Hitachi MEMS Foundry Service
Akira Koide
MEMS ProjectMechanical Engineering Research Laboratory
Hitachi, Ltd.
resins and has applied these technologies to device
development in the various fields.
In this way, processing technologies have become moreversatile, and, as advancements of each technology have
led to increasing specialization, Hitachi has engaged in thebuilding of a framework capable of effectively utilizingthese processing technologies in device development. In
one such example, Hitachi has created an environment forlinking device design to process development in which
process developers can easily analyze the strength andheat flow of devices while seated. Accordingly, robustnessthat accounts for variations in each process underdevelopment by specialists can be easily reflected in thedevice design, providing efficient device development thatenables a smooth transition from trial production to massproduction.

1. Outline
In i-engineering, an integrated market of its
manufacturing technologies, Hitachi, Ltd. supports
technicians engaged in research and development,design, production, and inspection. Although Hitachi’s
MEMS foundry service was launched three years ago
with services covering design, processing, and trial
production, many customers have expressed a wish forthe foundry service to handle the entire process up toand including mass-production. Therefore, beginning
this year, we are offering services through massproduction in cooperation with foundry companies in
Hitachi Group. We also assist customers in MEMS
R&D and the construction of production lines and areproviding wide-ranging solutions for MEMS
development, from the selection of utilities andmanufacturing and inspection equipment to clean
room construction required.

3. Features of Hitachi’s MEMS Foundry Service
Hitachi’s MEMS foundry service has developed into abroad service for supporting the individual circumstancesof our customers, from simple questions related to MEMS
to device design, trial production, and mass-production.
These services are founded on knowledge that Hitachi
has accumulated through years of research anddevelopment on devices and their design and processing.
Our objective is to further strengthen our MEMS R&D
system and to provide a richer array of services.
In order to broaden the range of services it provides,
Hitachi is strengthening relationships with othercompanies in Hitachi Group. Two representative
examples of companies in Hitachi Group that havedeveloped foundry services independently are Hitachi
Metals, Ltd. (http://www.hitachi-metals.co.jp/index.html)
and Hitachi Haramachi Electronics Co., Ltd.
(http://www.haraden.co.jp/). Both companies havediffering fields of expertise that complement one anotherand disclose the features of their technologies on theircorresponding Web sites.
In summary, Hitachi continually develops the array ofservices offered through its MEMS foundry service
through reinforcement of its MEMS R&D system andcollaboration with companies in Hitachi Group. It is ourhope that these services will contribute to future MEMS
development.

2. Hitachi MEMS

Planning/specification

Much of the technology supporting MEMS at Hitachicame into being as a result of technologies fostered sincethe 1970s for developing power devices, opticalcommunications, semiconductor sensors, and other suchdevices. Applied fields for these technologies have
expanded to include biotechnology, micro-chemicalprocessing, and RF-MEMS. These processing technologies
originate from the anisotropic etching of single-crystal
silicon. Hitachi has worked hard to develop a multi-stage
etching process employing a simulator for predictingetching configurations and has used this process todevelop many products. For more than ten years now,
Hitachi has continually expanded the range of appliedfields for MEMS technology and has actively engaged in
the development of micromachining and assembly
technologies for thin films, glass, metals, and synthetic
Process
Strength
DevicedesignMass-production

Fluid

EvaluationHeat
transfer

ProcessdesignDesignVibration

Production

Mask design

For further information, see the i-engineering Web sitefor Hitachi’s integrated market of manufacturing
technologies:
http://www.i-eng.hitachi.co.jp/

Trialproduction

Flow of processes in Hitachi’s MEMS foundry service

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