Members’ Profiles

ROHM Co., Ltd.
1. Company Profile
ROHM Co., Ltd. is a manufacturer of semiconductor
devices and electronic components and is involved in thedevelopment of systems in a wide variety of fields,
including consumer electronics, mobile phones andcommunication devices, and automotive devices. While its
headquarters are in Kyoto, ROHM utilizes a development
and sales network that has expanded globally to provide
LSIs and discrete semiconductor products with superior
quality and reliability.
Moore’s Law suggests that technological innovationin semiconductors will come through refinements inmanufacturing processes. ROHM, on the other hand, ispursuing improvements in performance through newconcepts, as reflected in its motto “More than Moore.”
We are meeting new demands in the industry by exploring
diverse technological innovation that transcends thetraditional measuring stick of “refinement,” while developing
or integrating element technologies in a wide range offields, such as new materials, MEMS, biotechnology, andoptical technology.
Among its efforts in the field of MEMS, ROHM
manufactures high-performance MEMS accelerometersand high-performance products suitable for sensor
networks employing MEMS devices. The latter is achieved
through the utilization of our core technologies, including
low power consumption, miniature packaging, digital-analog
mixed-signal ICs, and wireless communications. We’ve
also completed the development of a microvolume
blood analyzing chip, a concept realized by integrating
biotechnology with MEMS.

environment. Based on our concept of “More than Moore,”
we are now working toward the fusion of biotechnology
with semiconductor and optical technology, which wehave gained over the years, and are developing compact
medical and bio systems.
As an example of our progress in biotechnology,
ROHM has developed a POCT product called BanalystR, amicrovolume blood testing system employing a µTAS chip.
This system can perform tests on just a drop of blood andin less than ten minutes, outperforming large analyzing
equipment. The entire test reaction is made possible byconstructing a micro reaction space in the biochip usingµTAS technology and performing flow control for areagent that has been pre-encapsulated in the chip.
Compact systems using µTAS are expected to flourish
in a variety of medical settings for tasks that werepreviously unheard of, such as bedside examinations inclinics and examinations for health care in remote areas.
The microvolume blood testing system Banalyst
employing µTAS

2. Activities in Bio-MEMS
Nearly a decade has passed since ROHM began R&D inbiotechnology. Our R&D efforts have been oriented
primarily toward self care products. During this time, wehave been developing µTAS (micro total analysis system)
technology as a core technology. Owing to the decrease inpopulation in recent years coupled with a rapid decline inbirthrate and an aging population, we anticipate a surge inusers of health and welfare, medical care, and nursing
services. Indeed, the age of home care and point of caretesting (POCT) has arrived.
The field of biotechnology, of which we have only justbegun to scratch the surface in our R&D activities, iscurrently showing promise as a candidate for companywide development under one of our three concepts ofbusiness expansion aimed at the next fifty years: healthand medical care, safety and security, and theThe microvolume blood testing system
Banalyst employing µTAS3. Conclusion
In addition to bio-MEMS devices, we will be working
on technical development of MEMS devices for applicationin sensor networks and energy harvesting systems. To
this end, we believe it necessary to engage in strategic
government-industry-academy collaboration in order tocombine our fields of specialty. We hope that such close
collaboration and the exchange of ideas will lead to rapid
development of novel products.

MICRONANO No. 74
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 charge. Please send your comments about MICRONANO to the publisher :MBR99 Bldg., 6F., 67 Kanda Sakumagashi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-0026, Japan
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Internet Home Page h t t p : / / w w w . m m c . o r . j p /Date of Issue : January 14, 2011