Topic : MicroNano 2010 / 1
Activities of the Micromachine Center / 4
Activities of the BEANS Laboratory / 9

Topic

MicroNano 2010
The World’s largest exposition on MEMS and nano- and biotechnologies

21st Exhibition Micromachine/MEMS<NEW> ROBOTECH Exhibition on Next-Generation Service Robot Manufacturing Technologies< Concurrent event > SURTECH Exhibition on Surface Technology
July 28–30, 2010 (Wed–Fri)Tokyo Big Sight (Tokyo International Exhibition Center), East Hall 5/6

The Micromachine Center (MMC) will be holding MicroNano 2010, an exposition that effectively assembles all the latest
micro/nano- and MEMS-related technologies and products at one venue. This year’s event will be even more attractive with the
newly established exhibition ROBOTECH and the exhibition SURTECH organized by the Surface Finishing Society of Japan held
concurrently with the Exhibition Micromachine/MEMS, as well as the addition of new concurrent events to the program such as the
BEANS Project Seminar, that cover the latest trends in MEMS research and technology, and the inclusion of a new Job Matching
Support Plaza. We expect the event to attract a large number of visitors.

MicroNano 2010 is not to be missed!
1. Three exhibitions held concurrently
The exhibition ROBOTECH, held for the first time this year, will focus on service robots, a field having promising
applications for MEMS sensors and actuators. The holding of ROBOTECH in concert with SURTECH is expected to
produce a substantial synergistic effect.
2. The International Micromachine/Nanotech Symposium (July 28, 13:00–16:15, MicroNano Conference Area A)

focusing on sensor networks and their applications

In addition to the keynote speech given by Isao Shimoyama, professor at the University of Tokyo, on “Green
Innovation Explored by Ambient Devices,” this year’s symposium will feature the latest findings on novel MEMS
devices and their applications from such international research institutes as Imec-NL of the Netherlands, CEA-LETI
of France, BSAC of the U.S., and Fraunhofer ENAS of Germany.
3. The Tsukuba Innovation Arena (TIA) NMEMS Symposium (July 30, MicroNano Conference Area A)
This symposium will feature reports on expectations held by the government, industry, and academia for the
implementation of the open innovation center TIA-NMEMS as one of the six core areas in the TIA-Nano framework,and the activities of the MMC’s MEMS Industry Forum.
4. The ROBOTECH Seminar (July 30, MicroNano Conference Area B)
The ROBOTECH Seminar will be held in conjunction with the new exhibition ROBOTECH. Speakers at theseminar will talk about approaches for service robots, which have many promising applications for MEMS, in
alleviating problems associated with the declining birthrate and the aging population, a grave issue facing not only
Japan, but also other advanced nations.

5. The MEMS Concierge Service and the Job Matching Support PlazaThe MMC booth will offer a concierge service to help visitors more easily find exhibitor booths that match theirinterests by answering such questions as “Who handles sensors that employ piezoelectric elements.” Please don’t
hesitate to drop by with your questions. Next to the MMC booth, there will also be a Job Matching Support Plaza
serving as a place for students having an interest in MEMS to meet exhibiting companies looking for outstanding
human resources.

1

Micromachine Center Booths Planned for Exhibition Micromachine/MEMS 2010
MEMS Concierge Corner and Job Matching
Support Plaza

MEMS Foundry Network BoothThe MMC manages the Web site for a MEMS foundry
network. The Web site introduces users to companies thatprovide foundry services and also offers a service called
MEMStation. MEMStation functions as an intermediary service
for potential clients who are looking for companies that provide
a particular service.
At the Exhibition Micromachine/MEMS, we have plans foran exhibit that will introduce the types of services offered bycompanies participating in the MEMS foundry network, as wellas information on how MEMStation works and how to get themost out of it. We have also expanded the services available
through MEMStation. This year we have introduced follow-up
counseling whereby, if companies registered with the MEMS
foundry network are unable to meet a client’s needs, the MMC
in cooperation with the National Institute of Advanced
industrial Science and Technology (AIST) will investigate andrecommend companies capable of filling this need. In addition,
the booth will include panel exhibits and information on the
MEMS foundry network.

A MEMS Concierge Corner will be provided in theMicromachine Center (MMC) booth, to one side of thereception counter. Visitors can consult with the Concierge
Corner for directions on where to go, such as when they areinterested in something specific but don’t know where to find it
or when they want to compare a specific device produced byvarious companies, and the concierge service will guide them tothe appropriate booths. Please don’t hesitate to drop by withyour questions.
This year for the first time, an experimental Job Matching
Support Plaza will be set up near the MMC booth. The Plaza isdesigned to serve as a place for students interested in
micro/nano-related industries to learn about companies looking
to hire outstanding talent. Company and employment
information will be posted in the Job Matching Support Plaza,
enabling students (visitors) to directly visit the booths ofcompanies they are interested in, collect information, and get afeel for the company and the type of work available. For
companies, the Plaza may simply offer the benefit of
employment-related publicity, but we anticipate that it will
provide them opportunities to get in contact with potential
employees.

Standardization BoothThis booth presents the current status of standardization in
the MEMS industry. To promote international standardization
activities in the MEMS industry in a more strategic manner, theMMC has established a roadmap for MEMS standardization, andstandardization activities are being conducted in accordancewith this roadmap. The booth showcases the international
standards that Japan has proposed and established to date,including a tensile testing method of thin film materials, a thinfilm standard test piece for tensile testing, and axial fatigue
testing methods of thin film materials, in addition to drafts thatare currently being reviewed by the International
Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), such as a method for
fatigue testing thin film materials using the resonant vibrationof a MEMS structure, wafer-to-wafer bonding strength
measurement for MEMS, and bonding strength tests for thinfilm materials and standard test pieces for calibration. The
booth will also introduce the current status of drafts currently
under development for micro-gyroscopes, electronic
compasses, and methods of measuring microscale structures,and will display the actual publications that have already been
issued for MEMS-related international standards and JIS
standards.

MemsONE BoothMemsONE is a design tool that provides powerful support
for MEMS design and manufacturing processes and is anindispensable tool for MEMS experts, but easy enough to use
for beginners with little experience in MEMS. This marks thethird year since full-fledged MemsONE dissemination activities
began. During this period, versions 1.1, 2.0, and 3.0 of the
product have been released, giving MemsONE enhanced, more
powerful functions and greater stability. Version 3.0 released in
January this year has even more improvements in analysis
capabilities and user-friendliness. To further promote anddisseminate MemsONE, a consultation corner will be provided
at the MemsONE booth for use support. In addition, theacademic version of MemsONE will be offered for a limited time
at no charge, and the product will be promoted through videos
and computer demonstrations. Updated information on the
MemsONE functions will also be provided at the MEMS
Industry Forum Workshop.

MEMS Mall BoothMEMSPedia BoothThe MEMS Mall is a Web site that enables MEMS-relatedcompanies to introduce their MEMS products and technologies
on the Internet. On the MEMS Mall Web site, companies
involved in MEMS manufacturing-related fields can provide
information on MEMS devices and applications, biomedicalrelated products, MEMS manufacturing equipment,
nanoimprint technology, MEMS design tools, foundry services,evaluation, measurement, and inspection equipment, andmaterials.
Individual company data on the MEMS Mall Web site may
also include a link to the company’s home page, with the idea ofconnecting MEMS users to suppliers over the Internet. The
member companies of the MEMS Industry Forum make up thecore of registered companies, but participation in the Mall isopen to other companies for a fee. The MEMS Mall booth will
also feature computer terminals connected to the Internet,
allowing visitors to access and explore the Mall.

The Highly Integrated, Complex MEMS (Fine MEMS)
Production Technology Development Project produced adatabase storing knowledge data (1500 entries) sorted by
keywords used in the Fine MEMS Project and patent data (4500
entries) sorted by R&D topics, and a MEMS equivalent circuit
generator for generating models that are capable of simulating
MEMS operations with a circuit simulator. In June 2009, thesedata and tools were made available to the general public on theInternet as an encyclopedia called MEMSpedia, which includes
knowledge data, design tools, and a variety of open content.
During the approximate one-year period since MEMSPedia wasmade public, the database has been accessed more than
670,000 times, and the number of users is expected to continue
to grow. The MEMSPedia booth provides descriptions of theknowledge database and the MEMS equivalent circuit generator
and instructions on using these tools through panel exhibits andcomputer terminals that are available for the visitors’
convenience.

2

BEANS Project BoothThis year will be the second that the BEANS Project
participates in the Exhibition Micromachine/MEMS, the firstbeing in July of last year. The BEANS Project booth will be
expanded from last year’s five exhibit spaces (one space is 3x3
meters) to twelve exhibit spaces. The booth is being sponsoredjointly by the New Energy and Industrial Technology
Development Organization (NEDO) and the BEANS
Laboratory. The BEANS Project booth is located in a corner ofthe exhibition hall far from the entrance, but is adjacent to both
the Micromachine Center booth and Conference Areas A and B
at which various seminars will be held during the exhibition.
Since the level of recognition for the BEANS Project itself
was low last year, our exhibits were focused on raising

In coordination with the booth exhibits, the 4 th BEANS

awareness of the BEANS Project. It will be important this year

Project Seminar will be held in Conference Area B on theas well to increase awareness of BEANS among industry

afternoon of July 29. Please don’t miss the seminar, as all

insiders, but the primary objective will be to publicize

interim results of the BEANS Project will be presented.

achievements of the project, as this is the interim evaluation
period. Thus, in coordination with a report of achievements

G-device Project Booth

given at the BEANS Project Seminar, which is to be held on theafternoon of July 29 during the exhibition, we hope to take this

The G-device Project was added to the NEDO-sponsoredopportunity to illustrate what important achievements the“Hetero-functional Integrated Device Technology Development

BEANS Project has produced over a mere two years since its

Project (BEANS Project)” and launched in April this year. The

inception and how the level of achievement has exceeded

challenges taken up in this project are to develop an advanced

expectations.

sensor network system and environmentally friendly processes.

The booth itself is an “island” surrounded on all four sides

In order to develop an advanced sensor network system, an

by passageways. An emblem of the bright green sprouting bean

experimental system will be installed in a clean room forplant that has been the symbol of BEANS will adorn the

fabricating large-diameter (8-inch) MEMS in order to monitor

entrance to this island, and the interior of the booth will beenergy consumption, temperature, pressure, air volume, foreign

furnished with carpeting and other elements in a matchingparticles, gas, and other factors in the clean room and togreen. We have no intention of putting up walls or otheranalyze their effects on energy savings and the reduction of

barriers between the booth and the passageways, so as to give

carbon content. The G-device booth will provide demonstrations

the booth a fairly open feel, but we are considering how to

on controlling an air conditioning system and the like, while

control traffic flow within the booth in order that visitors willsensing temperature, humidity, and foreign particles at various

see everything on display. The entrance to the booth is thepoints in order to illustrate the concept of the project. Anothermain exhibit zone, which connects to various inner zones

goal of the project is to verify the effects of a sensor network

devoted to 1) Macro BEANS, 2) 3D BEANS Tokyo, 3) Lifesystem installed in a plant factory for detecting temperature,

BEANS Kyushu, and 4) Life BEANS Tokyo, for example.

light, humidity, and other conditions in the factory on energy

The display items provided for each center are essentiallysavings and productivity in crop cultivation. A miniature plantposters, mock-ups or the actual articles, and display monitors

factory will be exhibited at the booth to demonstrate thisshowing animated or live-action video. Highlights planned forprocess.

the exhibition are (1) new lifestyles created by BEANS (in the

In the task for developing environmentally friendly

main zone); (2) photographs depicting low-damage, neutral

processes, our research entails developing an efficient etching

beam etching, models for elucidating the mechanism ofprocess with low-environmental impact, integrating hybrid

supercritical films, trench capacitors, patterning using peptides,

devices at the wafer level, using MEMS to reduce theand true 3D machining; (3) large panel displays and an exhibit

environmental impact of processes and devices, and sharingof actual glowing microbeads related to a hybrid cell doll

eco-friendly information at the design stage. The details ofcreated from hydrogel beads and a glowing ear that reflects

these processes will be introduced at the exhibition.

changes in blood sugar level; and (4) animation simulating

We are looking forward to telling you about the G-devices

weaving experiments and non-vacuum deposition for a study onthat will drive green innovation, so please do visit our booth atfiber substrates with nanostructures and a meter-size fabricthe exhibition.

touch sensor.

3

Activities of the Micromachine Center

Activities of the Micromachine Center in FY 2009
Overviewof the concurrent events at MicroNano 2009 and actively
promotes government policies related to MEMS.

The Micromachine Center (MMC) carries out various
activities aimed at establishing fundamental technologies in
micromachines, micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS), andother micro/nano fields. These activities include researchstudies, data collection and provision, and projects to encourage
information exchange and cooperation among businesses in
MEMS and other industries carried out through the MEMS
Industry Forum (MIF) in order to improve the environment for
MEMS industrialization, such as policy recommendations andindustrial vitalization, as well as activities to promote
standardization and improve public awareness of MEMS.
In FY 2009 the MMC worked to implement various projects
in a manner deemed most effective and efficient. These projects
are designed to contribute to the growth of Japan’s industrial
fields having ties with micromachines, MEMS, and othermicro/nano technologies by exploiting unique features of the nonprofit sector in order to supply an extensive and flexible array ofservices necessary for meeting numerous demands inmicromachines and MEMS fields that cannot be met by theprivate sector alone. The projects are also aimed at creating a safe
and secure society with little impact on the environment throughtechnological innovation in these fields in order to contribute not
only to Japan, but also to the international community as a whole.
The following is an overview of each project.

The 2009 informal gathering on MEMS

The 2009 MIF Workshop

1. Research Studies

2) Industry-academia collaboration
The MIF continued its study group activities, which bring
together member companies interested in specific research
themes. The MIF also gave extensive consideration to R&D
projects needed for accelerating the BEANS Project and forrealizing a low-carbon economy. In addition, the MEMS
Advanced Technology Forum was held three times during theyear.
3) MEMS infrastructure improvements
The MIF implemented the following five projects aimed at
improving the infrastructure for MEMS development.
a. Expansion and upgrading of the MEMS foundry network
systemb. Compilation and upgrading of MEMSPedia
c. Dissemination of the MEMS equivalent circuit generator
d. Strengthening of collaboration among regional public
foundries and local clusters
e. Implementation of personnel training projects
4) Information exchange among businesses
The MIF also implemented the following seven projects forencouraging information exchange among businesses in MEMS
and other industries.
a. Promotion of the MEMS Mallb. Holding of the exposition MicroNano 2009c. Holding of Exhibition Micromachine/MEMS
d. Expansion of the international affiliate network
e. Participation in the 15th World Micromachines Summit
f. Participation as an exhibitor at Hannover Messe
g. Dispatch of overseas fact-finding missions and exchangeof researchers

The MMC has conducted research studies aimed at gaining
a clearer picture of the technological and industrial trends inmicromachine and MEMS technologies, which are emerging as
key technologies in the manufacturing industry. These researchstudies entailed the investigation of new issues facing
micro/nano technologies that arise when merging
nanotechnology with technologies in other fields and included
surveys of technological and industrial trends at home andabroad.

2. Data Collection and Provision
In order to strengthen Japan’s industrial competitiveness in
micromachines and other technologies, the MMC has
implemented a data collection and provision project for the
purposes of clearly identifying technological and industrial
trends and for contributing to surveys, studies, and information
distribution. A portion of the collected information has been
made available over the Internet, and all data is available to thegeneral public year-round in the MMC archives.

3. MEMS Industry Forum Projects (promoting
information exchange and cooperation among
businesses in MEMS and other industries)
The MMC has conducted the following activities in FY 2009
within the MIF in collaboration with affiliated academies,
regional centers, and overseas institutions.
1) Policy recommendations
The MIF Promotion Committee comprising MIF member
companies held an informal gathering on MEMS to encourage
the exchange of ideas with government and related agencies.
The MIF also held the MEMS Industry Forum Workshop as one4MicroNano 2009 (including the Exhibition Micromachine/MEMS)
micromachines and MEMS, the MMC has been a central figurein actively promoting MEMS R&D projects while harnessing the
combined capabilities of government, industry, and academia.
In FY 2009 we engaged in the activities below to follow up onthese projects.
The MMC continued its activities of the previous year toaggressively promote and disseminate the MemsONE software,
which was the product of R&D in the MEMS Open Network
Engineering System of Design Tools project (commonlyreferred to as the MemsONE Project), a national/NEDO projectthat was completed in March 2007. We have also continued ouraggressive promotion and dissemination of the fine MEMS
knowledge database and the new MEMS equivalent circuit
generator developed in the Highly Integrated, Complex MEMS
Production Technology Development Project (commonlyreferred to as the Fine MEMS Project), a three-year project
carried out between 2006 and 2008. We also worked to develop
an outline for firmly establishing fine MEMS in Japan’s industry
and to write up drafts and proposals for plans related to
relevant R&D projects. Specifically, we drew up plans for
effectively establishing the role of a support organization for
outfitting the Tsukuba Nanotech Innovation Arena and for
effectively considering R&D on an advanced network sensor
system and environmentally friendly processes.

4. Activities to Promote Standardization
In the fields of micromachines and MEMS, the MMC has
promoted standardization while demonstrating its initiative on
the international stage.
1) Joint research for the purpose of proposinginternational standards
a. Standardization for methods of evaluating the performanceof micro-gyroscopesb. Standardization for measuring methods and notation for
MEMS shapes
2) Follow-up to a proposal of standards for testing
MEMS wafer-to-wafer bonding strength
We conducted a follow-up on methods for a 3-point bending
test and a die shear test that Japan proposed in FY 2008 as
methods for testing wafer-to-wafer bonding strength, with theaim of realizing their adoption as international standards in FY
2009.
3) Research study on overseas standards4) Adoption of a thin film material tensile testing
method as a JIS

5. Dissemination and Publicity Projects(dissemination, publicity, and information
services)
The MMC has continued to publish and distributenewsletters, hold exhibitions, and otherwise expand publicawareness of micromachines and MEMS. The MMC also
continues to collect reference materials and documentation
related to micro/nanotechnologies from universities, industrial
circles, public organizations, and other sources in Japan andoverseas. This documentation is consolidated with referencematerials for surveys conducted at the MMC and is available in
the MMC’s archives for browsing and searching. Information is
also being provided internally and externally through MMC’s
Web site.

6. Other Projects
1) A follow-up to previous national/NEDO-commissioned
projects (activities related to MEMS R&D projects)
In an effort to establish fundamental technologies for5

Standardization Activities
This project is being implemented under a three-year planthat began in FY 2008, and the findings of the project will be
submitted to the Subcommittee on MEMS (SC 47F) of theTechnical Committee on Semiconductor Devices (TC 47) underthe International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). Initially
we intend to submit a new proposal on electronic compasses
within the current fiscal year.

While the Micromachine Center (MMC) promotes
standardization related to MEMS technology, this article will
detail our current R&D projects.

Developing Standards for Micro-gyroscopes andElectronic Compasses
Gyroscopes are indispensable for controlling the attitude ofa device in a space by detecting fluctuations in attitude. Recent
developments for reducing the size and cost of devices while
improving performance through MEMS and other technologies
have led to a more active role for micro-gyroscopes in various
contexts of daily life.
Gyroscopes incorporated in controllers for game consoles
detect movement in the controller and adjust the image
accordingly. An image stabilizer has become a standard
feature of digital cameras and is even provided in thecameras of cell phones. This function is achieved with agyroscope that detects attitude changes in the camera andmoves the lens and image-detecting unit accordingly.
Gyroscopes having greater precision and resistance toimpacts are the key components of safety systems installedin vehicles to control the engine and brakes when detecting
impacts and changes in attitude. Even higher precision
gyroscopes have appeared in aircraft and space applications.
Now efforts are being made to replace the conventional
gyroscopes, which have good precision but are heavy andbulky.
Compasses are age-old instruments that have been
central to navigation for ships and aircraft. A compass
detects the Earth’s magnetic field and displays the directions
north, south, east, and west. However, since geomagnetism
itself is very faint, various compensations are needed toboost the precision of the compass, resulting in a large andheavy instrument. Recent years have seen the appearance ofan electronic compass that combines a sensor element for
detecting geomagnetism with a system for analyzing andprocessing the sensor signal. With their decreasing size andcost, electronic compasses are being provided in cell phones
to configure a navigation system for pedestrians that can
detect the user’s position with the Global Positioning System(GPS) and directions with the electronic compass.
Consequently, the number of practical applications for
micro-gyroscopes and electronic compasses continues togrow. The objective of our project is to standardize thespecifications and methods of measurement needed to define
the performance of these devices as sensors. This is
expected to lead to more efficient communication between
device manufacturers and users.
For micro-gyroscopes, we have established an absolute
maximum rating, recommended operating conditions, andvarious characteristics, including sensitivity, cross-axis
sensitivity, bias, output noise, frequency response, andresolution. We are also investigating methods for measuring
these properties.
Similarly, we have established an absolute maximum
rating, recommended operating conditions, andcharacteristics for electronic compasses, and are studying
methods of measuring the analog circuit characteristics andDC characteristics of these devices. Further, although it isgenerally assumed that conventional compasses are installed
in a more or less level orientation, cell phones obviously havea high degree of flexibility in how they are oriented.
Therefore, we are suggesting new ways of conceptualizing
the coordinate system of these compasses.

Developing Standards for Measuring Microscale Dimensions
MEMS applies techniques used in semiconductor
fabrication to produce three-dimensional structures. Whiledimensions and other aspects of the 3D profile are importantelements of structures, a method of measuring such profiles has
not been established. Accordingly, the goal of our project is to
standardize a suitable method of measuring dimensions andshapes of microscale structures.
MEMS devices are fabricated using the time-consuming
techniques of wet etching and deep dry etching. However,
MEMS structures inherently have a microscale profile, andtechniques have not yet been established for measuring theangle of a forward tapered or reverse tapered side wall, thedepth and width of high-aspect-ratio trench structures, and thesurface roughness resulting from etching. We are measuring
microscale structures according to a variety of techniques withthe goal of standardizing techniques for evaluating suitable
methods of measuring the dimensions and shapes of such
structures and of expressing such dimensions and shapes.
Using the standard, it is likely that designers, manufacturers,
and others involved in the various stages of MEMS fabrication
can better communicate with one another. This is a three-year
project that began in FY 2009, and we will be submitting our
findings to the SC 47F of the IEC TC 47.
Our study involves creating specimen for use as a reference
for measuring MEMS profiles, measuring these specimen
according to a variety of techniques, and comparing andevaluating the results. Specimen are produced by creating
structures having different aspect ratios (ratio of depth towidth) and spacing their gauge marks at varying distances.
Specimen are measured using an optical microscope, a laser
scanning microscope, a scanning white light interferometer, an
optical standing wave scale displacement sensor, a stylus-typecontact profilometer, and other apparatus, and the results areanalyzed through comparisons with reference measurements
obtained using a high-resolution field emission scanningelectron microscope (FE SEM). We have also included 3D
microprotrusion structures as specimen.
As we enter the second year of the project, we arecontinuing to collect and organize data obtained throughrepeated measurements in order to develop standards forcomparing and evaluating methods of measurement and forexpressing dimensions and shapes of the microscale structures.
Create 3D trench structure asa standard MEMS test piece

Establish technique for measuring
microscale dimensions

垂直走査Ex. 1 Scanning whitelight interferometer

Establish expressions
for microscale profiles

Standardized expressions
for microscale profiles
item

Width

B
A
A

B

5ı

Tapered shape Forward/Reverse
Taper

1/100

Depth

100ı

Step profile calculated from time difference
between A and B

Ex. 2 FE-SEM

6

Profiling of scallop-like side wall

Activities of the MEMS Industry Forum
research theme of the G-device project, we hope to gain insight
into the trends of research both in Japan and overseas.
b. Addition of the TIA-NMEMS Symposium
The TIA-NMEMS Symposium will be divided into two parts
held in the morning and afternoon, respectively. Part I will serve
to hear all expectations of government, industry, and academia
toward NMEMS, which is one of the core research domains of the
Tsukuba Innovation Arena (TIA)-Nano, while Part II will
introduce the preparatory activities of the MEMS Industry Forum
Workshop to date for implementing the concept of TIA-NMEMS.
Part I will be hosted jointly with the AIST and will encourage
closer collaboration among government, industry, and academia.
c. Establishment of the Job Matching Support Plaza
As a new experiment for MicroNano 2010, a Job Matching
Support Plaza will be added to provide a place for students withan interest in the MEMS industry to meet companies looking foroutstanding personnel who are currently engaged in MEMS
research. As we have asked for cooperation from exhibiting
companies, announced the Job Matching Support Plaza throughthe Industrial Exchange Committee, and notified university
research labs of the exhibition program, we anticipate theparticipation of a large number of companies and students.

The MEMS Industry Forum (MIF) was established with thegoal of contributing to the international competitiveness ofJapan’s MEMS industry. Membership in the MIF is composed
primarily of companies in MEMS-related industries. The MIF
conducts various activities in collaboration with affiliatedacademies, regional centers, and overseas institutions.

1. Planning for FY 2010
The Industrial Exchange Committee, Foundry Service
Industry Committee, and International Exchange Committee
have been established to work out the detailed project activitiesof the MIF under the guidance of the MIF Promotion Committee.
During May and June this year, the MIF Promotion Committee
and the three other committees held their first committee
meetings and finalized the schedules for this fiscal year.
At the MIF Promotion Committee meeting held on June 9,
the committee decided on the overall schedule of activities forthe current fiscal year. In addition to improving and intensifying
the traditional activities of the MIF, this year plan calls for
implementing strategic activities aimed at the establishment of afuture micro/nano R&D center. The following are three distinct
aspects of the current plan.
(1) Establish a new Promotion Committee of Micro/Nano
Education and Training aimed at developing selfreliant personnel training programs nationwide.
(2) Establish an investigative committee composed
primarily of MIF member companies to discuss
suitable strategies for a future micro/nano R&D
center and an appropriate administrative structure
and implementation plan required to realize thiscenter.
(3) Consider how equipment installed for the G-device
project of the BEANS Laboratory at the National
Institute of Advanced Industrial Science andTechnology (AIST) can best be utilized in the future
to enhance collaboration with the MEMS Foundry
Service.
The activity schedules for each of the above committees was
finalized in accordance with this overall activity schedule, andimplementation of the projects for this fiscal year has begun.

3. International Exchange Activities (Hannover
Messe, Micromachine Summit)
As part of its international exchange activities, the MIF
encourages international business and academic exchange byholding the International Micromachine/Nanotech Symposiumand dispatching overseas fact-finding missions, for example.
So far during the current fiscal year, the MIF has exhibited
products and presented papers at Hannover Messe 2010 held in
Hannover, Germany on April 19–23 and has participated in the
16th Micromachine Summit held in Dortmund, Germany on April
27–30. While both events took place during the difficult
circumstances of the volcanic eruption in Iceland, which resulted
in a chaotic flight schedule, we were able to attend the event inpart due to the support of MIF member companies.
The theme of this year’s Micromachine Summit was “Ambient
Assisted Living” on how micro/nano technology can be used to
improve lifestyles in an aging society. We left the Summit feelingthat, while the problem of an aging population is a major issue forJapan, it is actually a universal issue. As a result, nations aroundthe world have accelerated research efforts in a race to find asolution to the problem.

2. Preparations for MicroNano 2010
The micromachine exposition MicroNano 2010 will be held at
Tokyo Big Sight on July 28–30, 2010. Below is a description ofsome of the features in this year’s event and the current state of
preparations.
a. The International Micromachine/Nanotech Symposium
The 16th International Micromachine/Nanotech Symposium isheld to collect all the latest findings from overseas research
institutes under the theme “Green Innovation Explored by
Ambient Devices,” as indirect support for the G-device project.
As part of its duties, the International Exchange Committee isstudying the program while consulting with Toshihiro Ito, codirector of the AIST’s Research Center for Ubiquitous MEMS andMicro Engineering. By establishing a theme that overlaps the

16 t h Micromachine Summit(Dortmund, Germany)7

FY 2009 Reports on Research Studies
activities choreographed by industry and public institutions,such as promoting standardization through collaboration withpublic institutions and businesses, in order to facilitate Japan inchanging its focus from technological and applied development
to market growth and mass production.

The Micromachine Center (MMC) conducts surveys on
trends in MEMS-related industries and technologies, compiles
the data in its annual reports, and distributes these reports toall member companies in the MEMS Industry Forum (MIF) andothers involved in the MEMS industry. The Report on Industrial
Trends and the report on field-specific “Survey of Technological
Trends at Home and Abroad” for FY 2009 have been completed,and a summary of each is given below.

FY 2009 Survey of Technological Trends at Home andAbroad (by the MEMS Technological Trends Study
Committee)

FY 2009 Report on Industrial Trends (by the MEMS
Industrial Trends Study Committee)

The object of this survey is to monitor technological trends
from the fixed perspective of Transducers (held in Denver,
Colorado in 2009), the largest MEMS-related conference
worldwide.

The Industrial Trends Study Committee is continuing its
research study begun last fiscal year on the types of tools
employing MEMS technology (MEMS-Inside) and the uses forthese tools (MEMS applications), as well as the state of affairs
for MEMS-related businesses. The committee compiled thisinformation into its FY 2009 report on challenges and strategies
for the expansion of Japan’s MEMS industry.

1. Oral Presentations by Region
Since the Transducers conference was held in the U.S. in
2009, North America accounted for 43% of the oralpresentations, a large increase from its 25% share in theprevious year. On the other hand, Europe, which accounted for
39% of the oral presentations in the previous year, dropped bymore than half to 19% in 2009. Japan had a slight decrease insuch presentations from the previous year, but oralpresentations for other Asian countries increased from 14% to
19% in 2009.

1. Trends in MEMS Applications
MEMS has already been incorporated as a practicaltechnology in numerous products, including such recognizabledevices as airbag sensors for automobiles, controllers for game
consoles, and image stabilizers for digital cameras. It is anticipatedthat applications for various devices in diverse fields will continue
to emerge as we see further advances in MEMS/nano-function
composite technology, MEMS/semiconductor integrated
fabrication technology, and MEMS/MEMS high-integration
technology. Through recent trends in MEMS sensors,
microfluidic systems, and bioMEMS used in medical and welfare
fields, we expect to see an increase in the number ofapplications of MEMS for medical diagnostics, examinations,and treatment.

2. Numbers of Presentations by Specific Field
Among the basic technologies, actuators were the mostpopular, followed by packaging technologies, whose number
increased dramatically over the previous conference. Underapplied technologies, mechanical sensors occupied the top spotwith a considerable increase in number over the previous
conference. This topic was followed in popularity by fluidic andbiomedical systems, while the number of presentations on
chemical/bio sensors was half that of the previous conference.
When looking at the number of presentations by region for
specific applied technologies, North America had a large
number of presentations on RF-MEMS, power-MEMS, fluidics,
and chemical/bio sensors, reflecting a focus on sensor networks,
health care, and medical treatment. Europe, on the other hand,gave numerous presentations on image sensors andchemical/bio sensors, reflecting a focus on bio-related fields.
Japan had numerous presentations on mechanical sensors andchemical/bio sensors, indicating an emphasis on sensors used in
automobiles and consumer electronics. In contrast, Japan’s
small number of presentations on power-MEMS suggests thatJapan may be lagging behind in the area of energy harvesting.

2. Trends in MEMS-Related Businesses
Companies that make up the MEMS industry are continually
expanding into diverse sectors of business. An increasing
number of companies involved in electronic, mechanical,
precision, and chemical businesses are beginning to file
Japanese patent applications related to MEMS andmicromachine fields. The number of companies engaged in
MEMS devices has also increased since the previous year’s
survey, with more and more companies pursuing fields
expected to have future MEMS applications, such as MEMS
sensors, optical MEMS, and bioMEMS.

3. Challenges for the Expansion of Japan’s
MEMS Industry

3. Numbers of Presentations for Basic andApplied Fields

Japan’s MEMS industry is configured of a group of dominantcompanies that follow a vertical integration model, as opposedto the horizontal division of labor employed in overseas groups,
such as STMicroelectronics and foundries for analog devices
and MEMS. Japan’s model is less efficient because its
technology, expertise, and facilities are scattered, and Japan
does not conduct sufficient activities aimed at market
penetration and growth for MEMS devices. Thus, in terms of
cost competitiveness, which will be an important factor in the
future of industrial competitiveness, Japan’s model may beinferior to that used overseas. To strengthen the MEMS
industry in Japan, it will be necessary to implement aggressive

At the Transducers conference held the year before last,
the proportion of presentations on basic technologies wasdown, while presentations on applied technologies were on therise, but this year saw a slight increase in presentations on basic
technologies. In general, the proportion of interest in basic
technologies is high in European countries, but on the decline
in Asia. While Japan and Asia invest relatively heavily in shortterm projects, it appears that European countries are
conducting longer-term studies with a focus on basic
technologies.

8

Activities of the BEANS Laboratory

Dream Devices from BEANS
Devices that BEANS Researchers Would Like to
See Ten Years from Now

brain waves with great sensitivity and uses the detected data tocommunicate or to control an external device. Hence, by using
this device, a person could manipulate a tool by thought, or two
people could communicate with each other without speaking. In
the case of an implanted device, a biocompatible membrane
could be used to cover the device, and a mechanism could be
devised to generate power from heat or glucose in the body todrive the device without a battery, thereby involving bio-related
fields. The brain wave sensing function could be configured ofeither a) a very sensitive magnetometer such as asuperconducting quantum interference device (SQUID),
requiring a technology for forming a room-temperature
superconducting wire into a micro-coil, or b) a biosensor
capable of detecting hormones and neurotransmitters.

The BEANS Project was not established to develop any
specific device. We simply cannot designate any specific target
device because devices so innovative as to change the way welive are beyond our imagination today. Thus, trying to develop
innovative processes is much like feeling our way in the dark,
but we expect that such processes will eventually lead us to
produce innovative devices. By the same token, you cannot takea journey without knowing your destination, and we cannot
develop manufacturing processes without giving any thought toa target device. Therefore, we decided to dream up someinnovative devices for the future by thinking about what wetruly wanted to achieve and, when our entire research staff
gathered for the Annual Meeting of the BEANS Project on June
16, we held a brainstorming session.

(2) Hayabusa drug delivery: Much like the unmanned
spacecraft Hayabusa, which was controlled to land on an
asteroid far away from Earth, the proposed system would
deliver a drug directly to a very small affected area within the
inner “space” of the body with pinpoint accuracy. As in the film
Fantastic Voyage, a drug capsule 4–400 nm in size would be
injected into the blood vessel, and the capsule could be
configured of means for navigating through the bloodstream
and for releasing the drug once the capsule reached a desired
target. Here, the drug capsule must be manufactured with highprecision of nano order. It is apparent that a capsule too large
or too small could not navigate safely or with stability in the
bloodstream.

Format of the Discussions
The BEANS Project is currently composed of four major
research centers: Center A involved in the biomedical field,
Center B involved in organic materials and nanostructures,
Center C involved in 3D micromachining and low-damage
etching, and Center D involved in non-vacuum large-area
deposition and nanofabrication of fiber substrates. Since R&D
conducted by integrating dissimilar fields (heterogeneous
integration) is a defining feature of the BEANS Project,discussion was performed among groups intentionallycomposed of members specializing in different fields. Members
were divided into four groups, and three thirty-minute sessions
were held while shuffling the group members between eachsession. In Session One, the groups were asked to identify fromvarious perspectives the difficulties, inconveniences, or
frustrations that they as individuals or society as a whole deals
with in today’s world. In Session Two, the groups were asked to
discuss what type of device could be used to solve the issues
identified in Session One. In Session Three, the final session,groups were asked to devise a road map needed to link theattainment of the target device clarified in Session Two withresearch currently being performed at the BEANS research
centers.

(3) Flexible device: A great advantage of using organic
materials in electronics is their flexibility. The domain of
wearable devices similar to clothing stimulates the imagination.
There is no limit to the vast number of applications for devices
that can be fibrous one minute and membranous the next, suchas an organic EL display, thin-film solar cells, and polymer
batteries. Organic semiconductors may also be used toconfigure the drive circuit. Thus, this device is likely theexclusive domain of Center B, which is investigating
nanostructures of organic materials and nanofabrication.
However, the technologies being developed by Center D for the
nanofabrication of fiber substrate surfaces inspired proposals
for designing ambient clothing formed of fibers whereby thecolor of the fibrous surface could be changed at will, and asimple method to nanoimprint hair, enabling people to change
their hair color easily.

Dream Devices Conceived by Our Young
Research Staff
While the composition of the groups arranged to come up
with dream devices through heterogeneous integration may
have had some influence, the proposals showed a particular bias
toward devices that integrate bio-related fields developed byCenter A with micromachining by Center C, with very few
proposals linking organic materials developed by Center B andlarge-area deposition processes or fiber substrates developed byCenter D with other technological fields. Below are some
representative examples of their proposals.

(4) Portable thin-film spray: Based on the non-vacuum thinfilm deposition technology developed by Center D, one groupproposed a portable device that could be carried anywhere to
apply thin films in much the same way as a spray gun is used topaint a wall. Such a device is significant in that it would allow us
to coat walls and roofs with solar cells and to apply a solar cellcoating on cars. One day we might even see campgrounds
offering a service to spray your tent with solar cells.
At any rate, for one day we were allowed to wonder
whether devices such as those mentioned above would be taken
for granted ten years from now.

(1) Brain wave response device: While the group referred totheir device as a “psychokinesis (telekinesis) remote controller”
in their discussions, this device is not designed to use psychic
abilities like psychokinesis or telekinesis but rather detects faint9

Report on the FY 2010 Annual Meeting of the BEANS Project
The Annual Meeting of the BEANS Project was held for twodays on June 15 and 16, 2010 at X Wave Fuchu in Fuchu,
Tokyo. The meeting featured invited guests from the Ministry of
Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the New Energy andIndustrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) for a
total of 89 attendees. The purpose of the meeting was to report
on R&D efforts during the previous fiscal year by researchers ineach research area and to discuss the creation of newtechnologies through the integration of technologies being
pursued at each research center and the future that will becreated by BEANS, with the hope of enhancing intra-project
cooperation and competitiveness.
The first day’s session on June 15 featured speeches by theinvited guests and opening remarks from BEANS Project
Leader Atsushi Yusa. Next, individual researchers involved inthis year’s poster presentations gave brief descriptions of theirpresentations, after which presentations for the previous fiscal
year were presented in poster format.
In his opening remarks, Project Leader Yusa reaffirmed thesignificance of the Annual Meeting’s purpose and objectives. He
also pointed out that it would be important to intensify efforts
to keep up with the project schedule in order to achieve
tangible results, since this year is the interim evaluation year forthe project. He said that it would be essential for all members asa whole to focus on meeting their objectives.

Project Leader
Atsushi Yusa

The Annual Meeting

Sub Project Leader
Hiroyuki Fujita

In the group discussions, the researchers from each BEANS
research center were divided into four groups containing a
mixture of attendees from industry, government, and academia.
Groups were asked how the R&D currently engaged by the
BEANS Project would contribute to our lifestyles ten years fromnow and how this R&D could be tied to the development ofinnovative devices.
The technical committee meeting was held concurrently
with the group discussions. The committee meeting featured an
exchange of information with representatives of member
companies participating in the project, reports on the FY 2009
achievements presented by the directors of each BEANS
research center, and two technical speeches given by Professor
Yasuyuki Sakai of the University of Tokyo and Professor
Nobuyuki Moronuki of Tokyo Metropolitan University.
Thereafter, the results of the group discussions were
presented to all participants, with many members of theaudience also offering their views on our lifestyles ten years
from now.
The oral presentations featured outstanding researchpresentations by the following researchers recommended by
the center directors. Each presentation was followed by aspirited question-and-answer session.
Life BEANS Center
Hideaki Shibata
Life BEANS Center Kyushu
Kentaro Harada
3D BEANS Center
Osamu Nukaga
Macro BEANS Center
Takaaki Murakami
In addition to the above researchers, the following
individuals were awarded prizes for outstanding poster at theawards ceremony. The award certificates were presented by
Project Leader Yusa.
Best Poster Award
Nobuhiko Kojima
Outstanding Poster Awards
Yukiko Tsuda,
Takeshi Kobayashi,
Yuichiro Shimada,and Yongfang Li
The Annual Meeting concluded with an overall summary
and review by Keiichi Aoyagi, Director for R&D Coordination of
the BEANS Laboratory.

Poster presentations

There were 44 reports given on the previous fiscal year’s
R&D achievements in poster format. For poster presentations
on achievements in the current fiscal year, individual
researchers were allotted one minute each to promote theirown presentations. The summaries of achievements were wellreceived and had great bearing on the subsequentannouncement of presentation results. Individual researchers
used their allotted time to give presentations with their posters,
hoping to receive the Best Poster Award, and the session
included many valuable discussions. After all poster
presentations were given, Sub Project Leader Hiroyuki Fujita
gave feedback on the presentations. Following a break fordinner, discussions on the individual research topics were held,
continuing until late in the night.
The second day’s session on June 16 featured group
discussions, a technical committee meeting, reports on the
results of the group discussions, oral presentations, and aceremony to present the Best Poster Award and theOutstanding Poster Awards.

Technical committee meeting

10Group discussions

Activities of the G-device Project
Owing to a supplementary budget in FY 2009, a
new 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 (BEANS
Project).” 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 the
Tsukuba 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 the
8-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.
The
G-device
Project was officiallylaunched at the
MMC’s Techno Salonin Akihabara on April
8 at 2 p.m., whereparticipating members
andresearchers
gathered with guests
from the Ministry of
Economy, 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 the
BEANS 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 was
selected 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 were
present 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
ordershave
beendetermined 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 of
October).
We are also making steady progress on our R&D
efforts. 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 the
progress and challenges of
R&D projects at therespective centers. The
meetings 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