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Technology to etch Kai semiconductor with fluoroplastic instead of CFC gas

The established technology will be used for dry etching, thin film formation and cleaning of silicon. Easy-to-handle gases such as argon and nitrogen are irradiated onto solid fluoropolymers to generate fluorine-containing gas. The gas is then used for plasma treatment. Using a proto device with electrodes developed for special equipment, the company irradiated nitrogen gas and etched a glass substrate, and was able to etch 40 nanometers in one minute. The company plans to achieve an etching speed of 200 nanometers for commercialization. Plasma is an unstable state in which electrons have been removed from molecules, and it modifies the surface of materials, improving adhesion and cleaning effects. (Photo taken on March 30, 2020, location unknown, credit: Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun / Kyodo News Images)

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Electrical discharge machine introduced by Nagatsu Manufacturing as part of its work automation efforts.

Nagatsu Seisakusho will begin automating its main plant to improve the efficiencyof machining die parts. The company will introduce work changers for 5-axis machining centers (MC) and other equipment to replace processed parts. The company plans to introduce several 5-axis MCs and work changers as a set if they are utilized smoothly. The installation cost is about 10 million yen. Workers without machining skills only need to take the workpiece and electrodes in and out of the shelves at the site. The company's domestic sales are about 1.6 billion yen. However, the domestic mold market is shrinking. Rather than expanding sales, this automation initiative is aimed at strengthening cost competitiveness and promoting work style reform. Once the automation at the head office plant gets going, the company plans to start automation at the Niigata plant in Mitsuke City, Niigata Prefecture in two to three years. (= September 18, 2019, photo credit: Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun / Kyodo News Images)

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Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University

The Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, and Toabo Corporation have developed a smart clothing (photo) that can be worn in extremely cold environments by combining natural fabric and electrodes for heart rate measurement. A research group led by the university succeeded in measuring biological data such as heart rate in an experiment conducted in the Arctic Circle over a period of about a month. It was confirmed that the garment is effective in measuring biological data and protecting against cold in extremely cold environments. This is the industry's first development of smart clothing made of natural materials. The measurement data will be used for the commercialization of smart clothing for mountain climbing and for research on the prevention of hypothermia. (= August 30, 2019, location unknown, credit: Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun / Kyodo News Images)

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