Activities of the G-device Project
Owing to a supplementary budget in FY 2009, anew research task entitled “Advanced sensor network
system and environmentally friendly fabrication
processes” was newly added to the New Energy andIndustrial Technology Development Organization(NEDO)-sponsored “Hetero-functional Integrated
Device Technology Development Project (BEANSProject).” Nicknamed the “G-device Project,” thisresearch task is a short, one-year intensive project thatwas officially launched in April this year.
An advanced 8-inch MEMS production line is to beinstalled at the Tsukuba Innovation Arena (TIA) in theTsukuba Center of the National Institute of Advanced
Science and Technology as a testing ground, and asophisticated network system configured of MEMS
sensors will be used to resolve pressing issues thatmust be overcome to achieve green innovation. Here,green innovation is an approach for reducing energy
consumption in clean rooms used in semiconductor
and MEMS processes, improving energy efficiency inthe processes themselves, and preserving theenvironment. This approach includes studying thefeasibility of sensor devices as means for verifying
various achievements in the BEANS Project andassessing the characteristics and configuration of the8-inch production line. Hence, six new businesses,
making a total of fifteen, the National Institute ofAdvanced Science and Technology (AIST) serving as
the core of the development centers, and Ritsumeikan
University serving as the Kansai base have been newly
added to the BEANS Laboratory, bringing the total
number of organizations in the project to eighteen
when the Micromachine Center (MMC) is included.
TheG-device
Project was officiallylaunched at theMMC’s Techno Salonin Akihabara on April
8 at 2 p.m., whereparticipating members
andresearchers
gathered with guests
from the Ministry ofEconomy, Trade andIndustry (METI) andNEDO. Following greetings and words ofencouragement from Tomosaburo Yano, Director for
R&D Coordination at METI, and Katsuya Okano, Senior
Official at NEDO, BEANS
Project Leader Atsushi Yusa
presented the objectives of
the G-device Project within
the overall framework of theBEANS Project. Ryutaro
Maeda, President of the Gdevice
Cooperative,
enthusiastically laid out theapproach and ambitions of
the project and vowedthat all members would
attain their research goals.
While the constructionof an advanced 8-inch
MEMS production line is
an important item fortackling the R&D in thisproject, it is also a major
investment. In order to ensure that equipment wasselected prudently, a public meeting was held on May
14 to provide information on the required equipment.
More than sixty representatives of companies in Japanthat handle MEMS manufacturing equipment werepresent at the meeting. The attendees were given asummary of the more-than-forty types of equipment
needed and a description of the bidding process andresponded with numerous questions.
After receiving a good number of bids, an impartial
selection committee meeting was held, and most of thesources for our equipment
ordershavebeendetermined as of today.
Company names are listedon the BEANS Laboratory
Web site. We are currently
ordering the equipment asneeded and intend to begin
installing the equipment
according to the original plans (around the end ofOctober).
We are also making steady progress on our R&Defforts. The president of the G-device Cooperative andthe respective directors of the G-device Center based
at AIST Tsukuba and the Gdevice Center Kansai based
at Ritsumeikan University
are participating in monthly
meetings to discuss theprogress and challenges ofR&D projects at therespective centers. Themeetings have produced
lively discussions on various problematic points andnecessary changes in approach. To date, we have held
two meetings, both of which have been attended by
NEDO representatives.
Although the G-device Project has just gotten
underway, it is our intention to continue with these
lively discussions and to proceed with an aggressive
approach in order to ensure that the president andcenter directors can perform timely and appropriate
development management for producing the targeted
results within the allotted one-year period.
MICRONANO No. 72

MICRONANO is published quarterly by Micromachine Center (MMC), BEANS Technical Research Association(BEANS . TRA) to promote the international exchange of information related to micromachines, R&D and othertechnical topics, and is circulated free of change. Please send your comments about MICRONANO to the publisher :Keiichi Aoyagi, Executive Director, Micromachine Center (MMC)
MBR99 Bldg., 6F., 67 Kanda Sakumagashi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-0026, Japan
Tel : +81-3-5835-1870, Fax : +81-3-5835-1873
Internet Home Page h t t p : / / w w w . m m c . o r . j p /Date of Issue : July 20, 201011