MMC Activities..............1
MemsONE Pj ................4
Column.......................5
Overseas Trends............6
Member’s Profiles .........8

MMC Activities

The 11th International Micromachine / Nanotech Symposium
The Micromachine Center, in conjunction with METI
and NEDO, will hold the 11 t h International
Micromachine/Nanotech Symposium on November 10(Thursday), 2005, in the Science Hall of the Science
Museum in Kitanomaru Park, Tokyo. Under the subtitle“Micromachine Technology: Driving the Creation andExpansion of New Industries,” the symposium willfeature 12 lectures presented by four invited speakers
from overseas and eight from within Japan, all leading
experts in the field, in three sessions: “Micromachine
Business Frontiers,” “Realizing the Potential of
Micromachine Applications,” and “At the Cutting Edgeof Micromachine Technology.” Furthermore, as part ofMicromachine Center preparations for theestablishment next April of a MEMS Association topromote industrial exchange and technologicaldevelopment, the symposium will also feature a special
session entitled, “Towards the Expansion of MEMS
Industries,” that will include a keynote address andpanel discussion comprising panelists representing
various industries.
The special session, “Towards the Expansion of
MEMS Industries,” will begin with a keynote address
presented by Professor Hiroyuki Fujita of the Universityof Tokyo entitled “Strategies for Expanding MEMS
Industries and Developing New Fields.” This will befollowed by a panel discussion comprising Professor
Fujita as coordinator and 6 panelists representing
various industries: Mr. Yoshinori Komiya, Director of
the Industrial Machinery Division, Manufacturing
Industries Bureau, METI; Mr. Hiroya Taguchi, Presidentof the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers and Chief
Executive Officer of the Life Science Group at HitachiLtd.; Mr. Tsuneyuki Miyake, Deputy Editor of Nikkei
Microdevices, Nikkei Business Publications Inc.; Prof.
Harri Kopola of VTT Electronics; Mr. Haruo Ogawa,
Division Manager of the New Business Planning Division
at Olympus Co.; and Mr. Hitoshi Ogata, Sr. Executive
Office and Vice President of Corporate R&D at
Mitsubishi Electric Corp. This panel discussion is
expected to provide extremely useful ideas for the
expansion of MEMS industries.
Session 1, “Micromachine Business Frontiers,” willfeature three lectures presented by representatives ofleading manufacturers of products in whichmicromachine technology plays a significant role. One
lecture will recount the success story of Analog Devices,manufacturer of such cutting-edge products as ink-jet
printers with heads created using micromachinetechnology whose application is spreading to previously
unimagined fields; rapidly advancing mobile telephonesthat are expected to evolve even more remarkably
through the application of MEMS technology; andacceleration sensors necessary for vehicles (overseas
speaker). Symposium participants can look forward toInternet Home Page : http://www.mmc.or.jp/

lectures that paint a vivid picture of R&D at theforefront of the MEMS industry.
Session 2, “Realizing the Potential of Micromachine
Applications,” will present five lectures concerning
either research on the application of MEMS and/or
nanotechnology in fields such as medicine, energy, andspace, or highly integrated complex MEMS adaptable toa diverse range of applications. Of particular interest arelectures on the application of MEMS in space researchat NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (overseas
speaker) and research at the VTT Technical ResearchCenter, which has produced many of Finland's technicalinnovations, most famously those of Nokia.
Micromachine technology is being heralded as a meansof answering society's needs and resolving social
problems; R&D is being actively pursued in a diversityof fields, and high expectations are held for its future
development.
Session 3, “At the Cutting Edge of MicromachineTechnology,” will feature four lectures concerning
nanomaterials, ultraprecision micromachining, nanometrology, and thin-film material/nanomaterial
limitations. Research on materials, processing,measurement, and reliability-related basic technologies
are essential to MEMS development; this session
provides a sampling of cutting-edge research being
steadily pursued at universities and research
institutions. It is anticipated that, through research suchas this, micromachine technology will achieve theevolution necessary for it to answer diversifying needs,
leading to the further expansion of MEMS industries.
The 16th Micromachine Exhibition will also be held at
the Science Museum, over the three days from
September 9 (Wednesday) to 11 (Friday). The
numerous displays will include micromachine-related
works created by businesses, universities, andorganizations. In order to gain the best possible
understanding of micromachine technology, it isrecommended that symposium participants also takethis opportunity to see actual micromachines in action.
Symposium participants will therefore be allowed free
and unlimited entry to the micromachine exhibition onpresentation of their participation certificate.
Furthermore, the interim report for the MemsONE
Project will be presented on September 11, the final dayof the exhibition, at the Science Museum; symposium
and exhibition visitors are warmly invited to attend thismeeting also.
Participation in the symposium, exhibition, andreport presentation is sure to stir the imagination andsuggest ideas instrumental to future research andbusiness. We therefore look forward to welcoming alarge number of participants to each of these events.

The 11th International Micromachine / Nanotech Symposium- Micromachine Technology is Pulling the Creation and Development of New Industries -November 10, 2005, The Science Museum, Tokyo
Opening

Chairman: Keiichi Aoyagi (MMC)

9:15 --- 9:20

Opening Remarks

Tamotsu Nomakuchi (Micromachine Center)

9:20 --- 9:25

Guest Speech

Yoshinori Komiya (Industrial Machinery Division,
Manufacturing Industries Bureau, METI)

Special Session Towards Development of New MEMS Industries
9:25 --- 9:40

Strategies for Further Development of MEMS
Industries and Emerging Applications

9:40 --- 11:00

Panel Discussion
Towards Development of New MEMS Industries

Session 1

The Forefront of the Micromachine Business

11:00 --- 11:25

The Inkjet Printer and Its Industrial
Application

Mitsuro Atobe (Seiko Epson Corp.)

11:25 --- 11:50

Trends in Mobile Phones and RF-MEMS
Applications

Kunihiko Nakamura (Matsushita ElectricIndustrial Co., Ltd.)

11:50 --- 12:20

Acceleration Sensors

Bob Sulouff (Analog Devices Inc.)

12:20 --- 13:20

Hiroyuki Fujita (The University of Tokyo)
Coordinator: Hiroyuki Fujita (The University of Tokyo)
Panelist: Hitoshi Ogata (Mitsubishi Electric Corp.),
Haruo Ogawa (Olympus Corp.), Yoshinori Komiya (METI),
Hiroya Taguchi (The Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers),
Tsuneyuki Miyake (Nikkei Business Publications, Inc.),Harri Kopola (VTT Electronics)

Chairman: Isao Shimoyama (The University of Tokyo)

Lunch

Session 2

Micromachine Applications Expected to Flower

13:20 --- 13:45

Biomedical Application of BioMEMS
and Nanotechnology

Yoshinobu Baba (Nagoya University)

13:45 --- 14:15

Optical Applications - Potential andChallenge for MEMS -Harri Kopola (VTT Electronics)

14:15 --- 14:40

Development of Integrated Micro Reactors with
Reformers for Small Fuel Cells

Osamu Nakamura (Casio Computer Co., Ltd.)

14:40 --- 15:10

MEMS and Nanotechnology
for Space Applications

Thomas George (ViaLogy Corporation)

15:10 --- 15:35

Fine MEMS

Isao Shimoyama (The University of Tokyo)

15:35 --- 15:50

Chairman: Kazuhiro Hane (Tohoku University)

Break

Session 3

The Leading Edge of Micromachine Technology

15:50 --- 16:15

MEMS-related Nanomaterials

Gen Hashiguchi (Kagawa University)

16:15 --- 16:40

Ultraprecision Micromachining and Its
Application

Yoshimi Takeuchi (Osaka University)

16:40 --- 17:05

Nanometrolog - Subnanometer-scale Dimensional
Measurement Using Atomic Force Microscopy -Satoshi Gonda (Advanced Semiconductor ResearchCenter, AIST)

17:05 --- 17:35

Understanding the Limitations ofStructural Films and Nanomaterials

Christopher Muhlstein (The Pennsylvania State University)

Closing Remarks

Keiichi Aoyagi (MMC)

Chairman: Ryutaro Maeda (AIST)

Closing
17:35 --- 17:40

2

MEMS Foundry Service at Matsushita Electric Works
Kazushi Tomii, Group Leader of Prototype Fabrication
Advanced MEMS Development Center
Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd.
Owing to this development, MEW developed avertical silicon etching technique using Deep RIE forforming through-holes and micropatterns in wafers
and achieving high aspect ratios, and silicon-oninsulator (SOI) bulk micromachining techniques for
performing precision processing on a submicron orderusing SOI wafers formed by wafer bonding. These
technologies enable the fabrication of smaller devices
with higher performance.

1. Outline
Since 1981, Matsushita Electric Works (MEW) has
developed and accumulated knowledge in technologies
involving semiconductor devices, such as relay
devices, for in-house applications. From the mid1990s, the company began developing MEMS devices
in earnest, including pressure sensors andaccelerometers, and later put its in-house facilities touse by launching the MEMS foundry service in 2002.
MEW offers a wide range of services from wafer
processing, using bulk micromachining techniques (amicromachining technology for producing complex 3D
structures through Deep-RIE on silicon substrates andwafer bonding) accumulated through in-housedevelopment of MEMS products, to packaging.
Through its rich experience in mass-producing MEMS
sensors, the company can provide total solutions fromprototyping to mass-production.

3. Features of the Foundry Service
MEW's foundry service performs a wide range ofservices from single-wafer processes to device fabricationand packaging. In addition to the technologies describedabove, the foundry can produce various 3D structures bycombining nanopatterning with a semiconductor stepper,
glass substrates processing, and bonding steps. MEW also
possesses a packaging technology fostered through thedevelopment of various in-house devices and can offer
services applying a micropackaging technology using
molded interconnect devices (MID; a technology to
manufacture 3D electric circuits directly on injection
molded boards).
MEW possesses fabrication and quality assurance
knowledge founded on a wealth of experience fromdevelopment to mass-production of in-house products.
Based on this know-how, the foundry offers services fromdesign and small-quantity prototype fabrication to design
studies for mass-production and actual mass-production.
MEW can perform services from development andprototype production to small-quantity production on its
4-inch line at the Advanced MEMS Development Center,located at the Kadoma headquarters in Osaka, andpossesses a 6-inch line for mass-production at its Ise Plant
in Mie Prefecture.

2. MEMS Technology at Matsushita Electric Works
For many years now, MEW has developed andcommercialized various MEMS products with a focus
on bulk micromachined MEMS sensors. Applying
anisotropic etching of silicon, developed throughprocessing semiconductor relays, MEW has usedpiezoresistive pressure sensors in such consumer
products as blood pressure monitors, and has
employed single-axis accelerometers of the same
piezoresistive type for automotive uses. To date, thecompany has also developed three-axis
accelerometers, and actuators used for MEMS opticalswitches, MEMS relays, and microvalves.

Microvalve

4. Conclusion
In addition to using its MEMS processing technologies
developed and accumulated thus far for in-houseproducts, MEW also hopes to accelerate the practical use
and applications of MEMS by extensively providing thesetechnologies to users trying to develop MEMS businesses.
Through assistance from NEDO, MEW is participatingin the MEMS Project, a three-year endeavor that began in
2003, developing new MEMS processing technologies.
The company aims to further develop and expand its
foundry services in the future.

MEMS relay
Single-axis accelerometer
Pressure sensor

Optical switch

Three-axis
accelerometer

STotal production: 1.5 million
SApplications: in-vehicle sensors SUnder development
STotal production: 22 million
SApplications: blood pressure monitors and pressure gauges

MEMS development at Matsushita Electric Works

3

Mechanical Simulator and Process Analysis Tools
Mizuho Information & Research Institute, Inc. Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems, Science and Technology
Yasuroh Iriye, Associate General Manager;
Atsushi Sato, Senior Consultant; andTakuya Iwasaki, Ph.D., Chief Consultant
The process analysis tools are used to create device
structures, as well as to study mask layout and process
flow design. Three-dimensional device structuresdeveloped with this tool can be imported into themechanical simulator described above. The process
analysis tools include the following functions.

In the previous issue of the MICROMACHINE
magazine (May 2005 issue), Hiroyuki Fujita, theproject leader of MemsONE, summarized the entire
MemsONE project. In this issue, we will introduce themechanical simulator and process analysis tools led by
the Mizuho Information & Research Institute.
As shown in Fig. 1, the mechanical simulator andprocess analysis tools are provided in the MemsONE
system as basic analytical functions that can be usedthrough a software framework in the form of a GUI and
can be linked with the material and process database,for example. The software framework for the
MemsONE system comes with CAD and visualization
functions so that coherent mechanical analysis andprocess analysis can be performed through this system
alone.

• Anisotropic wet etching
Provides a simulator to analyze anisotropic wet
etching processes in order to predict transientchanges in the 3D etching profile• Dry etching
Can confirm the etching shape produced through a
dry etching process• Thin film deposition
Creates a 3D structure by emulating a physical orchemical vapor process according to a geometricmethodThe mechanical simulator is a set of programs forstudying and evaluating the mechanical properties of
MEMS devices and can be used in specification studies
during the initial design stage. The simulator may also
be used for final performance evaluations once theshape of the device has been determined. The
mechanical simulator includes the following functions.

• Multiprocessing
Provides a function for creating 3D structures
according to an emulator using a geometric method,and enables the thermal history and other data
described in the 3D structural data and the process
recipe to be used in the mechanical simulator• Stress-strain analysis
Can predict structural behavior, such as vibrations,deformation, and stress characteristics• Electromagnetic field analysis
Can evaluate Lorentz force and distributions ofelectric potential, electric current, and magnetic
fields in devices employing electromagnetic drive
systems

It is our hope that many people engaged in thedesign and development of MEMS devices will makeuse of these tools, and that the tools will contribute to
the development of MEMS industry in Japan.

• Piezoelectric analysis
Can predict structural behavior in devices having
piezoelectric material
Framework• Thermal analysis
Can analyze changes in the temperature distribution
in structures over time and thermal deformation insuch changes

Development of a user-friendly interface• Effect analysis of ambient gases
Can find the damping rate of a MEMS structures that
oscillates rapidly in gases

Mechanicalsimulator

Process
analysis tools

Stress-strain analysis

Anisotropic wet
etching

Electromagnetic analysis
Piezoelectric analysis• Coupling analysis
Can perform coupled analysis of the aforementionedfunctions in the mechanical simulator and cancomprehensively verify and evaluate structuralstress-strain, electrostatic fields, magnetic fields,
piezoelectric and other drive mechanisms, andmoving mechanisms in such MEMS aselectromagnetic actuators, electrostatic actuators,
and thermal actuators

Dry etching

ThermalanalysisThin film deposition

Effect analysisof ambient gases

Multiprocessing

Coupled analysis

Expandedfunctions

Knowledge
database

Material andprocess
database

Development of functional modules

Plug-in module

Plug-in database

Fig. 1 Configuration of the MemsONE system

4Column

MEMS Design and Analysis Support System Development (MemsONE) Project
Hidetoshi Kotera, Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University
been designed so that first-time users and engineers
with relatively little experience can design MEMS
devices with less anxiety. The material databaseincludes sample measurements of material properties
obtained by domestic MEMS foundries during trial
manufacturing. Results obtained by the user when
designing MEMS devices on the computer can be used
for trial manufacturing at a foundry service. (Note:material properties can change due to various factors
and cannot be guaranteed.) The MemsONE system
also incorporates an emulation program for calculating
possible mask shapes once the final formation isentered, as well as a mask layout editor and functions
for simulating such processes as etching and thermal
and photonic nanoimprinting.
The MemsONE Project for developing this system
has been subsidized by NEDO, enabling specialists
from about ten companies and fourteen universities toparticipate in the development between 2004 and 2006.
We sincerely hope that you will follow the progress of
the MemsONE Project and obtain the MemsONE
system for your own use in the spring of 2007.
General Concept of MemsONE System
Framework: GUI

User-friendly interface

Mask layout

Process recipes

CAD data converter

Automated lattice formation

Analytical settings

Plug-in interface

CAD modeler

Display of analytical results

Pre-/post-processors
for electromagnetic waves

Database interface

Mechanical simulator

Process simulator

Expanded functions

Strain/stress analysis

Anisotropic wet etching

Inverse process analysis

Electromagnetic field analysis

Dry etching

Bonding/packaging analysis

Piezoelectric analysis

Thin film deposition

Thermal analysis

Multi-process

Effects of ambient gas flow

Thermal nanoimprinting analysis

Coupling analysis

Photonic nanoimprinting analysis

Database manager

Knowledge database

Examples of typicaldevice structures andprocesses, and tutorials
Material andprocess database

Mechanical properties,
process configurations,
physical parameters for models
Material and process property
database for enhanced precision

Analytical function modules

External plug-in

Plug-in database

Research and Development Members and Implementation Structure

Electromagnetic
field analysis

Osaka Pref. Univ.
Okayama Univ.
Kagawa Univ.
Kyoto Univ.
Gunma Univ.
Tokyo Metropolitan Univ.
The Univ. of Tokyo
Tokyo Inst. of Technology
Toyohashi Univ. of Technology

Nagoya Univ.
Niigata Univ.
Univ. of Hyogo

Piezoelectric
analysis

Material andprocess database

Stress/strain
analysis

Knowledge
database

Steps in manufacturing include planning, functional
design, basic design, trial production, functional
testing, design for mass-production, and trial mass
production. For manufacturing in the 21st century,computer-aided engineering (CAE) can be effective ineach step of manufacturing to reduce the amount of
trial production and to perform functional evaluationsin advance for more suitably examining structures,principles, mechanisms, and materials.
Used, in many fields, CAE enables the researcher
to virtually manufacture prototypes on a computer andto perform experiments to comprehend functions andphenomena of the object to be created. In MEMS R&D,
the structure of the object is very small, making it
difficult to grasp phenomena of the object throughdetailed measurements. Further, testing prototypes
requires as much time and expense as normal
equipment development. In this sense, CAE can be aneffective tool.
There are four fields within CAE, (1) computeraided design (CAD), (2) computer-aided analysis(CAA), (3) computer-aided testing (CAT), and (4)computer-aided machining or manufacturing (CAM).
CAD and CAA are the most important functions inresearch and development. Most researchers andengineers in MEMS R&D employ one of many generalpurpose or proprietary CAE systems. Unfortunately,commercial CAE systems are terribly expensive andare prohibitive to beginners because of their extensivefunctions. The design and development of any
equipment requires knowledge and experience in thematerials, mechanisms, and structural processes
involved. Even if one is versed in the usage of CAE
systems, it is difficult to determine which materials to
select and which mechanisms to use, as well as how toevaluate a device that has been manufactured virtuallyon a computer. Hence, a support environment is vital
when using this system. In the case of MEMS, theproperties of the finished materials and structuresdiffer according to the equipment and conditions
involved in production. Therefore, even if the device
can be virtually manufactured on a computer, muchtime is still required for specifying conditions for
actually manufacturing the device.
With this background, the objective of theMemsONE Project is to provide a CAE system that isreadily available and easy to use for engineers andresearchers aspiring to develop MEMS devices.
In the spring of 2007, the MemsONE system will be
released in Japan free of charge. In addition to a CAD
system for designing MEMS devices and various CAA
systems for understanding such phenomena as how avirtually developed device will function, the MemsONE
system has a knowledge database containing
contributions from many experts in MEMS and a
database of materials used in MEMS. The system has

Plug-ininterface
Photonic
nanoimprinting
analysis

Display ofanalyticalresults

Thermalnanoimprinting
analysis
Effects ofambient gas
flow

Multiprocess

Coupling
analysis

Anisotropic
wet etchingDryetching

DBIF

Thin film
deposition

Hokkaido Univ.

Mask layout

5

CAD
modeler

Automatedlatticeformation

Pre-/post-processors
for electromagnetic
waves

Process
recipesMizuho Information & Research Institute, Inc.

Analyticalsettings

GUI

Data format
forcommercial
softwareInverseprocess
analysis

DB

Thermalanalysis

CAD data
converter

Bonding/
packaging
analysisNewfunctionsOverseas Trends

COMS 2005, Germany, August 21-25, 2005
market share of 4.2 billion euros in 2003 by itself, creating 49
thousand jobs and as many as 680 thousand jobs when including
related industries. He indicated that the industry frominnovation to the development of industrial technology wasreceiving resolute support.
Themes in the keynote session and plenary session included
successful case studies on issues facing the micro nano industry,
citing Bosch as one successful enterprise. Other presenterstalked about the MNT businesses in Germany, Holland, andSwitzerland, while others emphasized that a national system forproviding support to MNT in the nation or region had beenstrengthened, or advocated the nurturing of entrepreneurs andthe like. While I was impressed with how the Europeanscountries were actively engaged in the MNT industry
nationwide, there were remarks that the EU procedures for
MNT programs were complex and inflexible, providing little
actual help for industrialization and being particularly ineffective
for small businesses.
Overall, the presentations appeared to be stressing the needfor cooperation among industry, government, and academia,
intensifying activities to support entrepreneurs and a broad
range of businesses, and advocating the need to establish acommercialization center by promoting its usefulness.
In connection with this, it was also striking to see how
European countries work actively to industrialize MNT in theirlocal industries. Steady activities to commercialize
micromechanical parts, traditionally thought to be far removed
from MEMS industrialization, have been nurtured through soundnational support. One example can be seen in Switzerland in the
supply of parts to watch-related industries. This year's
conference included a tour of Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe, a
research institute under the German government. On the
expansive grounds of the institute, the birthplace of the LIGA
technology, work is carried out on parts industrialization and on
producing machines and heat exchanger parts through a uniquemethod of micromachining metal and ceramic materials. These
approaches toward parts other than semiconductors could serve
as a reference for future undertakings in micromachines.
The representative of Micralyne Inc., a Canadian foundry,
remarked that there is not likely to emerge another “killer app”
for the MEMS industry, and most growth in the industry will
come about by the steady production of small volume, highadded value products. He emphasized that foundry customers
must design their products within the technological capacity of
the foundry rather than trying too
hard to produce something unusual,
undertake due diligence inmanufacturing their products, andeducate themselves on the frameworkof commercialization, including new
products and required investment.
We would be wise to carefully
consider this advice in Japan, as well.

The international conference COMS 2005 was held at BadenBaden, a world-famous and stylish hot springs resort inGermany's Black Forest, for discussing issues regarding thevitalization of the micro and nano technology (MNT) industry.
The conference is held for industrial and government
representatives involved in the MEMS industry primarily inEurope and North America as an opportunity to raise anddiscuss issues related to this industry. The conference is held inmajor cities, alternating between the two continents. This year
marked the tenth COMS conference. Recently, representatives
in the industry have recognized the importance of Asia as asource of information and have advocated holding a conferencein the Asia-Oceania region. There now appear to be plans forholding the conference in Australia in 2007 (next year the
conference will be held in St. Petersburg, Florida.).
This year's conference had 270 some people in attendance
and more than 140 presentations, producing lively discussions
with more than half of the participants reporting. Incidentally,
the first conference held in 1984 was very small, with only 80
some participants. However, the number of participants has
increased steadily every year, particularly in North America
where last year's conference received an attendance of 340.
Attendance at conferences held in Europe, on the other hand,tends to be only slight more than two-thirds that in North
America, indicating that the field has a stronger hold in North
America.
The breakdown of participants in this year's conference heldin Baden-Baden was 65% Europeans, 25% North Americans, and
10% Asians. The vitalization of industry in Europe was a major
topic of discussion.
The conference opened with a greeting from Dr. Sigrun
Lang, the mayor of Baden-Baden. She related how the city had arich history in which it prospered as a high-class resort for kings,
emperors, and noblemen and has long been a behind-the-scenes
political arena. She expressed her hope that COMS 2005 would
serve as a venue for new and important discussions, as whenCharles de Gaulle held his private meetings there.
Later, Dr. Wolfgang Stöffler of the BMBF-Federal Ministry of
Education and Research in Germany proclaimed that theGerman government has invested much in micro and nanotechnology and has great expectations for the field. As Dr.
Stöffler had to attend to other business matters, his deputy
Carsten Diehl reported on how the MNT industry had achieved
recognition as an important industry in Germany by reaching a6

Report on the Transducers '05 International Conference in South Korea
Except for the keynote speeches given on the
opening day, the entire format of the conference
consisted of four parallel sessions run simultaneously.
Lively discussions were heard in all sessions. The
biotechnology-related sessions particularly attracted
many listeners in every hall and in some cases were so
crowded that not everyone who wanted to could attend.

The 13th International Conference on Solid-State
Sensors, Actuators and Microsystems was held in
Seoul, Korea, June 5-9, 2005 at the Convention andExhibition Center (COEX). The 800 some participantsfrom twenty-seven countries (registered as of May 31)
at Transducers '05 was down from the 1,100 someparticipants at Transducers '03, held two years earlier
in Boston, but the lively feel at this year's conference
reflected the great expectations that the MEMS fieldstill commands. As the conference was held inneighboring South Korea this year, 201 of theparticipants came from Japan. This very large number
shows the high level of interest Japan holds for MEMS
in comparison with the rest of the world.
The majority of presentations at the conference
consisted of reports on sensors, actuators, and theirmaterials, production, and assembly that apply
technologies across a broad range, including thechemical, physical, mechanical, and electrical fields.
The 532 presentations included 3 keynote speakers, 15
guest speakers, 199 oral presenters, and 315 poster
presentations, while 50% of the 1,035 submitted
papers were accepted (based on a report given during
the opening ceremony).
Fig. 1 illustrates the changes over the years and thenumber of submitted papers and the percentage of
papers that were accepted, showing a dramaticallyincreasing trend in the number of submitted papers
over the past several years. These figures support thevigorous activity in MEMS R&D in recent years. Whenexamining the number of presentations given bycountry, Japan had the most with 132, followed inorder by the U.S. with 119, South Korea with 79,
Germany with 39, and Taiwan with 33. In terms ofresearch institutes, the University of Tokyo gave themost presentations, providing evidence to the spirited
efforts put forth by Japan's research institutes.

Submitted papers

Acceptance rate

1200

800
600
400
200
05

3

1

l'
ou
Se

st

on

'0

'0
Bo

un

ic

h

'9
ai
M

nd
Se

hi

ca

go

'9

9

7

0

Acceptance rate

Submitted papers

60%
58%
56%
54%
52%
50%
48%
46%
44%
42%
40%

1000

C

A session of the conference

Among the keynote speeches given on the first dayof the conference, Dr. Kurt E. Petersen of SiTime
Corporation in the U.S. talked about the history,
present state, and future of MEMS under the theme “A
New Age for MEMS.” A memorable part of this lecture
was his description of how the well-known Moore's
Law predicting the trend of technologicaladvancement in semiconductors could be adapted to
MEMS technology.
Turning to the oral presentations, a report on the
integration of LSI and physical sensors, such aspressure sensors and accelerometers, attracted muchattention. Although the approaches for suchintegration differed, one came away with theimpression that the fusion of MEMS and LSI isprogressing more steadily than before. In the area ofmaterials, it appears that polymers are being
incorporated into various biotechnology MEMS. Thesefeatures were also presented in the previous
conference, but it appears that new functionality andperformance, as well as practicality, has been derived
by skillfully incorporating the characteristics ofpolymers in MEMS. In terms of manufacturingmethods, the DRIE session was reestablished at thisconference, and proposals were made for several
devices and methods using silicon DRIE, one of thekeys to MEMS machining technology. It would appear
that a DRIE technology capable of meeting the needsfor device processing is nearing completion.
The next international conference, Transducers '07,
is scheduled to be held June 10-14, 2007 in Lyon, France.

Fig. Changes in the number of submitted papers andtheir acceptance rate7

Members' Profiles

Nano Device and System Research, Inc.
1. Endeavors in MEMS Technology
Nano Device and System Research, Inc. (NanodeS) isa venture company that was founded on April 2, 2001 to
develop commercially viable applications for MEMS. We
are also planning on trying our hand at nanodevices, which
are expected to be a critical technology in the 21st
century. Susumu Sugiyama, the CEO of the company, hasbeen conducting close collaborative research with
Ritsumeikan University, while holding a concurrent post at
the university as a professor specializing in MEMS.
Ritsumeikan University possesses a synchrotron for
irradiating soft X-rays to perform nanolithography. Bymaking good use of this technology, we can develop
devices with nanostructures.

Nano Device and System Research, Inc.
Yoshikazu Tobinaga, COO
evaluates its electrical properties when an electrical bias is
applied.

2. Existing Technology
MEMS can be broadly categorized as sensors that takein signals from the environment and the like, andactuators for drive systems. Currently, development ofsensors has advanced more rapidly, as they can be givenfunctionality with a simple structure. NanodeS has also
focused its development on sensors, specificallyaccelerometers, biosensors, and pressure sensors.
(1) Developing Applications for Existing MEMS
We have primarily been developing applications
centered on MEMS researched at Ritsumeikan University.
We are now nearing completion of a six-axis
accelerometer and are currently seeking a partner forcollaborative research aimed at commercializing theaccelerometer. A feature of this accelerometer is its ability
to perform rotational sensing, making it suitable for use ina fluid sensor or a robot arm that performs complex
movements. We are striving to capture the subtle
movement of humans.

The 6-axis accelerometer developed at Ritsumeikan University(2) Developing Nanodevices
Through X-ray lithography performed with asynchrotron, we can achieve nanoprecision machining.
With this technology, NanodeS is currently trying todevelop a nanogap biosensor. This is a new biochip sensor
that captures a single strand of DNA in the nanogap and

The synchrotron at Ritsumeikan University
has a peak wavelength of 1.5 nm

3. Future Endeavors
Optical devices are devices that use nanostructures asfunctions for direct expression. For example, thewavelengths of visible light fall within a range from 800 nm
to 400 nm, the former extreme being the color red and thelatter corresponding to blue or violet. If we can control the
wavelengths at a precision of about 20 nm units, it is likelythat we can use the optical properties to implement
functions. In a simple example, a 500-nm hole is formed ina plate and a white light is directed on the hole. Since only
light having a wavelength smaller than the diameter of thehole can pass through, the hole will appear to be colored.
Microstructures are capable of coloring without pigments.
In fact the colors on a butterfly's wings appear to form
patterns by exactly the same method. Hence, by studying
nanostructures that already exist in nature, I believe we
can discover still unknown nano phenomena and use thatknowledge to develop applications for nanotechnology.

MICROMACHINE No. 53
MICROMACHINE is published quarterly by Micromachine Center (MMC) to promote the international exchange of
information related to micromachines, R&D and other technical topics, and is circulated free of change. Please send
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