MMC Activities

Activities of the Micromachine Center in FY 2007
industry, the MEMS Industry Forum was established in April
2006 as a Special Projects Committee with a membership madeup primarily of companies involved in the MEMS industry. TheMEMS Industry Forum also works to establish ties withacademies, local centers, overseas institutions and the like asaffiliates. The Forum makes policy proposals to relevant
institutions and promotes a variety of activities aimed atindustry interchange and stimulation.

Overview
The Micromachine Center (MMC) actively promotes
technical development projects commissioned by the national
government and the New Energy and Industrial TechnologyDevelopment Organization (NEDO) in an effort to establish thecore technologies in the micromachine, Micro Electro
Mechanical Systems (MEMS) and other micro/nano fields. At
the same time, in order to promote widespread use andindustrialization of these core technologies, the Center also
aggressively pursues activities to improve the environment formicro/nano technologies. The Center’s activities include policy
proposal activities, industry interchange / stimulation projects,
research projects, standardization promotion projects anddissemination and publicity projects designed to promoteindustrial development in micro/nano fields and contribute tothe international community.
In FY 2007, the Micromachine Center conducted thefollowing activities.

(1) Policy recommendation activities
On November 8, 2007, members of the MEMS Industry
Forum Promotion Committee and representatives from thegovernment and related agencies exchanged views on MEMS. In
addition, a MEMS Forum was held at the Micro-Nano 2007
general exhibition in July 2007. Various issues were raised withregard to design (MemsONE), manufacturing (MEMS Foundry)
and MEMS personnel training, with the aim of strengtheningthe infrastructure for the MEMS industry. These policy
recommendation activities were conducted to promote thedevelopment of MEMS-related industries.

1. National / NEDO projects
In FY 2007, the Micromachine Center vigorously promoted
the Highly Integrated and Complex MEMS Manufacturing
Technology Development Project, a three-year project initiatedin FY 2006. The Center also actively promoted thedissemination of MemsOne, the research and development
achievement of the MEMS Design and Analysis Support System
Development Project (commissioned by the national
government and NEDO) that concluded in March 2007.

(2) Industry-academia liaison activitiesMicro/Nano Cutting Edge Technology Exchange meetings
were held three times during the fiscal year (in July, Novemberand March), in order to deepen understanding and recognitionof state-of-the-art technologies in various fields relating tomicro/nano technology, and to disseminate micro/nanotechnologies and promote industry-academia interchange. For
each session, two knowledgeable persons from universities, theNational Institute of Advanced Industrial Science andTechnology (AIST) and so on were invited to give presentations
and provide technical consultation.

(1) Highly
IntegratedandComplex
MEMS
Manufacturing Technology Development Project(Project commissioned by NEDO)In FY 2007, as in the previous fiscal year, active
development efforts continued to focus on gathering, organizing
and building a database of knowledge data in three areas:
1 Combination of MEMS / nanofunctions
2 Integrated formation of MEMS / semiconductors
3 High integration of MEMS with other MEMS
A new project to research and develop a fine MEMS
integrated design platform was also initiated in FY 2007 as asingle-year FY 2007 special financial resource for project
promotion. A web browsing system was also created byorganizing information relating to research and developmentissues 1 - 3 as well as information peripherally related to theseissues involving an equivalent circuit model as a design platform
suitable for highly integrated and complex MEMS devices.

(3) Creation of an infrastructure for MEMS development
1 Expansion and upgrading of MEMS Foundry Network
systems
2 Promotion of MemsONE dissemination
3 Strengthening of collaboration with public foundries ineach area and local clusters
4 Promotion of personnel training projects(4) MEMS business interchange activities both at homeand abroad
1 Opening of a MEMS Malll
Study of basic activities and site configuration for MEMS
Mall and preparation of a MEMS Mall draft proposal.
2 Holding of Micro/Nano 2007 general exhibition
Micro/Nano 2007 was held July 25 - 27 primarily at Tokyo
Big Sight.
3 Participation in 13th World Micromachine Summit
The 13th World Micromachine Summit was held Thursday,
April 26, 2007 through Saturday, April 28, 2007 in Venice,
Italy (at the Telecom Future Centre).
4 Formation of an international affiliate network
The establishment of cooperative ties with overseas
MEMS related organizations was promoted. As of FY 2007,
there were 11 overseas affiliates.
5 Dispatch of overseas missions and researcher interchange
In FY 2007, the Micromachine Center participated in a
micro/nano related event in Germany (Hannover Messe), andalso dispatched missions to overseas countries and promoted
interchange with both research institutions/organizations andindividual researchers.

(2) Promotion of MemsONE dissemination
MemsONE was the research and development achievementof the MEMS Design and Analysis Support System Development
Project, a project commissioned by the national government
and NEDO that concluded in March 2007. The Center worked
with the MEMS Industry Forum to energetically promote thedissemination of MemsONE.
(3) MemsONE Achievements Dissemination Project(commissioned by NEDO)The Center initiated a MemsONE achievements
dissemination project (commissioned by NEDO) to disseminate
MemsONE in order to achieve the project's stated objective ofpromoting the expansion of the MEMS industry base and thedevelopment of new MEMS products.
More than 450 licenses for the beta version have been
issued, and the training course was attended by more than 150
persons. These activities made a major contribution toestablishing an infrastructure for dissemination.

3. Research projects
The Micromachine Center conducted research relating tomicromachine and MEMS technologies in order to accurately
determine technical and industry trends and study newtechnical issues in the areas in which micro- andnanotechnologies are becoming integrated.

2. MEMS Industry Forum projects (policy proposaland industry interchange / stimulation projects)
In order to support the further development of the MEMS

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1 General Principles of MEMS (CDV)
2 RF-MEMS switch (CD)
3 Bonding test method (CD)(1) Implementation of research relating to the BEANS Project
The BEANS project represents the achievement of the“MEMS Frontiers: Study of Future Device Technologies MadePossible by Fusion with Nanodevices” project implemented inFY 2006. In order to make the BEANS project into a nationalproject, a “BEANS Project Research Council” was establishedand study was conducted of the project scheme, organization,
research content and the like.

(5) Creation of JIS standards for thin film material
tensile test method standard
Work was begun on the creation of JIS standards for thetensile test method and standard test specimens standardized
by the IEC in 2006.

(2) Study of technical trends in Japan and other countries
In the first half of the fiscal year, study focused on the typeof presentations made at TRANSDUCERS ’07 and the trends inoral presentations for each field. In the second half of the year,
as in past years, a study was conducted of the type ofpresentations featured at MEMS2008 and the trends for eachindustry.

(6) In June 2007, the Micromachine Center became theJapanese review body in the MEMS field for IEC/TC47(specialist committee for semiconductor devices). The Center
also proposed that Working Group 4 (WG4) in the MEMS field
be upgraded to a subcommittee (SC).

5. Dissemination and publicity projects(3) Study of industry trends
To stimulate MEMS industries and expand the MEMS
industry base, a study was conducted to determine the current
status and market trends relating to the MEMS foundry
industry in Japan, as well as the state of MEMS foundries inother countries. In addition, basic data needed to upgrade
MEMS foundry functions in the future was compiled.

The Micromachine Center issued and distributed anewsletter and sponsored exhibitions and the like in an effort topromote widespread dissemination and education regarding
micromachines and MEMS. The Center also collected
micro/nano information and reference materials fromuniversities, industry, public institutions and so on both athome and abroad and organized these materials together withthe reference materials from studies conducted by the Center.
These materials can be viewed and searched in the MMC
library, and they have also been made available to researchers
both at home and abroad via the MMC website.

(4) Periodic survey of MEMS technology strategy map
As a periodic survey of the technical strategy map for theMEMS industry, a roadmap for improving the environment for
MEMS personnel training was established in order toaccommodate MEMS market expansion.

(1) Improved dissemination and exchange of information
through the MCC website
The Micromachine Center worked to provide informationand conduct interchange activities using the MMC website. The
content available to supporting members has also been
upgraded.

(5) Upgrading of micro/nano database
An effort was made to further enhance the database on theMicromachine Center website by provide a search function for
documents made available to supporting members as well as byincluding survey reports, mini-survey reports, a map of research
centers and so on.

(2) Publication of “MICRONANO” quarterly
The Center published a quarterly magazine entitled“MICRONANO” in April, July, October and January anddistributed it to supporting members and other relevant entities,and also posted English and Japanese editions on its website.

4. Projects to promote standardization
Standardization projects were pursued with our international
initiatives in micromachine/MEMS technology fields.
(1) Standardization priority review
With regard to standardization candidate topics in corecommon fields and device fields, studies were conducted of thecurrent status and the need for technical verification, the needfor development of new measurement methods, research anddevelopment organizations, priorities, existing standards and soon. Accordingly, in the device field it was decided to give top
priority to angular velocity sensors (gyro) and geomagneticsensors.

(3) Publication of monthly newsletter
The Center published a monthly newsletter in Japaneseentitled MMC/MIF News and distributed it to supporting
members, MEMS Industry Forum members and other entities
via the Micro/Nano Net. The newsletter provides MMC-related
news for the previous month, information on upcoming eventsand so on.
(4) Publication of MicroNano Express newsletter
The Center published an electronic newsletter in Japanese
to provide information on special events and the like anddistributed it to supporting members, MEMS Industry Forum
members and other entities via the MicroNano mailing list.

(2) Research and development activities relating to certificationof standards for the purpose of proposing international standards
With regard to life acceleration tests, test specimens forindividual universities were prepared from the same test
materials and fatigue tests were conducted using various
methods and the results were compared. With regard tobonding strength tests, testing equipment was developed and aqualitative determination of the current state of bonding
strength evaluation research was conducted for microstructure
members, and a study of existing standards was conducted.

(5) Maintaining and upgrading of the MMC library(by upgrading the academic paper abstract database, etc.)
The Center summarized abstracts of technical papers andreferences in the Micro/Nano Index newsletter (Japaneseonly) and distributed the newsletter in electronic form tosupporting members, related institutions etc.
The Center also upgraded the library by organizing andstoring the technical documentation and references that had
been gathered and making these materials available for viewing.

(3) Follow-up activities relating to proposal of standards
for thin film material fatigue testing
The views of various countries were accommodated andfollow-up activities were conducted up through the submissionof a committee draft for vote (CDV).

(6) Micromachine/MEMS Exhibition
The 18th Micromachine/MEMS Exhibition was held as part ofMicro/Nano 2007 at Tokyo Big Sight Wednesday, July 25
through Friday, July 27, 2007. Total attendance was 12,424
persons, the largest yet (last year’s attendance was 11,736
persons). The exhibition featured 362 organizations exhibiting
at 484 booths.

(4) Study of overseas standards
Following a review of the following standards proposed by
Korea, voting and the submission of comments from Japan wereconducted.

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