MEMS Foundry Service Industry Committee
Takuji Keno
Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd.
Former Chairman of the MEMS Foundry Service Industry Committee

1. Overview
Highly anticipated as the next cornerstone ofindustry, Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS)
is the integration of mechanical, optical, and fluid
elements with electronic circuits throughmicrofabrication. Initially, MEMS products weredeveloped by a handful of companies who possessed
the necessary infrastructure. However, commercial
MEMS foundry services began to appear gradually inJapan around the end of the 90s. Based on a survey offoundry networks developed in the West, the MEMS
Foundry Service Industry Committee (FSIC) wasestablished in June of 2002 to construct such anetwork in Japan.
The Committee, whose membership has increased
to eleven organizations at present, conducts seminars
and other activities. Below I will outline the activitiesof the FSIC.

Fig. 1 Members of the MEMS FSIC

In view of these issues, the FSIC has performed thefollowing activities to date.
(1) In order to promote the network and expand its
user base, we have launched a Web site(http://fsic.mmc.or.jp) detailing services offered by
the various companies and event information. We
have also given presentations and joint seminars
at the Micromachine Exhibition.
(2) Through joint discussions with industry,government, and academia on promoting theMEMS industry, we have clarified the importanceof inexpensive and user-friendly design tools andthe need for a reliable material database in orderto help users initiate new projects.
(3) We have provided a help desk on the FSIC Web
site entitled MEMStation. Beginning services on
July 1, 2005, MEMStation provides a relatively
easy approach to choosing a suitable foundrybusiness.

2. Activities of the MEMS FSIC
Companies now offering MEMS foundry services have
expanded their business to provide such services toexternal customers, using facilities that were employed
for many years to produce in-house products. However,in the interest of expanding the prototyping and massproduction services available to users, it will be necessary
to link company resources organically over a network inorder to utilize resources more effectively and to resolvecommon issues facing foundries.
It is for this purpose that the MEMS foundrycompanies shown in Fig. 1 have formed this committeearound the Micromachine Center and have initiatedactivities to construct such a network. The committee
activities involve the following issues.
1) Promotional activities for expanding MEMS users(workshops, activities for introducing thefoundries, etc.)
2) Identifying problems in network management
3) Identifying common problems facing MEMS
foundries and determining demand for design andanalytical tools
4) Approaches for facilitating MEMS usage forcustomers, process standardization, consulting,etc.
5) Discussing common problems for users andexamining business guidelines

3. Conclusion
MEMS enables the microfabrication of devices andmodules merging precision mechanical, optical, and fluid
parts with electronic circuits, and we are confident that
MEMS will raise Japan’s level of competitiveness in themechatronics industry. We believe that by constructing a
network of MEMS companies, each with their own field ofexpertise, the FSIC can provide optimal solutions to users
wishing to develop and mass-produce MEMS devices.

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