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One of the decisive factors for a large Taiwanese semiconductor company that decided to build a plant in the village of Ohira was the presence of Tohoku University. Semiconductor research at Tohoku University is considered one of the best in the world. What are its strengths? This is the Microsystems Integration Research and Development Center of Tohoku University. Last month, students received training on semiconductors. The four participants, including students from Nagoya University and Stanford University in the US, created semiconductor sensors by embedding circuits 300 micrometers deep and about three hairs deep into wafers – the circular substrates that are the basis for making semiconductors. I studied the process of making them. do it. Kagawa University student: “I don’t think there are many places that have so many types of equipment, and I don’t think there are many places that have so many types of equipment. There was a staff member next to me to teach me how to operate the equipment so that in that sense I could understand it better. Nagoya University student: “In the future, I am thinking about working in semiconductor manufacturing. It’s interesting to think about.” that the use of advanced technologies will lead to future scientific advances.” Semiconductors are primarily substances with properties intermediate between a “conductor,” which conducts electricity, and an “insulator,” which does not conduct electricity. It is called a “semiconductor” because it is located between a conductor and an insulator. This property is indispensable in the modern era where electronic devices are becoming more advanced and are now used in all types of electronic devices and products. In other words, the brain of electronic devices. It is no exaggeration to say that modern life cannot exist without semiconductors. Last October, a big topic arose in the prefecture about this semiconductor. SBI Holdings, a major online financial services company, and PSMC, a major Taiwanese semiconductor company, announced that they will invest about 900 billion yen to build a new semiconductor manufacturing plant in Ohira Village as a joint venture called JSMC. Why Ohira Village was chosen from 31 candidate locations across the country. Apart from the land conditions, this is due to the prefecture’s enthusiasm for attracting the project, as well as the fact that the area is home to many semiconductor-related companies. And then there was Tohoku University. JSMC President Motoyuki Wu: “As expected, Tohoku University is nearby, so I think Tohoku is a good place for semiconductor companies to gather human resources.” Tohoku University has been conducting cutting-edge research since the beginning of semiconductor research. after another and led the world in semiconductor research. One of the people who led this research at Tohoku University was Junichi Nishizawa. He was nicknamed “Mr. Semiconductor” after inventing and commercializing numerous semiconductor devices such as semiconductor lasers and LEDs. Mr. Nishizawa also developed optical fiber technology, which is now indispensable for information communications such as the Internet. This is why Tohoku University is known as the “birthplace of optical communication” and Mr. Nishizawa is also known as the “father of optical communication”. Junichi Nishizawa (interview 2007) “Tohoku University has an excellent track record and atmosphere when it comes to research. That’s why it’s a university where good research can be done.” Semiconductor manufacturing facilities are currently located on the campus of Tohoku University. There are eight institutions that conduct research, evaluation and analysis. Most other universities specialize in one area of semiconductors, such as “design only” or “fabrication only”, but Tohoku University covers all areas. In addition, the clean room required for semiconductor manufacturing is the largest among all Japanese universities, measuring approximately 9,000 square meters. In addition, we have more than 150 researchers and teachers, making us the number one university in Japan. With the expansion of semiconductor factories, there are great expectations for Tohoku University in areas such as human resource development, and we are also promoting student learning on campus. Kentaro Totsu, Director of the Microsystems Fusion Research and Development Center of Tohoku University: “(Tohoku University) is very active in collaborating with companies between industry and academia, and we work with companies not only on basic research, but also on applied research and research , which are closely related to each other. I believe that our strength lies in our ability to contribute to society through research. It is important to develop and develop the human resources that will be responsible for the research and development that will create and pioneer the semiconductors of the future. At Tohoku University, the International Center for Research and Development in Integrated Electronics attracts attention. It will be a joint research base with JSMC and is expanding to Ohira village. The center is the only university in Japan capable of researching and developing 300 mm diameter substrates and wafers. 300mm wafers are used as a standard size by advanced semiconductor manufacturers around the world and are in high demand worldwide. We are also conducting research into reducing the power consumption of semiconductors through the use of a technology called spintronics. JSMC’s research findings that leverage these strengths are compelling. Tetsuro Endo, director of the International Integrated Electronics Research and Development Center: “There are semiconductor manufacturers, there are semiconductor supply chain manufacturers, there are universities that are strong in semiconductors, and there are various startups that are coming out of these universities. I think it is very interesting that a successful ecosystem will be created here in Miyagi Prefecture and I think this will raise the bar for young people wanting to work in the semiconductor industry, in the future Tohoku University is expected to be recognized as an international research center . University. Great expectations are placed on advanced research and human resource development.