Next-Generation Projectss
Isao Shimoyama, Professor
Graduate School of Information Science and Technology
The University of Tokyo
The Micromachine Center created the NextGeneration Project Investigative Commission to study
the future shape of MEMS. The following is a
description of the findings of this study.
Characterized by miniaturization, MEMS has beendeveloped as a major industry centered on
monofunctional devices. MEMS products that havebeen marketed to date include pressure sensors,
accelerometers, gyroscopes, inkjet print heads, DLP
products, and microphones. According to a study
conducted by the Micromachine Center, the market
size for MEMS in Japan is expected to reach 1.36
trillion yen by 2010. Therefore, future high-density,
complex MEMS, which will be smaller, more reliable,and more sophisticated, have become a major issue.
The Investigative Commission discussed the MEMS
industry based on our recognition of this situation. In
the future, there will be a strong demand for smaller,
cheaper, more sophisticated, and more versatileelectronic parts serving as key components in thetelecommunication field, for which a surge in demand
is anticipated, and the automotive field, which iscompetitive internationally. It will also be necessary tocontribute to safety and security, sustainable energy,
medical welfare, and other social needs. MEMS
technology is the leading candidate among
manufacturing technologies for meeting these needs.
Future MEMS business may develop in many
shapes, including in-house-manufacturing businesses,
businesses for supplying MEMS parts, foundry
services, startup companies produced by spinouts, aswell as design, simulation, and consulting businesses.
However, MEMS R&D to date has required capital for
relatively long periods, such as ten to twenty years ormore. If this also proves to be a impediment in nextgeneration highly integrated, complex MEMS, thepotential for the MEMS industry and its users will below. Therefore, we must establish policies for theMEMS industry aimed at revitalizing the strength ofJapan's manufacturing industry.
The Commission established the following four
categories for technologies required for meeting ourfuture needs through the development of high-density,
complex MEMS that are smaller, more reliable, andmore sophisticated.
(1) Technologies integrating MEMS and high-density
semiconductors (MEMS + CMOS)(2) Technologies for combining and increasing thedensity of multiple MEMS (MEMS + MEMS)(3) Technologies for combining the functions ofMEMS and nanotechnology (MEMS + NANO)(4) Common base technologies

Of these categories, (1) involves the monolithic
integration of MEMS and CMOS aimed at rapidly
improving the functional capacity for knowledge
accumulation; (2) involves the research anddevelopment of technologies for bonding and layering
dissimilar materials and functions at the wafer level inorder to combine functions, express new functions,and improve reliability; (3) involves the research anddevelopment of technologies for locally and selectively
forming and expressing the functions of nanomaterials
on MEMS with the aim of improving the performanceof MEMS using functional expressions on thenanoscale; and (4) is aimed at constructing a common
knowledge database primarily concerned with highdensity, complex MEMS.
MEMS technology is our trump card for the futureof the manufacturing industry. It has high added value
and is supported by a strong technological strength
difficult to replicate. It is our wish that the results of
the Next-Generation Project Investigative Commission
will be incorporated in future R&D for strengthening
the competitiveness of our industry.

Possible strategies for the MEMS Industry
Advances in MEMS will meet diverse needs
and resolve many problems in our society
Advances in MEMS

2nd Stage:

1.36 trillion yen by 2010
Other (domestic market)
Environment
Healthcare
Lifestyles
Automobiles
Telecommunications

High-density, complex
plex
ex MEMS
M
MEM
EMSS(Smaller, moreore reliable,reliable
more
ree sophisticated)sophisticated)

430 billion yen in 2002

The

Devel
Developing
Develoevelopingeveloveloping conventional
MEMS through 3D
integration and nanofunctions

Today 1st Stage:birthofMEMS

Conventional MEMS devices
Pressure sensors, accelerometers,scanners, inkjet print heads

The emergence of numerous MEMS
devices based on micromachining andsemiconductor fabrication technologies

Possible strategies for the MEMS Industry

3