( Quarterly Magazine Micromachine No.30 Feb. 2000 ) View on Year 2000 at the Beginning of the Year
 Laboratory Introduction at Toyota Technological Institute Results of Industrial Science and Technology Frontier Program"Research and Development of Micromachine Technology"
 The 5th International Micromachine Symposium Exhibition "Micromachine '99" Held Research on Basic Micromachine Technology for Fiscal Year 1998
(Part II) Members' Profiles Yaskawa Electric Corp./Yokogawa Electric
Corporation
 Report on the Application of Micromachine Technology Overseas
 Micromachine Seminar in USA
 Recent technological developments - micromachine-related patentclassification has been released Introductory Course/Micromachine Technical Term Glossary (4)View on Year 2000 at the
Beginning of the Year
Shinichiro Ohta
Director-General, Machinery and Information Industries Bureau,
Ministry of International Trade and Industry

I would like to express our pleasure for greeting the new year of 2000.
Our economy is steadily but slowly improving as a result of the spread of the effects of various policies, but the recovery has not yet reached
an autonomous stage supported by demand fromthe private sector. Thus, the fate of the Japanese economy is supported by the mechanicalindustries that drove the Japanese economic
growth, such as the automobile industry, theelectric and electronics industry, and the industrial machine industry. In addition, the information industry has a large latent market andwill have a considerable influence on management of other fields including non-manufacturing industries. I will watch over the actual conditions of the economy very carefully with therecognition that future development of the mechanical information industry is very important
for regeneration of the Japanese economy.
In November last year, the government set
out a new economic formation policy with theaims of fully setting the Japanese economy on
the right recovery track by changing public sector demand to private sector demand and bybuilding a new development foundation for the
21st Century. This economic policy is the guideline for future economic management based on
the concepts of establishing a new idea for 21stCentury society and creating a trigger for improving the foundation, not just stopping at ashort-term economic recovery policy.
The fiscal year 1999 secondary supplementary budget that was based on this idea includes
policies for promoting computerization support
businesses such as venture businesses and small
to medium scale enterprises and various technological development projects that will play a2

pilot role for millennium projects. I understandthat the first step in regenerating our economy
is to implement these policies quickly.
In addition, since this is the first year of the
new millennium, we are seriously tackling thefollowing four objectives including the actualization of the fiscal year 2000 budget that was
decided by the Cabinet Meetings at the end oflast year.
The first objective is computerization for improving efficiency and development of the entire economy and society. Computerization of theeconomy and society is the key for strengthening international competitiveness and economic
regeneration in this “digital revolution” that is
rapidly approaching. To achieve this objective,
we are tackling various policies to promote computerization using “improvement of the foundation in information economy,” “fostering computer-literate personnel”, and “promotion of information technology development” as the skeleton.
Regarding “improvement of the foundation
in information economy,” we will proceed to improve the environment for confident and safe
electronic commercial transactions including
computerization of administration (actualization of electronic government), improvement of
the regulations related to electronic signatures
and authentication, security measures, and private information protection measures.
Regarding “fostering computer-literate personnel”, we will make efforts to foster personnel capable of utilizing information in various
levels of the nation through content development
techniques for schools, and by development ofcomputer-literate personnel fostering curriculum for adults in order to secure personnel who
will carry the advanced information communi-

cation society. In addition, we will improve theenvironment for promoting strategic computerization for middle-level enterprises and small
to medium-size enterprises in order tostrengthen the competitiveness of our industries.
Regarding “promotion of information technology development,” we will provide various supports to promote development of computing,devices and networks, which are important objectives in information technology.

cal year 2001. In addition, we will promote development of innovative recycling technology forbreakthrough towards future construction of arecycling type economic society. Practically, weare considering development of fundamental
technologies that can be applied to a wide rangeof products, such as development of a design
support database system in recyclable type products in the planning and design stages and development of manufacturing technology in recyclable plastic products that produce less waste.

The second objective is to create new industrial fields with high added value. For creationof new industrial fields, the aviation and space
field, the new manufacturing technological field,
and the medical and welfare field are expected
to grow rapidly in the future in the mechanicalinformation industry, in addition to the information communication field.
In particular, early realization of further advancement of the Japanese aviation industry
with Japanese-oriented airframe development
is becoming urgently necessary to cope with thestructural change of the international aviationindustry. To achieve this objective, we are aiming to develop innovative system integration
foundation technology such as developing thetechnology (avionics) for a quantum leap improvement in aircraft transportation efficiency
and establishing Japan’s specific technologicalstandard that can be utilized worldwide.

The fourth objective is alleviation of regulations and system reform. Regarding standards
authentication, reformation of laws was implemented last year for measurement systems, etc.
in order to handle international mutual approvaland convert to a system based on conversion of
the private sector of self-verification and inspection. We continually review the laws and regulations in terms of minimization of the range
associated with Japan and international coordination and take necessary actions such as revision of ordinances.

The third objective is construction of an economic system responding to the environmental
restrictions and resource restrictions that are
imposed as a result of economic development.
In practice, we will tackle various examination
activities and dissemination and enlightenment
activities for the full-scale enforcement of theHousehold Electrical Goods Recycle Law in fis-

In conjunction with these measures, we will
devote ourselves to the implementation of measures for enhancing the manufacturing foundation and smoothly enforcing the special provisional law regarding industrial activity regeneration. Through the support of enterprises thatare diligently tackling reconstruction of business, we will make our full efforts for economic
recovery and at the same time we will devote
ourselves to further development of the mechanical information industry, as we focus on
the next generation and the resulting regeneration of the Japanese economy.
I would like to conclude my greeting by wishing you much happiness for the new year.

3Laboratory Introduction
Professor Nuio Tuchida
School of Engineering, Information and Control Engineering Department,
Toyota Technological Institute
1. Introduction
The Electronic Control Research Laboratory is involved with studies related not only to system control and sensors but also to the devices for converting electric and mechanical energy. The former comprises the studies of a parts mating robot system formoving objects, a system of non-interference multiplex transmission of sensors and actuator control signals, and a system of measuring anisotropic permeability in an extremely small range, while the latter
consists of the studies of high-torque, high-efficiency
induction motors with variable power factors, axialcoil micro motors with a high-torque density,
micromachines using an ion drag force, including
solar microboats, micromotors, and micropumps. The
following deals with micromachine-related matters.
2. Microactuators using Ion Drag Force
Hydraulic cylinders and hydraulic motors aremostly used as actuators for applications where alarge force is required. A far-reaching effect can also
be expected in the field of micromachines if a highefficiency microactuator that employs fluid is realized.
A switching circuit or a commutator/a brush isrequired to switch the direction of current to produce
a unidirectional force in conventional motors driven
electromagnetically.
In biomotors with muscles and flagella, however,no such device can be found and something sophisticated is therefore considered to have been incorporated in the mechanism of a biomotor.
The author, with a keen interest in the uniqueaction of a biomotor as described above, has devised
an ion drag actuator that requires no switching circuit, by dexterouly taking advantage of ionic behavior, based on a brand-new principle. The ion dragactuator, with electrodes dipped in insulating liquid,
accelerates ions in the liquid, causing the liquid toflow as a result of the tenacity between ions and thematrix liquid. The pressure produced then drives anactuator. It is generally considered to be difficult toobtain a continuous accelerating force by multistage
electrodes. In particular, it was impossible to realize
a rotating motor.
However, a solution to this problem has beenfound. As shown in Fig. 1 by linear expansion, theion-dragged motor introduced herein is composed ofelectrodes that prevent the exchange of electriccharges between ions and the electrodes by forming
an insulating (SiO) barrier layer on half of one side

4

Negative BA ion

Positive BA ion

Silicone oil
Flowing
direction

Anode 1 Cathode 2

SiO

Anode 3

Cathode 4

Fig. 1 Principle of producing unidirectional flow

Fig. 2 Rotating ion drag motorof the electrode and employs a bipolar substance,
ready to turn into negative and positive ions, as anion source.
When positive/negative voltage is applied alternately, as Fig. 1 shows, bipolar butyl alcohol molecules
are turned into positive BA ions on contact with theexposed part of electrode 1 kept positive, with theresulting ions accelerated toward the nearest electrode 2, kept negative. However, the left side of electrode 2 with SiO, an insulator, evaporated thereon,
prevents the exchange of electric charges. Most of
the opposite polar ions (positive) that gathered cantherefore be considered to move to the exposed partof electrode 2 together with the ion-dragged flow ofliquid. However, butyl alcohol loses its electriccharges at electrode 2, kept negative, followed by instantaneous conversion to negative BA ions. Those
negative ions are accelerated toward the nearest rightanode 3 instead of moving toward the left side fromwhich they came. With similar phenomena occurringcontinuously and in succession, butyl alcohol molecules are accelerated in a unidirectional manner
toward the right side while they are turned alternately into positive and negative ions. This produces

a dragging force between the ions and the matrix liquid, silicone oil, causing the liquid to flow.
If voltage is applied, to the electrodes attached ina radial manner with cylinders poured an insulating
liquid containing bipolar substances as Fig. 2 shows,the liquid flows rotationally. Then, if the rotor is submerged in the liquid, the rotor gains a turning force
to rotate. As described above, the motor differs fromconventional electrostatic or electromagnetic motors,
and is quite unique in that it requires no switchingcircuit. It is available now with approx. 3,500 rotations per minute. Also available is a motor in which
the rotational direction can be freely controlled purely
electrically by rendering the insulator-covered partof the electrode as an independent auxiliary electrode.
On the other hand, when positive/negative voltage is applied alternately to multi-layered wire nets
covered with insulators on one side as Fig. 3 shows,a pump action can be expected in a similar manneras described above. This pump is suitable for miniaturization because it is simple in structure and requires no mechanically movable parts and can obtain pressure directly from the electric field. It alsoenables the electrical reversal of the direction of pressure application by providing an independent insulator-covered electrode as in the rotating motor described above.

3. Solar Microboats
In addition to the above 2 actuators, a solar
microboat (MSB), which utilizes an ion-dragged liquid flow similarly, is also under investigation. Thisboat can swim about under water like bacteria or
water insects.
Comb-shaped electrode

Barrier layer

Solar cell

Direction of
MSB movement

Direction of ion acceleration
Working fluid

Fig. 4 Cross section of a solar microboat

Fig. 5 A series of 24 solar microcells on the upper surface of an MSB
Electrodethickness :0.7mm

Spacing between
electrodes :1.3mm
Stainless steel-madeIon acceleration electrodeFlow
direction

Insulating
barrier

Fillingadhesion
Number of electrode stages: 6

Fig. 3 Structure of an ion drag micro-pump

Fig. 6 Ion acceleration electrodes on the lower surface of an MSB

As the schematic diagram of the MSB in Fig. 4
shows, the MSB gains energy from the solar cells installed on its upper surface, while the multistage acceleration electrodes on its lower surface accelerateions and the resulting reaction force propels it. Figs.
5 and 6 show, respectively, solar cells installed on
the upper surface and a comb-shaped ion acceleration electrode. Since a series of 6 solar cells wasproven to move an MSB, the author is aiming to realize a movable at more than several mm per second
MSB with 24 solar cells connected in series.
The author also hopes to fabricate an electronic
circuit and sensors for installation on the MSB in
the future, thereby realizing a system that can be
freely controlled from outside by applying a semi-digital non-interference SS multiple transmission mode
now under development.

5

Results of Industrial Science and Technology Frontier Program“Research and Development of Micromachine Technology”(4 Experimental Systems)

Experimental system for Micro Processing
and Assembling
1. Introduction
The experimental system for micro processing andassembling aims to study the technology of systematization for the realization of “a microfactory” as one of
the applications of micromachine technology. Seven companies, i.e., Aishin Cosmos R&D Co., Ltd., Seiko Instruments Inc., Hitachi Ltd., Fanuc Ltd., Fuji Electric Research Institute Inc., Mitsubishi Cable Industries, Ltd.,and Yasukawa Electric Corp., are jointly conducting thisstudy. The experimental system, roughly of desktop size,
consists of a processing unit, an assembling unit, and aconveyance unit. Fig. 1 gives an image of the experimental system. The concept of the system lies in “multiprocess integration”, namely, to do complicated workwith plural functions (processes), incorporated in thesystem and interrelated with each other. This systemenables the processing of a gear with an axis.

Fig. 1 Image of the Experimental System for Processing and Assembling
2. Development Conditions of the Experimental
systemFig. 2 gives the photos of the primary experimental
system and major devices.
2.1 Processing unit
In the processing unit a processing probe is broughtclose to the metal substrate, provided in the processing
cell, to apply voltage to it to carry out electrochemical
etching. Any mold with an optional pattern can be manufactured by scanning the processing probe. A sacrificial
layer is formed by plating onto the mold, followed by

6

the manufacture of a part by electroforming. When thesacrificial layer is etched, the part can be removed fromthe mold. Plural processing liquids and cleaners are used
for a series of those processes. A trochoid-type liquid
supply pump, small in size but large in flow, and a device for observing the finishing have been mounted on
this experimental system. This device, with an image
scope and a tactile sensor incorporated in a catheter, 3
mm in diameter, is used for environmental recognition.
To carry this environmental recognition device to a predetermined position in several microns, a motor with abuilt-in servomechanism is used. It has been confirmedthat the inspection unit enables the observation of the
shape of a gear formed after automatic exchange of processing liquids and cleaners, electrochemical etching,and electrochemical processing.
2.2 Conveyance unit
The conventional conveyance system used in the factory is usually intended for unidirectional conveyancewith a belt conveyor. This method is suitable for massconveyance along a fixed route; however, it is unsuitable as a conveyance system in a microfactory as thislatter requires the conveyance of parts flexibly and in alimited space. One answer to this problem is a two-dimensional conveyance. In this experimental system, acoil diode module was constructed by covering the conveyance system with 1-mm square electromagnets. A
pallet, with permanent magnets attached, can be carried by changing the electromagnets. If a pallet deviates from the preset route, this system enables the detection of the position of the pallet with CCD camera
image to send it back to its original position. The resolution of positioning during conveyance is up to 1 mm,
the size of an electromagnet. At the terminal of the conveyance, the resolution of positioning is ±20 µm by the
positioning mechanism (Block V). It has been confirmed
thus far that a part, 0.2 g in weight including a pallet,
can be carried two-dimensionally according to the preset conveyance program.
2.3 Assembling unit
The assembling unit enables to hold and assemble
various parts with a micro-arm with a high-torque ultrasonic motor and a high-resolution encoder incorporated. The microarm changes work tools in various ways
in accordance with the work contents. The work tool
mounts 3 kinds of holding devices and a coating device.

Micro-arm

Conveyance device

Micro-servo-actuator

Micro-pump

Micro electrochemicalmachining device

Environmental
recognition device

Adhesive device

Fig. 2 The Experimental System for Processing and Assembling
A vacuum chuck is used for holding pin-shaped parts. A
scroll-type vacuum pump, small in size and with fewer
vibrations, is under development so as not to hinder thesmooth movement of the microarm. A high power electromagnetic chuck that holds a heavy magnetic material is mounted as well as an extremely small electromagnetic chuck for holding small and light objects. The
coating device fixes parts by using an adhesive, because
it is difficult to use screws for fixing a small object after
assembly. The coating device used for such an application is required to discharge a trace amount of adhesive. This coating device can apply trace amounts ofadhesive (resolution: several nanoliters) using the diaphragm provided in the flow course. Radiating laser
beam to light absorbers one after another moves thediaphragm. A stage is also required for assembly. The
experimental system mounts a rotary stage with a builtin microservo-actuator. With those devices working together, it becomes possible to assemble extremely small
parts. To date, it has been confirmed that the coating

device, the assembly stage, and the microarm, whenlinked together, enable the application of a trace amountof adhesive, that the electromagnetic chuck and themicroarm enable extremely small gears to be held, andthat the environmental recognition device and the assembly stage enable the observation of an object.
3. Conclusion
Emphasis was placed on the introduction of the functions of the major units of the experimental system for
micro processing and assembling. To date, each device
has been confirmed qualitatively to exhibit respective
major functions in the system. Simultaneously, it has
also been clarified that the magnetism, light, and heatproduced by one device influence the other devices tovarying degrees. Hereafter, the writer is planning not
only to grasp the functions of respective devices andunits quantitatively, so that the problems posed andtheir countermeasures can be checked but also to carryout evaluation of the effects of energy conservation.

7

Development of Experimental wirelessmicromachine system for inspection on
inner surface of tubes
1. Introduction
In the Industrial Science and Technology Frontier Program,
three companies, namely, DENSO Corp., Toshiba Corp., andSanyo Electric Co., Ltd., are involved in the research and development of an experimental wireless micromachine system
for inspection on inner surface of tubes. This system is equippedwith functions to take pictures of the wall inside a tube and toradio-transmit them while travelling inside a thin tube, 10 mm
in inside diameter, by wireless. Microwaves and light supply
the energy required for the system. This system is composed ofan environment-recognition device and is mounted with a CCD
element, a locomotive device for travelling inside the tube, acommunication control circuit for communication with outsiders and for system control, a microwave device for the supplyof wireless energy and communication, and a photovoltaic device. Thus far, devices for mounting have been developed, andin fiscal 1999, three subsystems incorporating plural devices
have been developed as the first step towards systematization(primary prototypes, A, B, and C).

tovoltaic device developed by Sanyo, and a voltage stabilizing
circuit. With the development of an antenna with a new structure so devised that the photovoltaic device will not significantly lower the receiving efficiency, a simultaneous energy
supply has been realized by light and microwaves.
c) Type C
An experimental system of type C was developed to verify
the function of image transmission by microwave communication. This system mounts an environment-recognition device
developed by Toshiba and a communication control circuit developed by DENSO. A frame memory is usually required forimage transmission. It was found, however, that in such a circuit, the chip becomes too large to be mounted. A mode wastherefore devised in which image data from a CCD camera are
divided into packets for transmission. This resulted in realizing the wireless image transmission of 3 frames per second
after successful development of the world’s smallest chip, about
4 mm square, capable of transmitting images.
3. Conclusion
Through the development of the primary prototype systems, their functions were verified along with the extractionof their accompanying problem. Those problems were foundto be the methods of electromechanical connection between
the devices, heat generation, and electric noises. In the future, development of a secondary prototype system with all
the system functions incorporated will be initiated by taking
the foregoing into consideration.

Experimental wireless micromachine system for inspection
on inner surface of tubes
2. Conditions of development of the primary prototype
systema) Type A
An experimental system of type A was developed to verify
the following functions: in-tube movement by wireless, andstart, stop, and direction shift by command control. This system is equipped with a locomotive device, a communication/
control circuit, and a microwave device. For miniaturization,
the circuit is assembled with bear chips, which are mounted inhigh-density on its substrate, utilizing flip-chip interconnection technology. In this system, an antenna was developed thatcomplies with two microwave frequencies so that both energy
supply and communication can be rendered possible by microwaves to verify command control communication when energy
is supplied.
b) Type B
An experimental system of type B was developed to verify
simultaneous energy supply by light and microwaves. Thissystem mounts a microwave antenna integrated with the pho-8Type A trial manufacture system

Type B trial manufacture
system (Antenna part)

Type C trial manufacture
system (Environmentrecognition device part)Chain-type micro-machine system forinspection of outer tube surfaces
1. Introduction
A number of slender tubes are arranged at small intervals
in the heat exchanger of a power plant. A micromachine (a component micromachine) for inspection on outer surfaces of those
slender tubes should be miniaturized so that it can pass throughthe narrow spacing between the tubes. Therefore, it is difficult
to equip the micromachine with many functions. On the other
hand, however, it becomes necessary for inspections to cover acomparatively large area and satisfy a variety of functions. The
concept is therefore required of a multiple distributed
micromachine system to satisfy those opposing requirements.
In this system the necessary functions are distributed between
many component micromachines and the task is carried out
cooperatively by the micromachines. In the MITI’s micromachine project, such a chain-type micro-machine system for inspection of outer tube surfaces, as described above, has been
jointly developed by three companies, i.e., Sumitomo ElectricIndustries, Ltd., Matsushita Research Institute Tokyo, Inc.,and Mitsubishi Electric Corp. since fiscal 1996.
2. State of Development of the Experimental System
Fig. 1 shows the appearance of a developed prototype ofthe component micromachine. As the figure shows, the component micromachine consists of four devices with each function:a driving device, a travelling device, microconnectors, and aflaw detection device. The machine, 5 mm in length, 9 mm inwidth, and 6.5 mm in height, can travel horizontally and vertically with six magnetic wheels. It can also be automaticallyconnected to and separated from the adjoining component
micromachine by the microconnectors with electromagnets
arranged upper right and left. Its main devices are outlined
below:The driving device is a radial-gap type cored electromagnetic motor, 1.6 mm in diameter and 2 mm in length. It wasminiaturized by employing minute process coils fabricated using high-aspect-ratio multilayering technology and rotates at
40,000 rpm.
The travelling device, 5 × 5 × 1.5 mm on one side, mounts aplanetary gear system, with a reduction ratio of 1/200, fabricated by micro electro-discharge machining, and permanent

magnetic wheels. The permanent magnetic wheels enable astrong traction force to be attained by the magnetic attraction
between the wheels and the travelling surface. This went so
far as to demonstrate that the device can push a one-yen coin
(1 g) double its own weight (0.42 g) and travel at a high speedof 10 mm/s by the wheel driving mechanism considered disadvantageous to micromachines.
The microconnector, 3 mm in diameter and 2 mm in thickness, is an electromagnetic connector. Its terminal part, withminute terminals fabricated by deep X-ray lithography, supported by gimbal springs, can be inserted and pulled out by
moving the permanent magnet mounted inside with electromagnet. It can remain connected by the permanent magnets
without power supply except when used for connection andseparation. Fig. 2 shows how the microconnectors are connected
and separated automatically.
It was also demonstrated that three driving machines (withdriving devices) can pull up and down seven connecting machines (without driving devices) when both of them are connected with the microconnector around a slender tube, 22 mm
in diameter (Fig. 3).
3. Conclusion
The final target, which includes narrow space movement
and flaw inspection on outer surface of the slender tube bymoving multiple connected micromachines around a slender
tube, will be realized in near future. The accompanying fundamental technology will be also established.

(a) Separated state (b) Excited state (c) Connected stateFig. 2 Movement of microconnector

Flaw detection device
Microconnector

TravellingdeviceDriving machine

DrivingdeviceConnecting machine

Connecting machine

5 mm
Fig. 1 Prototype of component micromachine

Fig. 3 Movement of multiple connected micromachines
around the slender tube

9

Experimental Catheter-type
micromachine system for repair in narrowcomplex areas
1. Introduction
The experimental catheter-type micromachine system for
repair in narrow complex areas is the first step system to develop into micromachines for in-machine repair, which entersinside the complicated machine without disassembling to carryout inspection and light repair work. Three companies, i.e.,
Olympus Optical Co., Ltd., Omron Corp., and Murata Mfg. Co.,
Ltd., are jointly engaged in the research and development of
this system. The primary target of this research lies in establishing the technology of operations in a narrow space the enable the measurement of a minute-size defect and its repair.
The second target is to establish the technology of integrating
the many required functions, for instance, for inspection andrepair inside a steam turbine as possible work in a narrow
space, into the head of thin tubes in the longitudinal direction.
Vision device

Multi freedom
bending tube unit

2.2 Systematization Technology
2.2.1 Development of thin tube integrating technology; MIF
mounting technology
As the technique of mounting functional devices in highdensity, including the monitoring and posture detection devices,a technique of mounting is under development utilizing themultifunction integrated film technology (MIF) developed in
the 1st term.
First, the functional device is mounted onto a silicon wafer, in which the integrated circuit is formed for driving thefunctional device, and then a planar mounting module is madeafter removing the unnecessary silicon part by etching. Eachfunctional device is arranged three-dimensionally by folding
this module. This MIF technology is considered to offer the
optimal method for mounting micromachines, a method of arranging functional devices and their peripheral ICs in various
directions in a small space three-dimensionally and in highdensity.

Monitoring device
Posture detection device

5 mm
Welding SMA
Monitoring device Posture detection device
devicemanipulator (Omron Corp.)(Murata Mfg. Co., Ltd.)
Fig. 1 Experimental catheter-type micromachine system for
repair in narrow complex areas (Conceptual)
2. Status of the Development
2.1 Development of Devices
Table 1 Functional devices developed by respective companies

Device name

Target specification

Multi freedom bending tube unit Outside diameter: 8 mm;
Number of bending parts: 3
Manipulator for repair
Outside diameter: 3 mm
Welding device
YAG laser welding;Outside diameter: 3 mm
Posture detection device
Size: 4.5 × 1 × 3.5 mm;(Murata Mfg. Co., Ltd.)
Sensitivity: 1°/sec
Monitoring device
Size: 4.5 × 2 × 4 mm;(Omron Corp.)
Defect detection resolution:≥ 0.5 mm (at 50 mm)
Table 1 shows the functional devices that each company is
responsible for developing, and the targets of development.

10

Fig. 2 Photograph of the electronic unit using MIF mounting technology
2.2.2 Development of narrow area repairing technology
Laser welding was selected as the work to be performed bythis experimental system, which enables non-contact work to
be performed with comparatively little thermal influence on
the system. So far, reduction of stray light and a cooling mechanism have been developed. It was then confirmed that laser
welding is capable of welding a SUS plate to a depth of 0.5 mm
or more. At present, after trial making of the experimental
system, evaluation of the repair performance of a repair unit
with the SMA (Shape Memory Alloy) manipulator and the welding device, is under way.
3. Conclusion
Next fiscal year, the final experimental system will be madeand evaluated. Through this experimental system, the studiesof the thin-tube integration technology, that is, the technology
of mounting micromachines of high density will be continued
and the possibility of the manufacture of micromachines capable of “doing work” will also be investigated.

The Fifth International
Micromachine Symposium
The Fifth International Micromachine Symposium
was held on October 28 and 29, 1999, at the Science
Museum in Kitanomaru Park, Tokyo.
At the opening on October 28, Mr. Shin-ichiro Oota,
Director-General, Machinery and Information Industries Bureau, MITI, Mr. Kouji Kajimura, Director-General, AIST, MITI and Mr. Hideyuki Matsui, Chairmanof NEDO gave guest speeches. Participants registered
for the two days totaled 421.
At the beginning of the first day, Professor Emeritus
Takemochi Ishii, The University of Tokyo, gave a special guest speech titled “What micromachines will produce in the 21st Century.” The theme of the lecture was
the role of micromachine technology and the expectations in the large current of technological civilization
called digital computerization. The speech was very interesting and inspiring, covering many areas including
the characteristics of Net Generation, nefootwork (newconcept combining footwork and network), increase ofmeme pool as a result of digital computerization, andthe road to micromachine. The manuscript of the lecture that was inserted in the symposium preliminary
report that was distributed that day is attached fromthe next page. Please read it.
On the first day, apart from Prof. Ishii, 16 guests
including five from abroad (one read by another) wereinvited as guest speakers. Each gave impressive
speeches.
Guest speakers from abroad:
Dr. Franz van de WEIJER / NEXUS
Ms. Karen W. MARKUS / MCNC
Dr. Francois GREY / Technical University of Denmark
Dr. Ronald B. ZMOOD / Melbourne Institute ofTechnology
Prof. Nico F. de ROOIJ / University of Neuchatel(read by the chairman)
Dr. Chih-Ming HO / UCLA
Prof. Chang-Jin “CJ” KIM / UCLAIn Session 5, “Thinking of Micromachines,” theunique content appealed to the audience. You can readthe speeches in the following pages.
The second day was dedicated to presentations on
the progress of “Research & Development on
Micromachine Technology” which is the national projectof Industrial Science and Technology Frontier Program.
This was followed by an overview from Mr. Yoshikazu
Yamaguchi (Director for Machinery and Aerospace R&D,
AIST, MITI), and introductions to researches conductedin the three national research laboratories, including
the Mechanical Engineering Laboratory, AIST, MITI.
Next, a presentation on the progress of the second phaseof the micromachine technology project was made by
Mr. Tatsuaki Ataka, chairman of the Research Committee of MMC. Technology trend survey results were announced by four working group heads of the ResearchCommittee. Another seven presentations were given on
results from ISTF.
The seminar received high evaluation through theanswers to questionnaires that were given to the participants in the venue at the end of the symposium regarding the plan and contents of the lecture. We had tochange the sequence of the lectures due to some incidents that occurred on that day such as a transport accident. We sincerely apologize for any convenience.
The next symposium is scheduled for the following
date and location:
The 6th International Micromachine Symposium
Scheduled Date: November 9 (Thu.) and 10 (Fri.), 2000
Scheduled Location: Science Hall (Science Museum B2F),
Kitanomaru Park, TokyoA photo taken at the scene of The 5th International
Micromachine Symposium

11

From the 5th International Micromachine Symposium Lecture Session 5 “Thinking of Micromachines”

What Micromachines Will Produce in the
21st Century
Takemochi Ishii
Professor Emeritus, University of Tokyo

1. Introduction
One may logically associate the title “WhatMicromachines Will Bring in the 21st Century”
with the progress, development, and popularization, of micromachines over a considerably long
period (at most about 100 years) and the overall
effects that one can foresee these micromachines
having, on industry, society, lifestyles, and culture.
However, tackling this issue head on would giverise to too many problems, as one would have to
make difficult predictions about the future.
In this document, therefore, I will employ a relatively bold approach in methodology incorporating the following restrictions. First of all, I will bemaking assumptions mostly for the first half ofthe 21st century, because the second half is several decades away and therefore is still too uncertain and involves too many unknown factors. Predictions regarding micromachines can quickly lose
their usefulness, since such fields as data communications and biotechnology, which are closely related to and have a strong effect on micromachinetechnology, are expected to continue their rapid
growth for some time. Hence, publications on thesesubjects will rapidly become outdated, and research reports giving future forecasts will become
nothing more than historical documents for theperiod in which the research was conducted. This
is not to say that such reports will become worthless, as historical viewpoints themselves are ofcourse extremely important. Ultimately, I hope tocapture the historical trends of technological civilization in this document from a macro viewpoint.
With this approach, I assume that micro revisions
to our predictions will occur continually with thefrequent additions of individual accomplishments
in technological (micro-technological) development.
As a result, we cannot avoid a strong influence oftemporary undertakings, or “working hypotheses”.
Nevertheless, we must first conduct a macro
evaluation of micromachines in the history of technological civilization. In plain terms, the issue iswhether micromachines will be the key to creating a new mechanical civilization in the 21st century, and whether humankind, as homo faber (manthe maker), will transcend the realm of existing
industrial products and enter a new age of creating a new type of machine. The drive to create newmachines to replace the old probably stems from12

the fact that we are now caught up in a digital
information evolution (perhaps the greatest change
since man began walking upright). To achieve thisevolution we will require appropriate new tools andmachines, which will inevitably accelerate thetechnological innovation.
2. The Digital Information Age and the Net
Generation
In modern industrial technology, the precisionof machine tools, which are “tools for creating
tools”, determined the limits of precision for theentire system. In light of this fact, the use andpopularization of numerical control (NC) machine
tools was an extremely important development.
NC machine tools employ digital numerical displays to assure product precision. These not only
helped us increase the uniformity of product quality and improve non-cost related competitiveness,but also enabled us for the first time to perform
high-precision numerical calculations needed to
produce complex curved surfaces such as metal
dies for forming nonspherical plastic lenses. These
represent a qualitative change called themechatronics production technology revolution. It
also became possible to improve the efficiency of
unmanned industrial robots used for such processes as welding and spraying and to break new
ground in the field of advanced precision processing with these robots.
At the same time mechatronics was progressing, we witnessed striking technological progressin digital data communications, as well as thedownsizing of such electronic components as semiconductor ICs that helped launch the PC age. Inaddition, it became possible to connect multiple
PCs to a data network such as the Internet, which
was a groundbreaking accomplishment. This gave
rise to an autonomous distribution network system to replace conventional systems having small
stand-alone computers isolated from one another.
This development has even had a great influenceon our everyday lifestyles.
Technological civilization in the first half of the
21st century will undoubtedly be influenced bycharacteristics of the Net Generation, that is,people raised in the 21st century environment inwhich this type of network is taken for granted aspart of the social infrastructure. Recent surveys
have released at least two specific traits of thisNet Generation. First, with the rising use of e-mail,there has been a clear increase in mobility, andusers are travelling to meet with others and attend gatherings. This is quite different from theimage of a computer nerd alone in a room, engrossed in a desktop PC. In fact, we are seeing a
rapid increase in the number of people buying portable information devices such as notebook PCs,pointing toward a strong trend in mobile computing.
The second characteristic of the Net Generation is a fondness for performing multiple processes
simultaneously. For example, the mobile users
described above do not have to concentrate solely
on getting somewhere, which I will call “footwork,”
but can work simultaneously at an information
device connected to a network. Hence, they neednot choose between concentrating on footwork or
working on a network, but can perform both. Just
as “sound” requires the simultaneous recognitionof frequency and duration to exist, the single word
mobility seems better served to include both meanings of footwork and network. In fact, it may be
more appropriate to use the term “nefootwork”(coined by the author) in place of mobility to stressthe new concept (in contrast to the division of labor and specialization inherent in industrial society).
Desktop computers, which until now have occupied the mainstream, require their users to sacrifice mobility (footwork). These computers employ
a graphical user interface (GUI) to enable a user
to work on a network. A device suited for nefootwork, on the other hand, would likely use a perceptual user interface (PUI), an interface thatgathers environmental data using auditory orother sensory data in addition to visual data andaccepts diverse input such as voice rather than
keyboard entry. This interface is more likely tosatisfy the second characteristic of the Net Generation described above, their fondness of multi-

tasking, by freeing up their hands for other operations. Naturally, PUI will not completely eliminate
the use of visual displays and manual input. It
can be thought of as an extension of GUI. The relationship between mobility, the first characteristic of the Net Generation, and PUI more clearly
illustrates how PUI expands the capabilities ofGUI. This relationship will be explained further
in the next section.
3. Mobility and Virtual Reality
To achieve the downsizing of PCs that gave rise
to notebook and palmtop PCs, it was first necessary to develop the high precision processing technology described above for producing hardware andto speed up product development in order to meetthe marked demand. Although this downsiz-ing
was certainly an important technological achievement in hardware to support mobility, the firstcharacteristic of the Net Generation, reducing theshape and proportions of the equipment merely
achieves a miniature GUI model, which does notin essence contribute to mobility. A keyboard sosmall that the user cannot operate it with his fingers, for example, is not feasible for mobile computing. The Data Glove (brand name) may be more
effective than a keyboard, as it allows the user to
input data using a glove containing sensors to detect finger movement. The basic concept of theData Glove, developed in the beginning stages ofvirtual reality (VR) research, is extremely uniquein that spatial movement of a body (a portion of
the body in this case) is detected and converted todigital data. This method is generally referred toas motion capture. As those of the Net Generation
know, this process has recently been applied generously and with great effect in computer graphics design for fighting scenes in video games. With
the motion capture approach, the relationship between motion in the real world, such as that of afinger or the entire body, and the digital data that
represents this motion is equivalent and dual. Although developed as a data input interface for VR
applications, the Data Glove eliminated any restrictions to mobility inherent in all keyboards
since the mechanical typewriter in principle.
Hence, it was important for us to understand thatrather than downsizing hardware, digitization ofdata with motion capture software and the like isa fundamental condition for achieving mobility.
Another tool typically used for VR is the head
mounted display (HMD), which has been aroundfor quite some time. This display is more suitable
for the mobile user than are fixed displays in principle. However, there is a lot of room for improvement in reducing the size of current HMDs. Still

13

they could be very useful mobile tools in the 21st
century should we succeed in reducing their size.
In short, VR I/O devices such as the Data Gloveand the HMD described above contain GUI functions and support mobility, proving that they expand the functions of GUI. Now, let us try to further imagine the information environment of the
21st century surrounding the Net Generation as
it relates to the connection between VR and PUI.
It has been predicted that the standard PC being
used at the end of the 20th century will soon become obsolete. Certainly, various functions now
performed by these PCs will most likely still exist
in various forms, but the current GUI PC will ultimately die out to be replaced by PUI-type formats. On the other hand, VR will become commonplace, as the Net Generation will have grown up
with video games and will be familiar with theiradvanced graphics. There will be more emphasison access to live, unfiltered information from thesource through nefootwork devices. At the sametime, nefootwork devices will enable us to accessdigital information from the network while in thefield and to communicate directly (even with images) with remote locations. Accordingly, this willreinforce our sense of an expanded reality by overlapping layers of the reality at our current location and VR data. This is referred to as augmented
reality (AR). PUI is a technology with position to
support AR and naturally will also contain conventional VR.
4. Biological Foundation of the Nefootwork
Now let us consider the biological roots giving
rise to the two characteristics of the Net Generation described above and link them to micromachines. First, I would like to consider the process
for establishing a communication network for the
first characteristic, mobility, from biological andsystem logic perspectives. As described above, thenetwork (information system) with the essential
meaning of footwork (movement system). The close
relationship between these two systems can beunderstood biologically when observing a newborn
child. To begin with, ontogeny is a biological law
which phylogeny is repeated. Accordingly, observations of a newborn child are suggestive of portions of the evolution of humankind. Before birth,the fetus has sight and communicates with its
mother primarily through direct contact withchemical substances (close contact information).
After birth, however, the emphasis in communication shifts to the transmission and reception of
remote data that includes sight and sound. This
shift in communication can be said to correspondto the point in the phylogeny, or evolution, of hu-

14

mankind when the living habitat of humankind
shifted from water to land. This existence of information stored in genes, such as the stepping reflex seen in newborn babies, can be considered as
the biological foundation for footwork. Remote datatransmission and reception is clearly advantageous
for mammals that can move rapidly on four legs.
Freedom of both arms and supporting their heads
vertically on vertebrae enabled the enlargementof their brains. Hence, the effects produced bywalking upright were added to their ability to move
more quickly on the ground, or improved footwork,and the acquisition of their ability to gather environmental data from remote locations. Further, thefreed hands (forelimbs) did not degenerate. Instead, in conjunction with the development of thebrain, humans began using their hands to manipulate tools and create advanced objects. Humans
started to walk upright when they stopped living
in trees and moved to the savanna. Their claws
used during their period in the trees evolved tofingernails. They developed fingerprints and palmlines and independently moving fingers with opposing thumbs. They became able to perform dexterous operations, such as grooming for lice nits
and picking up single grains with their fingers.
Micromachines exist far beyond this line of evolution. Genetic data alone is insufficient to cover thisdistance. Therefore it is necessary to accumulate
data other than genetic data. This data is referred
to as memes. Memes not only include software suchas language, symbols, characters, numerical data,
diagram, images, recordings, and computer programs, but also broad, unstipulated data and information acquired through observation and imitation.
5. Capacity to Challenge Micromachines
With memes, imitative behavior defines whatgets passed on from generation to generation. Theirbehavior constitutes pseudo-genes, similar to theway genetic information is stored in gene pools.
An example of this is the way languages are acquired by mimicking others. In general, children
have a far superior capacity for acquiring language
skills. Genes are handed down in a physical andhereditary manner, whereas memes achieve thisthrough acquisition. However, it is also possible
to consider the two together, to achieve a broad,overall understanding of how information ishanded down through successive generations. According to observations and studies conducted overthe past two years or so, Japanese children werehighly receptive of nefootwork. This children’s acceptance for nefootwork will expand the meme pooland no doubt greatly increase the meme activity.

The second characteristic of the Net Generation, multi-tasking, will not necessarily be welcomed by the current generation that completely
adapts to industrial society (perhaps because thecurrent generation is too accustomed to the methodof dividing work and allocating one job per timeslot). However, at top research institutes overseas
it is no longer unusual for researchers to specialize and have doctorates in two or more fields. Thisis referred to as double majors or multiple majors.
This second characteristic is also useful for increasing memes when there is a decrease in the number of individuals involved, such as a decrease inchildren. In short, the two characteristics of the
Net Generation are expected to spur on an increasein the meme pool into the 21st century. Significantly, the digital data portion of the memes should
be capable of self-catalytic propagation due to innovations in information technology.
Originally, information technology innovationis considered independently from spatial problems,
but the two should be considered in coexistencewith each other, as is stressed in the nefootwork
described above. In the history of technological civilization, spatial expansion has always been inseparable from innovation in information technology(or media in the narrow sense). Some prime examples are the role print media played in the great
explorations of the Renaissance period or the relationship between space development and digital information in the modern era. Moreover, thesphere of human activity is not limited to themacro-cosmos, but also spreads throughout the
micro-cosmos, the microscopic world in the humanbody. As described above, in the process of evolution humans were able to acquire genes suitable
for living in trees and for performing dexterous
work with their hands. However, tackling the micro-cosmos with only the gene pool is most certainly
hopeless. It will be necessary to accumulate anenormous amount of memes to cross the huge gulf
separating us from the world of micromachines.

Digitizing information is the first step in resolving this problem. At last micromachines have unquestionably entered our sphere of sight from atechnological perspective. As seen in the nefootwork example, if the keyboard is replaced by the
Data Glove and digital data culled from motion
capture is used as the primary data source, we will
see radical downsizing in hardware devices, andin time the PC format will be replaced by micromachines.
6. Conclusion
The field of medicine is most commonly cited
for the first applications of micromachines. As
during the Renaissance and the Meiji Restoration,
challenges toward the micro-cosmos of the humanbody have spawned new developments in the science of anatomy. It is always noted that we haveentered a new age whenever we discover radical
changes in geometry, which is a fundamental
knowledge of space, and anatomy, the internal morphology of the human body. Now, more than ever,are we getting to enter a new age. From X-CT and
MRI-CT to recent optical topography, digital images have contributed enormously to medicine; andendoscopy, electron microscope confocal laser microscopy, and scanning probe microscopy are having an unprecedented impact.
These developments have given micromachines
their first applications. While the progress madein hardware (precision instruments) was of course
important, the development of molecular-biological software, often called bioinformatics (also targeting genome), was also indispensable - almost atype of virtual reality world.
I expect many researchers at the present symposium will introduce other new application fields
in addition to medicine. Although the exact effects
that the popularization of micromachines will haveis not yet clear, I am certain that micromachines
will be one of the most important fields of the 21st
century.

15

From the 5th International Micromachine Symposium Lecture Session 5 “Thinking of Micromachines”

Trends in Value-Orientation of Young
Generation
Atsushi Kadowaki
Professor, University of Tsukuba
The Micromachine Center considers it very important toshow the attractions and possibilities of micromachines toyouths who will undertake the micromachine technology or will
incorporate micromachines into their lives in the future. Professor Kadowaki has studied long-term changes of life styles
and value orientation of youths in the Tokyo metropolitan area.
This lecture discusses the result of his study regarding the value
orientation and way of thinking of contemporary young people.
Outline of the Lecture
A study was conducted to regularly observe and investigate trends in the lifestyle and lifestye-orientations as well as
the social consciousness and values of young persons (aged 15
to 29 years) living in the greater Tokyo metropolitan area. The
study was first conducted in 1976 and continued at 3-year intervals. This is absolutely the first continuous research of its
kind conducted on youths and is the only investigation thatcompares 1) the effects of social shifts on trends in the young
with 2) stages that occur as one passes from adolescence toadulthood.
The values and activities of youngsters vary even if they
live in the same city like Tokyo. This study classified the youngsters into four types according to their values and observed
the shift of types with the passage of time (which type increases
and which type decreases).
“Steadily achieving” (reliable, consistent)
This type embraces the social norms maintained by adults
up to the present. They are willing to tolerate and preserve in the face of severe hardship.
“Non-confrontational” (peaceful)
They show little consideration for theory or ideology, displaying the most interest in matters directly involving
themselves. They believe that what happens in the world
around them holds no concern for them personally. They
are realists, immersed in the here and now, expressing little
concern for the future.
“Malcontent” (disgruntled and intolerant)
They are a sullen bunch, and see every aspect of the world
as having cause for complaint. Nevertheless, they are unable to answer when asked what troubles them. They demonstrate great distrust of others and are rebellious whenpushed or lectured.
“Autonomous” (independent and composed)
Members of this group move at their own steady but leisurely pace, first reading a situation carefully, and thenresponding to the circumstances as appropriate using theirown judgement. They are skeptical towards values upheldby adults. They are insistent upon their own sense of values. They have a strong sense of justice, yet being logicaland methodical, they do not act rashly. They are an intellectual group.
During these 20 years since the study was started, thenumber of youths, both males and females, of “steadily achieving” type and “autonomous” type has decreased and the number of youths of “non-confrontational” type and “malcontent”
type has increased. However, since the bubble period, changes
show a tendency to become more moderate and/or return backto previous states. This trend may be a result of the more se-16vere social environment after the bubble burst.
Considered in conjunction with results of other questionnaires issued in this study, in general, images of Japaneseyouths in this modern age can be summarized as follows:(1) Increasing distrust of adults: Dissatisfaction with thepresent state of society (current state of politics and social
systems) as well as a strong mistrust of adult members increasing rebelliousness against the values and lifestyles
espoused by adults.
(2) Increasingly ‘self-oriented’: Although rebellious, Japaneseyouths display no intention or will to devote effort to revolting against adults and reforming society. In addition,
they display no intention to work together in generating a
new sense of values or lifestyle shared by all members of
their age group.
(3) Insisting on their own senses of value: They acknowledge
that they live in an era of material prosperity and continue to enjoy the blessings of their fortunate situation.
Given that they live in prosperous surroundings, they statea desire to create and bury themselves in an environmentof setting surrounding by only that which appeals to themand where they can feel satisfied.
They tend to separate from the world of adults and movetowards a “world of their own”. For adults, they are becoming
strangers living in a “different world”.
There are advantages and disadvantages in such a trend
for Japanese youths.
Advantages: They have the potential to diverge from thegroup oriented behavior or uniform consciousness traditionally favored and adhered to by the Japanese. As a result, forinstance, there is a possibility of starting new industries suchas fashion and games.
Disadvantages: There is a risk that the majority of people
will not be interested in others and the society and sink into aself-satisfied, complacent world.
What we have to do as adults is to foster many “autonomous” type youths because they will create their own new values that replace adults’ values or lifestyles and implement their
way of living based on their values.
(As an answer to a question): These youngsters will be interested in micromachines. I expect development of micromachinesthat do not cut off face-to-face human relationships.
(This manuscript is a summary by the administration of thelecture and manuscript by Professor Kadowaki.)From the 5th International Micromachine Symposium Lecture Session 5 “Thinking of Micromachines”

Science Museum: Micromachine for Use in
an Educational Exhibition
Tatsuo Hayashi
Director, Japan Science Foundation
The Science Museum has demonstrated and exhibited three types of micromachines that were developedby supporting members since this April. Mr. Tatsuo
Hayashi, Director of the Japan Science Foundation presented a speech on the significance of micromachines
as exhibits, effective ways of showing them to young
people, and responses from young people through theirexperiences.
Outline of the lecture
The Science Museum exhibits a range of activities
which teach young people the pleasure and fascination
to be found in the appreciation of science and industrial
technology. The Science Museum helps visitors to entera world of science and industrial technology, a world so
close and yet still undiscovered.
The method is to give visitors the opportunity to experience for themselves the joy of hands-on discovery.
The micromachines (referred to as MMs henceforth)
were exhibited based on the following three concepts:(1) Helping to develop curiosity about the unknownworld(2) Giving ideas for the future technology of Japan(3) Showing importance of supporting technology
Practically, the following three MMs were exhibited,enabling visitors to observe how they move.
• Ladybird type actuator using microphotoeletric device
converter technology: A ladybird type actuator (1cm ¥1.5cm) moves autonomously within a light spot thatcan be moved freely.
• Micro testing machine inside tubing using a flexible
piezoelectric actuator: The structure allows detectionof abnormalities in the transparent narrow tubing
through to-and-fro movement inside the tubing by external control. (Diameter 5.5mm, total length 20mm)• Micro-manipulator using shape memory alloy actuator technology: The structure operates the micro-manipulator (diameter 1mm, total length 80mm, degrees
of freedom 5) to strike a small piano keyboard.
One instructor is assigned constantly to the exhibition to provide operation instructions and introductionof details through a CCD camera, video, and panel.
To enhance the effects of the exhibition, questionnaires were filled out by visitors. The contents of thequestions and answer status are described below.
Q1: Did you know about MM?
Approximately 50% knew about MM. (This figure
was approximately equal for both adults and elementary/middle-school children.)
Q2: What did you think of the MM exhibition?
All the young people rated it as interesting. For
adults, the figure was 60%.

Q3: Which part interested you?
The aspects cited as most interesting were ‘small
size’ and ‘precision of movement’. The excellence of
MM technology was described as ‘Wonderful!’, indicating that visitors derived pleasure from theexhibits at a sensual level.
Q4: Is there anything you would like to know more about?
Things they wanted to know:
The elementary school children were most interested in the movement mechanism, while themiddle-school and older children were also interested in the way it will be used.
From the above, the following may be said about thisexhibition:(1) Almost everyone found the MM exhibition “interesting” or “very interesting”. In particular, visitors wereable to understand the incredibly advanced and complex world of scientific and industrial technology
behind this through bodily sensations. This tendency
was especially striking in the younger age group.
(2) Things the visitors wanted to know more about included “mechanism” and “method of use.” The kindof questions asked is an indication that our attempts
at substantially boosting the interest of young people
in MM were successful. For ideas in relation to the“method of use”, in order to stimulate visitors to think
about this, they were invited to enter a painting competition sponsored by MMC.
(3) Since there were many requests to touch the ladybird type actuator exhibition, it is important to prepare a replica which visitors can actually touch. By
increasing their familiarity with the technology inthis way, the effectiveness of the exhibition will beenhanced.
We would like to develop a more effective exhibition
based on the results of this exhibition. MM technology
is packed with dreams. We would like to fill the Science
Museum with themes with dreams.
(This manuscript is a summary by the administration of the lecture and manuscript by Mr. Hayashi.)17

From the 5th International Micromachine Symposium Lecture Session 5 “Thinking of Micromachines”

MEMS Education Program at UCLA
Chang-Jin “CJ” KIM
Professor, UCLA
Prof. Kim presented a speech on MEMS education in UCLA,
where a formal Ph.D. Major Field in MEMS has been established for systematic education of MEMS.
Outline of the lecture
To begin, I would like to discuss why a special education
program is necessary for MEMS. MEMS technology is quite
different from conventional engineering. While in conventional
fabrication physical processes are mainly implemented in threedimensional space, in MEMS chemical processes are most common along with two-dimensional lithography. To assemble
parts, a technique called pre-assembly is important in MEMS.
These differences in manufacturing are relatively well understood.
What are less apparent but perhaps more profound, dealing with MEMS, are the fundamental differences in physics,
especially mechanics. For instance, common microbeams in
MEMS are on the order of micrometers, the scale that has neverbeen handled as “mechanical” by conventional engineering. Do
we, creatures in macro-world, really know how to design mechanical devices, i.e., machines, that need to function in microscopic world? Therefore, concrete understanding and full considerations of scale effects differing from conventional engineering are necessary in designing MEMS. To achieve this, anacademic approach is necessary, thereby requiring a special
education program.
The MEMS education at UCLA is centered around thegraduate program. The purpose of this program is to lead students to comprehend the basic differences between the existing engineering and MEMS. The students are asked to appreciate the world in microscale, to learn all the important
microfabrication technologies, and to understand the key transduction principles that relate the micro-world with human.
At UCLA we have been running an ad hoc Ph.D. major
field in MEMS between Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department and Electrical Engineering Department since
1994. In 1997, UCLA formally approved MEMS as a new Ph.D.
major field in the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department.
The current program consists of basic courses called “core”
and special courses called “advanced/specialty”. The core
courses deal with the fundamental knowledge necessary toachieve the goals described above, highlighting the science inmicroscale and the technologies relevant to MEMS while encompassing various conventional engineering disciplines likematerials, mechanics, and electricity. Subsequently, the students proceed with own specialty field, such as fluid mechanics, heat transfer, control and robotics, communications, aviation, optics, biomedical areas, or advanced MEMS.
Each core course is outlined below as well as an exemplary
list of specialty courses.
Core
Introduction to Micromachining and MEMS Laboratory
The course is currently the only undergraduate course in the
program and provides the essential technical background for
lithography-based micromachining. In addition to regular
lectures, students acquire hands-on experience withmicromachining by fabricating a set of basic MEMS elements
through the 10-weeks course in a 1,000 square-foot clean room
dedicated for education.
MEMS Fabrication
The course provides the knowledge in MEMS fabrication foradvanced research and development of MEMS.

18

Microsciences
The course challenges the students to understand the phenomena in microscopic world and teaches the topics important for micro-engineering in such fields as basic sciences,fluid mechanics, heat transfer, and tribology.
MEMS Device Physics and Design
The course deals with various transduction principles suchas piezoelectric, electromagnetic, and electrostatic and also
discusses how MEMS devices are actually designed and produced. This course also teaches design rules and mask layout and introduces some foundry services as well.
Specialty
In addition to the core courses, students take the specialty
courses according to their own interests and specialty. The specialty areas can widely differ depending on each individual’s
background and career goals. Each student selects a series of
2-4 courses formed around the theme. The following set ofcourses is simply an example.
Sensors, Actuators and Signal Processing
The course teaches microtransducers and signal processing
principles.
Experimental Mechanics for MEMS
The course teaches material and mechanical properties, suchas strength and fatigue, and the methods to characterize
MEMS structures.
Advanced MEMS
The course treats some selected topics in depth and discusses
the latest research activities in MEMS field. The course also
includes case studies of commercial MEMS product and packaging.
After completing these courses, students take a comprehensive examination consisting of six hours of written and threehours of oral tests. To complete the MEMS Ph.D. program, in
addition to passing the comprehensive examination, students
must complete 3 courses in each of two minor fields other thanMEMS.
Up to the present, more than 20 Ph.D. Students have completed the program, and many more students have obtained
M.S. degrees. Currently, there are over 70 students and morethan 7 professors in the program.
The field of MEMS is dynamic and progressing rapidly. To
accommodate the growth in educational demand as well as theadvances in the field, our program is constantly being adjusted
and expanded. What has been reported today is simply a snap
shot of today. Education is as exciting as doing research in
MEMS.
(This manuscript is a summary by the administration of thelecture and manuscript by Professor KIM.)

Exhibition “Micromachine ’99” Held
The 10th Micromachine Exhibition “Micromachine’99" was held successfully with The 5th International
Micromachine Symposium. The three-day exhibition
was held from October 27 to 29, at Science Museum,
Kitanomaru Park, Tokyo.
Exhibitors were enterprises, non-profit organizations, universities and colleges, and research institutes
from Japan and abroad, including Micromachine Center and 22 supporting members of MMC. The memberof exhibitions were 86, surpassing previous exhibitions.
With the latest micromachine technologies and research
results on exhibit, this event is growing year after year
both in scale and contents as the biggest exhibition of
micromachine technology not only in Japan but in Asia.
This time, the first model systems were collected
together and made public and demonstrated for the firsttime. The systems were the grand results of the researchand development for the past nine years from participant enterprises of the Industrial Science and Technology Frontier Program sponsored by MITI “Research andDevelopment of Micromachine Technology” that has
been carried out as a 10-year plan.
Businesses involved in micromachine R&D demonstrated their technologies, equipment and products at
the exhibition, universities and research institutes announced their research results, and newcomers seized
the opportunity to launch their new products and technologies.

Memoirs
Iwao Fujimasa
Professor, National Graduate Institutefor Policy Studies (GRIPS)
It happened in the summer of 1988, which is still vivid in
my memory. At the committee sponsored by MITI, I told
Naomasa Nakajima, professor of the University of Tokyo, who
was sitting next to me, that I was wrestling with the difficulty of miniaturizing an artificial heart for inplanting in the
body and that miniature parts would be required in the medical field in the future. He agreed with me on the necessity ofminiature mechanical parts in the industrial field as well in
the future. At that time, many of the researchers who joined
me in the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology (RCAST) of The University of Tokyo were showing aninterest in this subject, and a preliminary meeting was proposed by way of forgetting the summer heat on August 26
when the summer vacation ends. In addition to the above
members of the RCAST, Hiroshi Imachi, assistant professorof the medical department, specializing in biomedical materials, Hiroshi Matsumoto, guest professor specializing in tissue engineering, and Eiichi Tamiya, assistant professor specializing in biosensors, also attended the meeting. It was decided then to start up the first society for research in the fieldof RCAST’s biomedical devices on October 11. In the photograph taken at the first meeting, now on hand, Yasuhiro
Shiroki, professor specializing in the manufacture of semiconductor elements, Masao Karube, professor of biosensor
division, Kazuhiko Atsumi, professor of the medical department, Hiroyuki Fujita, professor of the Institute of Industrial Science, and professor Yotaro Hatamura and assistantprofessor Michitaka Hirose of the engineering department,in addition to the above members are lined up. The topic thenturned to naming the research society. Finally, the name“Micromachine Research Society” was adopted.

Exhibition full of inspectors from Japan and abroad
The exhibition was televised and the micromachine
exhibition was televised on the “Super News” by Fuji
Television on the evening of October 27 and “World Business Satellite” on Television Tokyo.
Visitors totaled about 3,600 over the three days nevertheless a heavy thunderstorm in the afternoon of thefirst day. With many sparing much time to observe exhibits and asking questions to the staff, the place wascrowded and filled with excitement. The results of thequestionnaires given at the end of the exhibition showshigh evaluation gained from the exhibitors also and 83%
of exhibitors wishes to exhibit next year.

The first micromachine exhibition was held at the Machinery Promotion Hall in Shiba Park, Minato-ku, in March
1990. Thanks to MITI’s decision to start up a micromachine
project in the National Research and Development Program
along with the co sponsorship of the Japan Industrial Robot
Association, the first exhibition was attended by a reasonable number of companies and research institutes.
The second micromachine exhibition was held jointly with
MEMS (Miniature Electric Machine System) Workshop, sponsored by IEEE and held for the first time in Japan, at the
public hall, Big Roof, in Nara City, on January 30 throughFebruary 2, 1991. It was from that year that MESAGO Japan organized and managed subsequent exhibitions. Partly
because the micromachine project in the National Researchand Development Program was started that year, many participants in line with the efforts of Messrs. Fujita and Esashi,
contributed a great deal to creating a magnificent symposium and exhibition. Since the 4th micromachine exhibition
held in 1993, the micromachine symposium and exhibitioncame to be held together at the Scientific Museum in
KitanoMaru Park, Tokyo as we see now. Both themicromachine symposium and exhibition were held every
spring until 1994 under the sponsorship of the Micromachine
Center and the Micromachine Research Society. Since 1995
when the micromachine symposium became the International
Micromachine Symposium, the micomachine exhibition has
come to be held in October every year up to the present.
The Japanese economy has been depressed for some time
during which period the micromachine project has been inprogress. Fortunately, however, the micromachine exhibition
continued to expand in scale year after year and it has now
become the world’s largest micromachine show. As one of themembers who planned the exhibition for the first time thisgives me great satisfaction. I would like to applaud the participants from the research institutes and companies who havebrought the exhibition up to this level and those concernedin the management of the exhibition.

19

Research on Basic Micromachine Technology
for Fiscal Year 1998 (Part II)
Since 1992, the Micromachine Center has taken up a various seeds of technology as themes for joint
research by academic, government, and industrial sectors, aiming to reinforce basic technologies by searching fortechnology seeds, especially in the scientific and technological fields, that are necessary to build various microsystems. In fiscal 1998, research has been carried out on nine themes. Continuing from the last issue, the remaining four themes are summarized below.

Research on Processing, Integration, Connection, andAssembly Techniques for the Realization of High-level
Mikio Horie
Complex Structures
Professor, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Engineering/
Precision and Intelligence Laboratory, Tokyo Institute of Technology
The investigative study group carried out an investigative
study of the following four themes under the captioned subject:
1) Investigative study of a micromachine mechanism usinglarge-deflective elastic hinges
2) Investigative study of a microactuator using large-deflective elastic hinges
3) Investigative study of the formation of a three-dimensional
structure by anisotropic etching of silicon crystals
4) Investigative study of the manufacture of a three-dimensional micromechanism by bending a plane
The above themes are related to the techniques of processing, integration, connection, and assembly for the realizationof characteristic high-level structures, respectively:1), 2) A technique to enable the elements in the substrate (thinfilm) to realize movement of more than two dimensions
with the actuator in the substrate3) A technique of forming a thick structure4) A technique of assembling thin films into a three-dimensional structure
In the “Investigative study of a micromechanism usinglarge-deflective elastic hinges” (by Mikio Horie, Professor ofboth Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Engineering andPrecision and Intelligence Laboratory, Tokyo Institute of Technology), the investigative study of a kinetic three-dimensional
structure was carried out, proposing a mechanism composedof large-deflective elastic hinges, with the pair parts in a 2degree-of-freedom 5-link PRRRP mechanism (P: Prismatic pair;
R: Revolute pair) replaced with hinges, on the basis of overall
numbers relative to a microsize three-dimensional motion convert mechanism. On the basis of the proposed mechanism, displacement and force characteristics of the microsize mechanism have been clarified theoretically, and then the process ofmanufacturing a three-dimensional motion convert mechanismwith the semiconductor fine processing technique, and themicrosize mechanism (a micromechanism) manufactured by
the foregoing process are indicated. At the same time, the trends
in this field were investigated in the international convention
held only recently (KACC’98, Japan-France Mechatronics International Convention 98, SPIE ’98).
In the “Investigative study of a microactuator using a20

largely deformed elastic hinge” (by Daiki Kamiya, a Research
Associate of Precision and Intelligence Laboratory, Tokyo Institute of Technology), the presentation of the process of manufacturing, trial manufacture, and experiment of a metal filmcovered plastic comb-drive electrostatic actuator were carriedout to clarify the property of driving the comb-drive actuator.
This study was conducted in conjunction with a trend investigation (MST-98).
In the “Investigative study of the formation of a three-dimensional structure by the anisotropic etching of silicon crystals” (by Kazuo Sato, Professor of Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University), the properties of anisotropic etching of silicon crystals were measured for evaluation under widerange conditions with the kind, concentration, and temperature of an etching solution preset as parameters, and the new
possibility of three-dimensional structure processing of monocrystalline silicon was discussed. A trend investigation was also
carried out at the same time (Transducers-97, MEMS-97, Workshop (Physical Chemistry of Wet Chemical Etching of Silicon(1998)), MEMS-98 and MEMS-99)).
In the “Investigative study of the manufacture of a threedimensional micromechanism by bending a plane” (byMasaharu Takeuchi, Researcher of Shimoyama-Lab.(Mechanoinformatics), Graduate School of Engineering, The Universityof Tokyo), a report was made on the trial of manufacturing aself-assembling three-dimensional structure using the following: the technique of assembling a three-dimensional closedloop structure as if folding a plain folding paper, the trial utilizing the Lorentz force used for assembly, and the thermal
distortion caused by polyimide soldering.
A high-level complex structure should be realized as themeans of realizing a micromachine with excellent functions.
This will accelerate the compounding of entirely different manufacturing process techniques, such as techniques of compounding a multilayered structure itself, and combining of the thinfilm technique for the manufacture of extremely small functional elements and high-density electronic circuits and the
LIGA process technique suitable for the manufacture of a thickstructure.

Research on Functional Systems
Utilizing Micronization Effects
Nobuo Ohmae
Professor, Faculty of Engineering,
Kobe University
Microtribology can be considered to end up in socalled atomic manipulation, that is, to manipulate atoms one by one. In fact, the report by Eigler et al. ofIBM, lettered atoms under a scanning tunneling microscope came as a major surprise to us. In this analytical
study, the author investigated how two physical phenomena are interrelated with the origin of microtribology. The two physical phenomena are 1) a micronization
effect, that is, to cut down a solid substance into thesmallest possible particles, and 2) a proximity field*,that is, to bring two surfaces as close together as possible.
A giant step can be made toward the solution of the
problem of micromachine tribology if the movement of
atoms can lead to the transport of a cluster or a slightly
larger meso-size object. The author then investigatedexamples of research on atomic manipulation by scanning probe microscopy (SPM) to study the research direction with which to understand the above mechanismon the basis of those examples. This study revealed thatthe experiment of atomic manipulation was successful
only when STM was used and that, strangely, almost
no experiment was successful when the atomic force microscope (AFM) was used except for the handling of superfine particles. One may readily expect that cluster
manipulation can be finely achieved if a tip can carryan object atom (or vice versa) after attracting it by intermolecular action. Undoubtedly the difference in principle between STM and AFM lies in a tunneling phenomenon and an interatomic force. Particularly, in thecase of STM, an electric field works as a bias between a
tip and a sample. Accordingly, the fact that an electricfield works may be considered to be a determining factor in atomic manipulation.
The emission of interstitial Si (an electric field of
107 V/m), the field emission of electrons (108-9 V/m), andfield evaporation (1010 V/m) are well known surface phenomena. As described above, it is highly likely thatatomic manipulation is fundamentally the result of avery minute evaporation in an electric field under its
influence. In other words, atomic manipulation using
the STM is summarized as the following two cases: one
is to manipulate substrate atoms or adsorbed atoms bychanging the electric field in pulse modulation (samplebias), while the other is to induce interaction by narrowing a spacing between a chip and a sample thus toreduce tunnel resistance (breakdown of substrate atoms or movement of adsorbed atoms). It therefore follows that, since the potential barrier is significantly

narrowed when two surfaces are brought closer (to eachother) under the influence of the electric field, the tunneling phenomenon of atoms is activated to such an extent that the desorption and recombination between theatoms on top of the surfaces are very likely to occur.
Again, when observing the atomic structure of Si under
the field ion microscope (FIM), we can see atoms change
their positions on the (111)-plane terrace independentof a large-scale field evaporation. Such atom movement
accompanies a change in the local electric field, which
can be accounted for the surface reconstruction** byadatoms. It appears likely that atoms move frequently
under the influence of the electric field.
Based on the analytical findings as described above,it is apparent that the mechanisms of micronization andthe proximity field should be analyzed further into thephysical properties of electrons on the surface. This
prompted the author to carry out computer simulation
with a group of programs (BB-BV) for energy optimization relative to the positions of atoms by the band calculation based on plane-wave with an ultrasoftpseudopotential applied. The findings derived revealed
that the local density of states of atoms is present slightly
above the Fermi level due to the adsorption of oxygen,point defects, and atomic steps. On the actual surface
with the discontinuity of a cluster or a domain structure, a tunnel phenomenon is highly likely to occur froma level close to the vacuum level as described above.
Not only the analysis based on electronic characteristics, but also the study of molecular dynamics is required. Although the study of molecular dynamics was
also continued in this investigative study, a guideline
has been established that the physical properties of surface electrons should be prescribed beforehand so thata correct potential can be structured. However, by adding a heterogeneous structure to a material and after
full metallurgical relaxation, it is estimated from molecular dynamics to be the extent of 10 nm what distance the heterogeneous structure influences on its elastic constant. In other words, unless a material is reduced
to below 10 nm, the peculiarity of its surface or interface cannot be recognized. This differs greatly fromatomic manipulation, suggesting the necessity of constructing the above-described physical model.
* The concept of a proximity field is based on the terminology by Naotake Ohyama, Mechanical Engineering Laboratory.
** Research findings unpublished.

21

Investigative Study of Stimulus-response
Functions of Organisms and their Application
Ryohei Kanzaki
to Micromachines
Associate Professor, Institute of Biological Sciences,
University of Tsukuba
Plants do not appear to move. In some cases, however, their movement against various external stimuli
is so distinctive that it can be observed with the naked
eye. A mimosa and an insectivorous plant move as fast
as contractions of the skeletal muscle system. However,
the mechanisms of the movement of the former is basedon physical turgor pressure, a movement mechanism
entirely different from that of the skeletal muscle system which uses contractive protein. This is called a
Nastic Reaction, indicating that a plant moves reactively
independent of the direction of external stimuli. On theother hand, plants also show a tropism constantly related to the source of stimulation, for example, by growing toward a brighter direction in search of the sunlightor curving upward on toppling sideways by sensing gravity. This tropism stems from a difference in the partial
growth capacity of plants.
A plant moves not only macroscopically as describedabove, but also microscopically on a cell level. Protoplasmic streaming is one of the intercelluar organella,
and is indispensable to the transport of material. This
flow is caused by the actin-myosin system as in muscles.
In addition, plants breathe through minute openings
on their leaves, called stoma. The stoma open and close
in response to the external environment, with this controlled by the turgor-pressure movement of the cells
around it.
In this investigative study, emphasis was placed on
the macro- and micro-scopic movements of a plant inresponse to changes in the external environment, including (1) a protoplasmic streaming, (2) a nastic reaction (turgor-pressure and growth movements), (3) the
opening and closing of a stoma, and (4) a tropism.
The mechanisms of generating a force by the actinmyosin system, a minute system contributing to theprotoplasmic streaming, is basically the same as thatby the actin-myosin system involved in muscle contraction. However, a change in part of the functions of myosin molecules has led to a difference in the intercellular
structure. This resulted in a protoplasmic streaming andmuscle contraction, movements that are entirely different from each other. It appears that in the initial stageof evolution they had similar functions, but that in theprocess of evolution, they acquired functions suitable
for their respective living forms. In animals, calcium
activates the actin-myosin system, whereas, in plants,
it retards protoplasmic streaming. This may be a resultof the same causes. The myosin involved in the protoplasmic streaming of chara has been found to move much
faster than the myosins of all animals and plants, a characteristic phenomenon that should not be overlooked

22

when applying the mechanisms of sliding of the actinmyosin system to micromachines.
Protoplasmic streaming is caused principally by two
functional elements, actin and myosin. On the other
hand, however, a nastic property, stoma opening, and atropism can be realized only when many proteins work
cooperatively as functional elements.
Turgor pressure is generated by the presence of cell
walls, one of the phenomena peculiar to plants. The turgor pressure is important for plant cells for maintaining their forms and for growth. A reduction in turgorpressure in part of the tissue cells not only results inplant movement but also in stoma opening. For example,
a mimosa moves as fast as skeletal muscles. In bothcases, however, their movement is based on different
respective mechanisms of force generation.
Recent studies in the field of membrane biology are
revealing that many transport molecules are common
to animals and plants. It will be a major future task toclarify what kind of network these molecules actuallyform, and, in addition, how minute structures composedof protein are related with each other for the setting upof the stimulus-response system of a plant.

A catchfly (top) and aldrovanda (bottom). Both of them
have similar insect-catching leaves.

Investigative Study of the Miniaturization of Chemical
and Biochemical Analyses/Synthetic Systems and PhysiShojicochemical Reaction Systems Professor, School of Science andShuichi
Engineering,
Waseda University
In the investigative study carried out last year concerning chemical analysis and sensor technologies(µTAS), the author investigated the trends of miniaturization of a chemical analysis system. The research inthis field is increasingly expanding, particularly in Europe and the U.S., with over 150 research works published in the 3rd Micro Total Analysis System Workshop, held in October, 1998 in Banff, Canada, in which
there were 400 participants, double the number at theprevious meeting. Furthermore, the number of researchworks published is also increasing in micromachine-related international conferences and meetings. This induces us to believe that the research toward the commercialization of µTAS is progressing at a faster rate.
µTAS can broadly be divided into two categories: one
is so-called MEMS (Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems)with a mechanical fluid control mechanism, as in
micropumps and microvalves, the research on which has
been carried out principally in Europe, while the otheris of a chip capillary electrophoresis type, utilizing a nonmechanical fluid control mechanism based on electroendosmosis, chiefly being developed in Canada and the
U.S. Both of them belong to a flow type system in which
a series of operations consisting of mixing/reaction-separation, and detection is carried out continuously in a
microchannel. On the other hand, another branch ofresearch on a batch-type system is also under way, inwhich a series of reactions and analyses is carried out
in micro chambers formed in a matrix state by micromachine technology.
This time, the author investigated the progress ofchemical and biochemical analysis with emphasis placedon the theses published in related international conferences and meetings held in 1998. The examples reported
to date were also investigated in terms of chemical andbiochemical syntheses and physicochemical reactions.
First, microfluidics and its applied devices were described as important system elements, along with thetechnique of fabricating a microsystem in terms of theapplication of the micromachine technologies. Next, theapplication to the bio field and examples of the application to chemical and biochemical synthetic reactions
were introduced. In addition, the microphysicochemical
reaction system reported recently was described.
As the research on microfluidics is indispensable tothe development of a flow-type system, it is being carried out continuously. In this research, the micro capillary electrophoresis chip research that takes advantage
of electrokinetic phenomena, including electrophoresisand electroendosmosis is conducted extensively, in linewith the development of the CAD for microfluidic analy-

sis as a design-aid tool. The research on the conventional mechanical microvalves and micropumps is focused on commercialization. However, a new trial on
flow control compatible with the miniaturized system
is also reported. A technology of fabricating a microsystem is under investigation with the method of fabricating a microchannel as the main focus of the research,
along with propositions on the respective methods offabricating silicon, glass, plastic, and metal materials.
Various techniques of manufacturing the systems forevery element is also under development. As one of thecurrent trends, the number of reports on the fabrication of plastic elements by injection molding for cost
reduction is increasing, indicating a transition to commercially conscious research. The research on an analytical system in Canada and the U.S. is clearly purpose-oriented. The research focused on the application
to biochemical research mainly around DNA analysis,
is actively in progress, particularly in the fields related
to the full-fledged applications of capillary electrophoretic chips and DNA chips. An optical method using
fluorescence is principally used for detection. Recently,
biomolecules, larger in molecular weight, have come tobe bioassayed, including enzymes, proteomes, antigens,and antibodies, accompanied by an increase in the number of high-resolution mass spectrometers used as detectors.
Also expanding is the research on miniaturizationof reactors for chemical and biochemical reactions. According to reports, biochemical synthetic systems areavailable: one for the synthesis of DNA as in PCR, andthe other for the biochemical reaction of polymers, suchas proteins. A batch-type system with micro reactors
arrayed and a flow-type system utilizing a continuous
flow in a microchannel have been developed, both ofwhich are aiming at realizing the improvement of efficiency in synthetic reaction. Only a few examples of
microsystems for physicochemical reactions are available. However, the microsystems have succeeded in precise reaction control by integrating the sensors of flow,
temperature, etc. as well as by miniaturizing a reactor.
One of their merits is particularly noteworthy in thatminiaturization has enabled reactions accompanied bya sudden change in volume to be carried out in complete safety, particularly reactions which carry the riskof explosion. The research theses published in Japanare fewer than those in Europe and the U.S. However,in view of the widening interest by those concerned inthis field, we can expect fruitful research to be produced
by utilizing the high technological capabilities of thiscountry.

23

Yaskawa Electric
Corp.
1. Tackling Micromachine Technology
In modern life, we are surrounded by many hightech items, including automobiles, computers, and cellular phones. Japan is distinguished in mass-producing
those items and distributing them throughout the world.
This is supported by the concept of mechatronics, a fusion of machinery with electronics. This concept was
proposed by the company in 1969, and remained registered as the company’s trademark until 1982. A robot isrepresentative of the company’s products. However, thecompany continued to experiment with a “Supermechatronics” project that evolved from this concept
until it succeeded in developing a vacuum robot in 1987,
the first such product in the world. It is producing items
related to semiconductor manufacturing devices, suchas a clean vacuum robot and a composite carrier system. A servo actuator adopts the role of the heart forthese devices. We are being confronted with various issues, from preventing environmental pollution, securing energy resources, and coping with a highly advanced
information society. However, the writer is confident thatthe micromachine technology will serve as a breakthrough in solving these problems. The company is also
hoping to contribute to solving those problems by positively developing micro-servo-actuators and systematization techniques.
2. Development of Micromachine Technology
In the “Micromachine Technology Research and Development” Project, the company is taking part in the
research and development of a desktop-size “microfactory” that integrates devices for carrying out many processes, including processing, handing, assembly, andinspection. In the research and development of its systemization technology, the company is developing aninspection unit and an assembly stage for observing andinspecting the states of processing and assembling
microparts, such as a gear train, and a micro-servo-actuator that drives the aforementioned devices.
An actuator is required to transfer an environmentrecognition device and a rotary table at speed to a preset position and position them with a high degree of
10 mm
Servo
sensor
Motor
Reductiongear

Fig. 1 Micro-servo-actuator

24

Tadashi Sumimoto
Director
Basic Research Laboratories

precision. This necessitates not only a small size and ahigh torque, but also a servo function to enable highprecision positioning and high-speed control. At present,
AC servo actuators, 5 mm and 10 mm in outside diameter, the smallest in the world, are under development.
In addition, an inspection unit and an assembly stage
were mounted on the first prototype of the microfactory
to carry out functional evaluation. It was thereby confirmed that the inspection unit enabled a full inspection picture to be obtained with a positioning resolutionof below 2 µm and that the assembly unit enabled highprecision positioning with a resolution of less than 0.09º
and constant-speed rotation. In fiscal 2000, the last fiscal year of this project, the company plans to enhance
the performance of the micro-servo-actuator by optimizing a motor structure, improving the resolution of a servo
sensor, and optimizing a control alogorithm as well as
miniaturizing and improving the efficiency of an inspection unit and an assembly stage.
Micro-servo-actuator

Verticalstage
Horizontal
stage

Environment-recognition device
Fig. 2 Inspection unit, developed in conjunction with
Mitsubishi Cable Industries, Ltd.
3. Future plans
The super-micro-actuator developed in this projectis equipped with the servo function for controlling speed
and positioning freely. Accordingly, it is expected to contribute to miniaturizing and rendering intelligent theexisting products, such as FA, OA, and information devices and medical equipment, as well as to expand its
applications over a wide range as a key device in a micromachine manufacturing equipment system. In the
future, the company will try to realize a micro-servoactuator, to make it more efficient, more reliable, andcheaper.

Yokogawa Electric
Corporation
1. Tackling Micromachine Technology
As technology undergoes drastic changes in response tosocial needs the company has so far promoted the qualitative
evolution of its technological field comprising “measurement,
control, and information”. With the advance in information andcommunication technology, society is oriented toward constructing a network as a core basis of the social system. The company is going ahead with the project of technology development with “Field contents on the web”, a new technology thatenables real-time valuable information to be offered via a network, as a new technological concept.
The company is carrying out the research, development
and commercialization of micromachine technology as an elemental technology of “Field contents on the web” alongside
the above policy.
2. Development of Micromachine Technology
In the Industrial Science and Technology Frontier Program,the research and development of the following instrumentation technologies is under way as common basic technologies
required for realizing micromachines.
2.1 Development of Shape and Size Measuring Technology
The shape and size measuring technology enables the elimination of the influences of fading and scattered light on thebasis of the principle of a confocal microscope, so that noncontact high-speed, high-precision measurement can be madeof three-dimensional shapes or high-speed motions of
micromachines or important parts. It aims at responding to
the needs of research and development, and evaluation andstandardization of parts. High speed has been achieved by using multibeams for (Nipkow disk) of a confocal microscope. In
addition, an optical unit, with a wide field of vision, provided
with a large numerical aperture, has been developed by enlarging and optimizing lenses and the light-receiving part. A
technology has also been developed which measures a threedimensional shape and size with a measuring time of 1 msec/
picture and a measuring range of 10 mm.

Mamoru Sanagi
Senior Vice President, General Manager ofCorporation Technology Development andGeneral Manager of Corporate R&D Center
MEMS technology to a sensor probe. This technology is basedon a principle in which a force or a torque for measurement isconverted to a strain resistance formed on the beam of a sensor probe with a tip diameter of 10 µm. A minute and local
force/torque can be measured over a wide range of 1 µm anddynamic range of 1000.

Fig. 2 Micro force probe
2.3 Development of micro-infrared-analyzer
A micro-infrared-analyzer is under development that is tobe applied to the detection of inner-tube foreign matter. This
analyzer, of less than 1 cm3 in volume, requires no coolingmechanism. An enlarged model was manufactured on a trial
basis, equipped with a wavelength filter with no movable parts,
in which transmitting wavelength characteristics differ according to the position, an IR detection element made of microprocessed silicon, and an IR source. This prototype demonstrated that the density of standard CO2 gas can be measured
with a resolution of 100 ppm when a light pass is 45 mm long.
It is very likely that a target size of below 1 cm3 in inner-tube
analysis can be achieved.
Infrared detector
Electrode

ElectrodeFig. 1 Relief images of a coin with a conventional microscope (left) and the developed wide field of vision(right)2.2 Development of force/torque measuring technology
A technology has been developed which measures a micro
actuator-produced force/torque of below 1 mN, which cannot
be measured by any commercially available devices, a technology realized by applying the company’s semiconductor sensor/

Fig. 3 Silicon infrared detector
3. Future Plans
In the midst of the situation in which society and technologies are rapidly changing toward the 21st century, the company will proceed with the development and commercialization of micromachine technology giving priority to the development of the technologies necessary for differentiation of its
business after ascertaining its marching direction.

25

Yaskawa Electric
Corp.
1. Tackling Micromachine Technology
In modern life, we are surrounded by many hightech items, including automobiles, computers, and cellular phones. Japan is distinguished in mass-producing
those items and distributing them throughout the world.
This is supported by the concept of mechatronics, a fusion of machinery with electronics. This concept was
proposed by the company in 1969, and remained registered as the company’s trademark until 1982. A robot isrepresentative of the company’s products. However, thecompany continued to experiment with a “Supermechatronics” project that evolved from this concept
until it succeeded in developing a vacuum robot in 1987,
the first such product in the world. It is producing items
related to semiconductor manufacturing devices, suchas a clean vacuum robot and a composite carrier system. A servo actuator adopts the role of the heart forthese devices. We are being confronted with various issues, from preventing environmental pollution, securing energy resources, and coping with a highly advanced
information society. However, the writer is confident thatthe micromachine technology will serve as a breakthrough in solving these problems. The company is also
hoping to contribute to solving those problems by positively developing micro-servo-actuators and systematization techniques.
2. Development of Micromachine Technology
In the “Micromachine Technology Research and Development” Project, the company is taking part in the
research and development of a desktop-size “microfactory” that integrates devices for carrying out many processes, including processing, handing, assembly, andinspection. In the research and development of its systemization technology, the company is developing aninspection unit and an assembly stage for observing andinspecting the states of processing and assembling
microparts, such as a gear train, and a micro-servo-actuator that drives the aforementioned devices.
An actuator is required to transfer an environmentrecognition device and a rotary table at speed to a preset position and position them with a high degree of
10 mm
Servo
sensor
Motor
Reductiongear

Fig. 1 Micro-servo-actuator

24

Tadashi Sumimoto
Director
Basic Research Laboratories

precision. This necessitates not only a small size and ahigh torque, but also a servo function to enable highprecision positioning and high-speed control. At present,
AC servo actuators, 5 mm and 10 mm in outside diameter, the smallest in the world, are under development.
In addition, an inspection unit and an assembly stage
were mounted on the first prototype of the microfactory
to carry out functional evaluation. It was thereby confirmed that the inspection unit enabled a full inspection picture to be obtained with a positioning resolutionof below 2 µm and that the assembly unit enabled highprecision positioning with a resolution of less than 0.09º
and constant-speed rotation. In fiscal 2000, the last fiscal year of this project, the company plans to enhance
the performance of the micro-servo-actuator by optimizing a motor structure, improving the resolution of a servo
sensor, and optimizing a control alogorithm as well as
miniaturizing and improving the efficiency of an inspection unit and an assembly stage.
Micro-servo-actuator

Verticalstage
Horizontal
stage

Environment-recognition device
Fig. 2 Inspection unit, developed in conjunction with
Mitsubishi Cable Industries, Ltd.
3. Future plans
The super-micro-actuator developed in this projectis equipped with the servo function for controlling speed
and positioning freely. Accordingly, it is expected to contribute to miniaturizing and rendering intelligent theexisting products, such as FA, OA, and information devices and medical equipment, as well as to expand its
applications over a wide range as a key device in a micromachine manufacturing equipment system. In the
future, the company will try to realize a micro-servoactuator, to make it more efficient, more reliable, andcheaper.

Yokogawa Electric
Corporation
1. Tackling Micromachine Technology
As technology undergoes drastic changes in response tosocial needs the company has so far promoted the qualitative
evolution of its technological field comprising “measurement,
control, and information”. With the advance in information andcommunication technology, society is oriented toward constructing a network as a core basis of the social system. The company is going ahead with the project of technology development with “Field contents on the web”, a new technology thatenables real-time valuable information to be offered via a network, as a new technological concept.
The company is carrying out the research, development
and commercialization of micromachine technology as an elemental technology of “Field contents on the web” alongside
the above policy.
2. Development of Micromachine Technology
In the Industrial Science and Technology Frontier Program,the research and development of the following instrumentation technologies is under way as common basic technologies
required for realizing micromachines.
2.1 Development of Shape and Size Measuring Technology
The shape and size measuring technology enables the elimination of the influences of fading and scattered light on thebasis of the principle of a confocal microscope, so that noncontact high-speed, high-precision measurement can be madeof three-dimensional shapes or high-speed motions of
micromachines or important parts. It aims at responding to
the needs of research and development, and evaluation andstandardization of parts. High speed has been achieved by using multibeams for (Nipkow disk) of a confocal microscope. In
addition, an optical unit, with a wide field of vision, provided
with a large numerical aperture, has been developed by enlarging and optimizing lenses and the light-receiving part. A
technology has also been developed which measures a threedimensional shape and size with a measuring time of 1 msec/
picture and a measuring range of 10 mm.

Mamoru Sanagi
Senior Vice President, General Manager ofCorporation Technology Development andGeneral Manager of Corporate R&D Center
MEMS technology to a sensor probe. This technology is basedon a principle in which a force or a torque for measurement isconverted to a strain resistance formed on the beam of a sensor probe with a tip diameter of 10 µm. A minute and local
force/torque can be measured over a wide range of 1 µm anddynamic range of 1000.

Fig. 2 Micro force probe
2.3 Development of micro-infrared-analyzer
A micro-infrared-analyzer is under development that is tobe applied to the detection of inner-tube foreign matter. This
analyzer, of less than 1 cm3 in volume, requires no coolingmechanism. An enlarged model was manufactured on a trial
basis, equipped with a wavelength filter with no movable parts,
in which transmitting wavelength characteristics differ according to the position, an IR detection element made of microprocessed silicon, and an IR source. This prototype demonstrated that the density of standard CO2 gas can be measured
with a resolution of 100 ppm when a light pass is 45 mm long.
It is very likely that a target size of below 1 cm3 in inner-tube
analysis can be achieved.
Infrared detector
Electrode

ElectrodeFig. 1 Relief images of a coin with a conventional microscope (left) and the developed wide field of vision(right)2.2 Development of force/torque measuring technology
A technology has been developed which measures a micro
actuator-produced force/torque of below 1 mN, which cannot
be measured by any commercially available devices, a technology realized by applying the company’s semiconductor sensor/

Fig. 3 Silicon infrared detector
3. Future Plans
In the midst of the situation in which society and technologies are rapidly changing toward the 21st century, the company will proceed with the development and commercialization of micromachine technology giving priority to the development of the technologies necessary for differentiation of its
business after ascertaining its marching direction.

25

Report on the Application of
Micromachine Technology Overseas

26

To investigate how micromachine technology isapplied in Europe, three persons: Tadashi Hattori,
general manager, and Yuji Iwata, manager, of the Information Department of MMC, and Jun Shinohara,
Seiko Instruments Inc., visited the following places
between September 26 and October 2.
1) Twente Micro Products, University of Twente
MESA - Enschede, The Netherlands
2) Ecole Polytechnique Federale Lausanne (EPFL)
and Medtronic Europe S.A. (in the suburbs of
Lausanne) - Lausanne, Switzerland
3) Micro Engineering 99 - Stuttgart, Germany
Dr. Job Elders, a committee member of SEMI andpresident of Twente Micro Products, whom we visited first, is greatly concerned about the road map
and its economic effects. It was therefore possible tohave a significant exchange of views. This company
is a venture business established in 1995 with thesupport of MESA at Twente University, and actively
involved mostly in the commercialization of MESAdeveloped techniques along with the development of
MST sensors in collaboration with Phillips.
Next we visited Professor Albert van den Berg at
the University of Twente MESA, who explained tous the R & D being conducted by MEMS and MST,
that is now under way at MESA. He specializes in
TAS, on which subject, he says, a international conference is to be held at his university in May 2000.
MESA, with an experiment area for enterprises provided in the vicinity, is jointly tackling R & D withthe enterprises with a strong intention of industrialization.
We visited Professor Hannes Bleuler at Ecole
Polytechnique Federate Lousanne (EPFL), and wereshown into a three-layer structured clean room for
MEMS which came into operation this year. We werealso given an explanation of the research of the mag-netic bearings for HDD - Prof. Bleuler’s theme - andthe simulator of intra-abdominal surgery by his assistant in charge. According to him, about 40% of theuniversity’s research budget is collected from joint
research or R & D projects with external organizations, and some 30 companies are cooperating withthe university’s micro-engineering in order to boost
R & D in this field.
At Medtronics Europe S.A., Mr. Dominique
Glauser, in charge of the Manufacturing Department,
showed us around his factory. This company is a
medical equipment manufacturer with its head office and research institute in Minneapolis, U.S.A. Its
factory in the suburbs of Lausanne, which we visited
this time, is manufacturing pacemakers, accountingfor 56% of the world market. This pacemaker is priced
at 2,000 ~ 5,000 DM, and lasts for 5 to 10 years depending on the capacity of its battery. Because it isburied in the body, strict quality controls are applied
to its manufacture. Its assembly process is not automated, with most of the processes being carried out
manually. Since a battery occupies half the pacemaker, its miniaturization and performance improvement will become vital in the future.
Lastly, we attended the exhibition of Micro Engineering 99 held at Messe Stuttgart International,
with most of the exhibits from German venture businesses, numbering about 40 in total. We were initially attracted by a venture business established by
IMM Research Institute, LIGA gears, mini-motors,
mini-sensors and so on.
On display were a laser microscope with a large
depth of focus, a gas flow sensor driven by heat flow,a piezoelectric micro-valve, a micro-reactor, a micromotor, and processing techniques. The people incharge of the development of those devices were seen
earnestly exchanging views with attendants.

At Prof. Bleuler’s room in EPFL

ME99 site scene

Micromachine Seminar in USA
On November 12 (Friday), 1999, a seminar,“Micromachines and Microtechnology; Bio-medical and Industrial Prospects”, was held in Cleveland, USA. Micromachine Center has held overseas seminars mainly in Europe to provide information from Japan, collect overseas information,and exchange information. This was the first seminar to be held in the USA. The seminar was planned and implemented with two major themes, biomedical and industrial applications, under thejoint auspices of the Micromachine Center, Japan
External Trade Organization (JETRO) Chicago
Office, and Case Western Reserve University. The
speakers and themes are described below.
“The Future Prospects of Micromachines”
T. Hirano, Micromachine Center“MEMS Activities in the Midwest Region”
M. Mehregany, Case Western Reserve Univ.
“The Microfactory”
T. Ataka, Seiko Instruments“In-Pipe Wireless Microbots”
N. Kawahara, DENSO CORP.
“Multiple Distributed Micromachine System”
M. Takeda, Mitsubishi Electric Corp.
“Laser Micro Processing for Micro Photovoltaic Devices and Systems”
T. Sakakibara, Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
“Medical Applications of Micromachines”
H. Mizuno, Olympus Optical Co., Ltd.
“Bio MEMS Electrochemical Immunoassay”
W. R. Heineman, University of Cincinnati“Micro Technology for MIS [Minimal Invasive Surgery] Devices”
T. Kudoh, Terumo Corp.
“Silicon Based Chemical Sensing Micro
Systems”
E. Zdankiewicz, Micromechanical Systems Inc.
“New Transducer for Ultrasonic Diagnosis
Using X-Ray-Deep Lithography”
Y. Hirata, Sumitomo Electric Industries“MEMS and Wireless Communications”
D. Young, Case Western Reserve University
The seminar was very successful, receiving
about 90 participants from around Ohio. The results of the questionnaires regarding evaluationon the seminar show high evaluation of follows;
excellent:47.5%, very good: 48.8%. In particular,
the presentation of the actual result of the ISTF
Program provided by the Japan side attracted
much interest.

Before the seminar, we visited related researchorganizations in the USA and Canada for exchange
of information and industry exchange. The organizations that were visited and the outline aredescribed below.
(1)Alberta Microelectronic Corporation
Edmonton, Canada, November 8 (Monday)
This company became independent from theAlberta University and is actively promoting commercialization of µ fluidics devices.
(2)Laboratories of National Research Council
Ottawa, Canada, November 10 (Wednesday)
This is a national research organization in
Canada. There were also many participants fromcompanies.
In both Alberta and Ottawa, officers of the state
and Canadian governments participated, showing
strong intentions to commercialize applications inµ fluidics and communication.
(3)Cleveland Clinic Foundation
Cleveland, November 11 (Thursday)
This top-class hospital in the USA is engaged
in the latest research and clinical medicine. We
received explanations of artificial heart and ultrasound vascular endoscope. It gave us an impression of a perfectly organized cooperative system
between the medical and the technical systems.
In this visit, we had a strong impression of how
enthusiastically both USA and Canada are tackling application of MEMS technology to telecommunications and µ fluidics for biomedical uses.

Seminar in Cleveland27

Recent technological developments – micromachine-related patent classification has
Takayuki Kanzaki
been released
Patent Examiner, Production Machinery Division,
The Third Examination Department, Japanese Patent Office,Ministry of International Trade and Industry
1. New Institution of Micromachine-related
Patent Classification
It has been decided that, on and after January 1,
2000, the micromachine-related classification, “MicroStructural Technology; Nanotechnology” is to be newly
instituted in the international patent classification(IPC), and applied to the countries concerned, including the U.S. and Europe. To cope with this situation,
the Patent Office has started using this micromachinerelated classification for the classification of Japan’s laid
open patents and patented inventions. The production
machinery division will be responsible for the examination of this classification hereafter.
It has at long last been decided that this classification be carried into effect, after a series of active discussions by a working group consisting of patent specialists in respective countries around the world, mainly
the U.S. and Europe, in the World Intellectual Property
Organization (WIPO), which have been taking placesince around 1996.
2. Summary of Micromachine-related PatentClassification
Micromachines are defined in this classification as
machines whose technical characteristics can be observed only under optical microscopes or whose characteristic size is in the order of submillimeters to submicrons. Furthermore, the structure on an atomic/molecular level is specifically distinguished from other micromachine technologies as a nanotechnology. Since it isessential for micromachine-related inventions to provethat the micromachines in question can be manufactured, micromachines and their manufacturing methods are classified in parallel.
Shown in the diagram below is the relationship between the principal and related technologies in the
micromachine-related classification. Four English numerals indicate the international patent classification(IPC). [Refer to Examples of micromachine-related technology with patent classification.]
3. Trends in Applications According to Micromachine-related Patent Classification
The Patent Office reviewed the trends in applications by adding the micromachine classification to thefollowing:
Micromachine-related applications (slightly morethan 200 cases) obtained independently by the examiners to date in respective technical fields
Applications (slightly more than 500 cases) related
to the Industrial Science and Technology Frontier Pro-28

gram “Research and Development of MciromachineTechnology (so-called Micromachine Project)”, resulting
from the cooperation of the Micromachine Center. The
white “Unpublished” section is now being analyzed in
preparation for the publication (or withdrawal) of application. [Refer to Recent development of micromachine-related technology.]
Since around 1993, the number of applications has
rapidly begun increasing, with applications for around100 cases being submitted annually at this time. It is
expected that, after the completion of the Micromachine
Project, the number of micromachine-related applications will further increase based on the results of said
project. Application trends will be further elucidated as
the operation of the micromachine classification proceeds.
4. How the Patent Office tackles this problem inthe future
The Patent Office has just started exchanging views
with the examiners in European Patent Office (EPO) sothat the information in the U.S. and Europe can be collected, grasped, and utilized for patent examination froman international standpoint. The Patent Office is hoping to work in such manner that will support Japan in
becoming a technical leader of the world in the 21st century.
Whom to contact regarding the micromachine classification:
Person in charge of Micromachine Classification,
Production machinery division, the third examination department, Japanese Patent Office,Tel: 03-3581-1101, ext.3364
Fax: 03-3501-0530
Example of retrieving patent information system (Refer to the following sites for details):
IPDL (Industrial Property Digital Library);
http://www.jpo-miti.go.jp/indexj.htm
PATOLIS (Patent On-line Information System);
http://www.japio.or.jp/japio.htm(Reference: Micromachine Classification)
MICRO-STRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGY; NANOTECHNOLOGY
B81:
B81B:

MICRO-STRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGYMICRO-STRUCTURAL DEVICE OR SYSTEMS, e.g. MICRO-MECHANICAL DEVICESB81B 1/00: Devices without movable or flexible elements, e.g. micro-capillary device
B81B 3/00: Devices comprising flexible or deformableelements, e.g. comprising elastic tongues ormembranes
B81B 5/00: Devices comprising elements which are movable in relation to each other, e.g. comprising slidable or rotatable elements
B81B 7/00: Micro-structural systems
B81B 7/02: • containing distinct electrical or optical devices of particular relevance for their function, e.g. micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS)
B81B 7/04: • Networks or arrays of similar micro-structural devices
B81C:
PROCESSES OR APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF MICROSTRUCTURAL DEVICES OR SYSTEMS
B81C 1/00: Manufacture or treatment of devices or systems in or on a substrate
B81C 3/00: Assembling of devices or systems from individually processed components
B81C 5/00: Processes or apparatus not provided for ingroups 1/00 or 3/00
B82:
NANO-TECHNOLOGY
B82B:
NANO-STRUCTURES; MANUFACTURE
OR TREATMENT THEREOF
B82B 1/00: Nano-structures
B82B 3/00: Manufacture or treatment of nano-structures

140

UnpublishedNano-technology
Manufacturing technology
SystemDevice

120

100

80

60

40

20

0
1987

1989

1991

1993

1995

1997

1999

Recent development of micromachine-related technology(Up to June 11, 1999; Including 99 unpublished patents)

Examples of micromachine-related technology with patent classification (B81, B82)
Sensor

Structure⑬ Capacitive acceleration sensor (G01P)

B81B1/00: Without movable or flexible elements① Microstructure parts

Actuator

B81B3/00: With flexible elements⑭ Electrostatic wobble motor (H02N)

H01L: Semiconductor process⑰ Manufacturing method ofsemiconductor devices (Dicing)

B81C1/00: Manufacture in the substrate⑨ Manufacturing method of microstructures④ Comb-shaped structure

Device③ Cantilever② Three-dimensional microstructure

Process, Method⑮ Chemomechanical actuator (F03G)

Micro (B81)

B81B5/00: With movable elements⑤ Micro-rotor

B81C3/00: Processing and assembling of micro parts⑥ Micro-rotor⑩ Joining of micro parts

B25J7/00: Micromanipulator⑱ Micro-gripper

B81B7/00: Microstructure systems⑦ Micromachine

Pump⑯ Pump (F04B)⑧ Micro-robot

B81C5/00: Others

Nano (B82)

System⑪ Manufacture of finestructures with molds

G11B, G01N: Magnetic probe⑲ Information storage device, Microscope

B82B1/00: Nanostructure

B82B3/00: Manufacture, Processing⑫ Fixture device of biopolymers

29Technical Terms in MicromachineTechnology (v1.0) — Part 4This is the fourth issue we publish a glossary of key terms excerpted from MMC Technical
Report: Technical Terms in Micromachine Technology (MMC TR-S001(01)-1998), which was published by MMC. For more detailed explanations, please refer to the Technical Report.
Silicon fusion bonding

Non-contact handling【非接触ハンドリング】【シリコンフュージョンボンディング】[DEFINITION] A technique of bonding hydrophilized sub-[DEFINITION] Grasping and moving objects without contact.
[DESCRIPTION] For example, it is general practice in cellstrates made of silicon, oxidized silicon, and so on by primaryhydrogen bonds between the surfaces, and then by Si-O-Si
bonds after annealing at high temperature.
[DESCRIPTION] Silicon fusion bonding is used to form impurity diffusion layers or insulation layers inside a wafer by
bonding two silicon wafers; one or both of which may be oxidized. The technology is also used to bond wafers that contain
impurities of different species or concentrations, as an alternative process to in-depth impurity diffusion or epitaxial growth
where high temperatures and long process time are required.
The main problem with silicon fusion bonding is its high process temperature; all lower-temperature processes have to takeplace after the bonding. Brisk studies are ongoing to lower theprocess temperature by the application of plasma oxidation
treatment before bonding, and to apply the technology to bondnon-silicon materials. By bonding oxidized wafers, the silicon
on insulator (SOI) structure can be obtained, in which an insulation layer is sandwiched by two silicon layers. The SOI structure is used to separate integrated element components by oxide
and other dielectric materials to improve performance; for example, to manufacture photodiode arrays and so on. Anotherapplication of the technology is bonding wafers that have beenbored or cut grooves in, to obtain precise structures made inside a wafer. This technique is used to make pressure sensors,or heat exchangers for laser diodes with internal cooling structure, and so on. [References] (4)manipulation to suck up cells with a glass micropipette andhandle them mechanically, but this contact damages the sample
and/or changes the physical and chemical conditions. One
method of non-contact handling is laser trapping. With thismethod, the pressure of the light to the object (radiation pressure) manipulates the object without contact or damage. According to electromagnetic theory, the force generated by a 1
mW-laser beam is 7 pN. [References] (59)Anodic bonding【陽極接合】[DEFINITION] Energy that is stored in in vivo substances[DEFINITION] A technique of bonding a glass substrate, whichcontains movable ions, and a substrate of silicon, metal, andso on. The substrates are softened by heat, and bonded by theelectrostatic attraction of an electrical double layer produced
by applying a high voltage across the substrates with the silicon side as the anode.
[DESCRIPTION] High precision bonding is achieved due tothe bonding process at the substrates’ solid state. The bonding
strength largely depends on the flatness of the surfaces, although this is not as critical as for silicon fusion bonding. Bonding silicon wafers with materials such as Pyrex glass enables
structures with internal cavities, such as capacitive pressure
sensors and micropumps, to be fabricated. When bonding two
silicon wafers or a silicon wafer and a metal wafer, a thin glass
film is formed on the contacting surface of the wafers, or thesurface of the silicon wafer is oxidized. The problem with theuse of thin films is that at high bonding temperatures, the dielectric breakdown voltage of the films is lowered to the pointthat sufficient voltage cannot be applied. To reduce the process temperature to room temperature, attempts are being
made to form a glass film with a low melting point by sputtering. This solves problems such as the strain and deformation
caused by thermal stress, and introduces benefits such as the
improvement on precision and the wide choice of materials.
[References] (1)(2)(3)(4)30

Micro-manipulator【マイクロマニピュレータ】[DEFINITION] A mechanism to manipulate microscopic objects such as genes, cells, microcomponents, and microtools.
[DESCRIPTION] Micro-manipulators can be driven by mechanical, pneumatic, hydraulic (oil or water), electromagnetic,or piezoelectric actuator as well as by electric motors. Micromanipulators for cell manipulation generally combine two separate drives: one for fine movement and one for coarse movement. Most micro-manipulators are manually controlled byvisual information received through microscopes or cameras
to adjust their micro-position. Future development of micromanipulators with force control mechanisms is expected for
assembling microscopic objects using micro-force and for realizing micro-teleoperation systems.
[References] (1)(2)(4)(5)(6)[Related Terms] Micro-manipulation

Biochemical energy【生物化学エネルギー】

and released through chemical reactions.
[DESCRIPTION] Living organisms use chemical energy formechanical work and transportation and synthesis of substances. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) plays a core role inchemical energy exchanges. An ATP molecule stocks energy
for a short period. For longer storage, carbon hydrate, protein,
and fat are used. Performance of the micromachines can be
improved drastically if these chemical energy sources can beutilized as energy source for micromachines used in vivo.
[References] (61) [Related Terms] Energy source, ATP (Adenosine triphosphate), Mitochondrion

Aspect ratio【アスペクト比】[DEFINITION] The ratio of the vertical dimension (height) tothe horizontal dimension (width) of a three-dimensional structure, used as an index to the relative thickness of the structure.
[DESCRIPTION] It is accepted that silicon process is not
appropriate to form three-dimensional structures of much
depth, because it is difficult to manufactur structures of an
aspect ratio over 10:1. By the use of anisotropic etching or LIGA
process, deep holes, grooves and so on of an aspect ratio of 100:1
or greater can be obtained.
[References] (1)(3)(6)(7) [Related Terms] LIGA processScanning probe microscope (SPM)【走査プローブ顕微鏡（ＳＰＭ）】[DEFINITION] Any microscope that uses a probe with a tip of
atomic scale and scans it in a raster pattern close to the specimen for measuring physical quantities between the probe andthe surface to obtain image.
[DESCRIPTION] By approaching a sharply pointed probe
tip to the surface of the specimen, various physical forces thatwork between the probe and the specimen can be measured at
a resolution of an atomic scale. In general, the probe is moved
over the surface of the specimen in a raster pattern while keeping the measured physical quantity to a constant level, andthe displacement of the probe in doing so is used as the datafor drawing a fine image of the specimen. This is the common
principle of different types of SPM, that is, the scanning tunnel microscope, atomic force microscope, electrostatic force
microscope, scanning ion microscope, scanning magnetic fieldmicroscope, scanning temperature microscope, and scanning
friction force microscope.
[Related Terms] Electrostatic force microscope

Microscopic surgery, Micro-surgery【マイクロサージェリー】[DEFINITION] Surgical operation performed under a microscopeview.

[DESCRIPTION] One attractive technique today is surgery
performed under a stereoscope. While the technical term forthis is microscopic surgery, in Japan it is called micro-surgery.
Microscopic surgery is practiced in otolaryngology, ophthalmology, neurosurgery, vascular surgery, plastic surgery, and otherareas. Currently, surgery of the smallest scale is performed insuturing arteries, veins, and nerves with a diameter of around
800 É m using needle and thread with a diameter of around 20
É m. However, because surgeons must manipulate the needle
holder, forceps, and scalpel by hand and perform the same actions as in ordinary surgery, these sizes of blood vessels andnerves are considered to be the limit. Therefore microteleoperation and other micromachine technology holds considerable promise for the future. [References] (4)(5)(6)[Related Terms] Catheter, Fiber endoscope

Smart pill【スマートピル】[DEFINITION] A robot that performs measurement and drugdelivery inside the body.
[DESCRIPTION] A currently proposed example is the gastrointestinal tract smart pill. This smart pill includes a sampling device that takes samples for measuring, a drug reserver
and releasing system, and an intelligent sensor circuit and acontroller fabricated on a silicon wafer as well as a micro-power
supply.
[References] (4)(6) [Related Terms] Intra-vascular vehicle

Active catheter 【能動カテーテル】[DEFINITION] A catheter that can reach its destination bybending freely with a mounted micro-actuator in response toexternal control signals received.
[DESCRIPTION] If a catheter could bend freely and reliably
inside winding tubular organs with internal passageways in
response to external manipulation, diagnostic or therapeutic
tools could be easily inserted into parts of the body throughblood vessels. To realize the active catheter, various micro-actuators and micro-mechanisms will have to be developed.
[References] (1)(2)(4) [Related Terms] Fiber endoscope

Micro-factory【マイクロファクトリ】[DEFINITION] A small manufacturing system in comparable
scale with the small products.
[DESCRIPTION] Small equipment such as watches, cameras, and cassette recorders contain many components of a few
millimeters in size. Up to the present, such miniature components were processed and assembled by meter-order machine
tools or assembly robots. Accordingly, in the process-ing of microcomponents and assembling by such meter-order manufacturing systems, the power required for the movement of themachine tools and assembly robots themselves is much higher
than that required for processing and assembly of the small
equipment. In addition, compared to the size of the components
and products, extremely large amounts of space and resources
are required for this manufacturing system. The manufacturing system technology to produce these microcomponents andproducts using various kinds of micromachine technology corresponding in size to the objects is called micro-factory technology. Compared with conventional production systems, micro-factory technology can achieve substantial savings in energy, resources, and space. [References] (19)Pipe inspection micro-robot【管内点検マイクロロボット】[DEFINITION] A robot inserted into a pipe to inspect abnormal sections.

[DESCRIPTION] Microrobots that move inside pipes to inspect abnormal sections are the most promising applicationsof micromachines. Pipe inspection microrobots are describedas follows: they have one or more sensors and travel insidepipes, find abnormal sections, and specify the abnormality typeand its location. The two travel types under consideration are
the floating type, in which the microrobot travels with the fluid
flow inside the pipe, and the self-locomotion type, in which themicrorobot travels by an active locomotion mechanism. Eachof these methods is further divided into cabled (with a wire forenergy supply, communication, etc.) and cableless microrobots.
[References] (19)31