization protocol.

Targeted Application(s)/Industry

The development contains application of OpenFlow technology to select a connecting network depending on user affiliation, as well as access control based on pre-defined attribute information.

Cyberscience Center
SONE Hideaki, Professor PhD

[Wind Turbine]

Nonlinear Aeroelastic and Multibody Dynamic Analysis for Floating Wind Turbine and Next-Generation Aircraft

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Floating wind turbine and next-generation aircraft have high-aspect-ratio blade and wing that undergo nonlinear aeroelastic deformation. We have developed a nonlinear aeroelastic analysis framework with absolute nodal coordinate formulation (ANCF). This nonlinear aeroelastic deformation is coupled with multibody dynamics. We are also developing a novel analysis framework for this coupling dynamics.

Targeted Application(s)/Industry

Dynamic, aeroelastic, structural, vibration, aerodynamic analyses for Aeroelastic Multibody Systems:
1. Floating wind turbine
2. High altitude platform station (HAPS), high-aspect-ratio-wing commercial jet
3. Helicopter, drone
4. Robot, crane

Tohoku University, Department of Aerospace Engineering, Space Structures Laboratory
OTSUKA Keisuke, Assistant Professor PhD