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TAKUMI (Master Craftsman) in Nanotechnology

MEXT Nanotechnology Platform Japan Program
https://nanonet.go.jp/english/

The Chinese character 匠 is formed with one radical shaped like a carpenter’s square (匚) and another shaped like an ax (斤); the character is pronounced “takumi ” in Japanese. Takumi represents a craftsman who has extraordinary skill in measuring materials with a square and cutting these out with a knife. An engineer who has sophisticated technology for designing electronic circuits and creating microscopic devices can also be called takumi in the field of nanotechnology.

This past January, Masaaki MORIYAMA, Hands-on-access fabrication facility research associate at the Micro System Integration Center (μSIC) at Tohoku University, received the 2014 best research support award from the Nanotechnology Platform Japan Program of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). He was presented with the award certificate and the supplementary prize badge—匠 (takumi) in nanotechnology—at the awards ceremony of the JAPAN NANO 2015 symposium. As of this year, the award is presented to engineers for their contributions in terms of technical support for the cutting-edge facilities and equipment shared by corporate engineers in the field. His award-winning theme, Ultraprecise Shape Control Technology by Si Deep-RIE, is essential for processing microscopic devices, including microsensors, microactuators, and silicon through-holes for practical LSI applications.

MORIYAMA has provided users of the Hands-on-access fabrication facility with guidance on how to use technology and equipment, information about their principles, and the opportunity to draft process conditions with him. With this series of support, he has strived to help them to prototype a device by themselves and develop process recipes that meet their purposes. He has assisted in more than 600 cases over three years, which have also been opportunities for users’ companies to develop personnel.

MORIYAMA says, “I hope all users will be able to acquire fabrication technology and bring it back to their companies.” We expect that this type of award will draw attention to valuable takumi in the field such as him and be of some help in developing and disseminating new technology.

* JST and the National Institute of Materials Science (NIMS) have been entrusted with the MEXT Nanotechnology Platform Japan Program.


Research associate Masaaki MORIYAMA was presented with the 2014 best research support award.


The supplementary prize badge 匠 (takumi) in nanotechnology


Deep-RIE at different pattern intervals (100, 50, 20, 10, 5, and 2 µm two each from the left)


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