Riichiro Saito（Emeritus Professor, Tohoku University）

Based on the 2023 strategic objective Fundamental technology for utilizing low-dimensional materials towards new semiconductor device structures, this research area will establish fundamental technologies for semiconductor devices by using two-dimensional materials such as graphene and transition metal dichalcogenide or one-dimensional materials such as nanotubes and nanowires (hereafter nanomaterials).
Fundamental technologies here refer to technologies and principles that have a significant ripple effect in improving the productivity. More specifically, it refers to the creation of semiconductor wafers and devices using nanomaterials and the construction of operating circuits, as well as the operating principles of nanomaterial-specific devices. The subject areas should include nanomaterial-based semiconductors. The scope includes field-effect transistor (FET) logic circuits, flexible devices, pn/heterojunction devices, thermoelectric devices, solar cells, light-emitting diode (LED) and light-receiving devices, THz far-infrared devices, chemical/biological sensors, artificial muscles, MEMS/NEMS and various other devices. The aim is to comprehensively construct not only individual elements but also circuits and systems, and to build a bridge over the valley of death (a term that symbolizes the difficulties between basic research and industrialization) towards practical use.
In order to build a system, a cross-disciplinary fusion team is formed between researchers with proven research experience to provide nanomaterial samples, device production and circuit configuration in the first half of the research period, as well as process technology and basic science to create innovative semiconductor platform technology directly linked to practical applications over the period.