NIMS

Introduction

Development of electronic and optical functional materials for energy conservation and a safe and secure society

This center will carry out research and development aimed at maintaining the competitiveness of electronic and optical functional materials, which are the core technologies of Japan's material innovation, and acquiring unrivaled development capabilities.
In order to realize the sustainable development of mankind, the creation of material technology for the transformation of social systems is required. Reducing energy consumption by improving the efficiency of social systems is a necessary condition for sustainability. In addition, we will improve the sensitivity and reliability of sensor materials such as biosensors, chemical sensors, and infrared sensors, and promote the detoxification of these materials in order to build systems that provide safety and security to people's lives.

Outline

This center was launched in April 2023 with the start of the 4th medium- to long-term planning period (2023-2029) of the National Institute for Materials Science. As mentioned above, our current business is to develop high-performance functional materials that support the resolution of social issues faced by Japan, and more broadly humankind, and support people's enriched lives.

The center moves in two main directions. One is to carry out the tasks assigned to the center by the government. This is the basic work of NIMS, which includes human resource development, in addition to carrying out the projects that were established when the center was established. As we have created a tab here, activities related to human resource development at affiliated graduate schools are also important tasks for NIMS. The other type of research and development is carried out by the center and its members on their own in the form of projects commissioned by the government, subsidy projects, or collaborative research with companies. This will utilize NIMS's personnel and equipment to literally pursue research and development.

We have created this page to help as many people as possible understand the activities of this center and provide their cooperation. Please take a look whenever you have time. If you have any requests or inquiries regarding this center, or if you have any technical consultation, please feel free to contact us.

Director： Dr. OHASHI, Naoki mail


Deputy Director： Dr. SHIMAMURA, Kiyoshi mail


Deputy Director： Dr. SEGAWA, Hiroyo mail


Manager of Operation Room： Dr. SAKAGUCHI, Isao mail


Projects

Our center will promote the following two projects during this medium- to long-term planning period.
For details, please see "Project" in the menu.

Creation of functional materials
to realize a sustainable society

The Industrial Revolution is said to have begun with the invention of the steam engine. After passing through the era of external combustion engines, such as steam engines, and internal combustion engines, such as automobile engines, we have entered an era in which many devices, including automobiles, are driven by motors. The proportion of electricity in energy demand is about to increase.
Therefore, it is desirable to develop electronic components and materials that can efficiently supply and utilize power. In addition, various devices, including automobiles, are connected to networks and are becoming automated and autonomous, and the sensing and communication technologies that support this are becoming increasingly important. Electronics literally affect human lives, so reliability and stability are required. For its development, it will be important to combine so-called electronic materials such as semiconductors, dielectrics, and piezoelectrics with materials that have chemical functions such as those that can detect gas molecules.
Therefore, our project is not limited to so-called electronic materials, but also adds new functions by developing and integrating comprehensive material functions, such as adding chemical functions.

Fundamental research

Optical technology supports a wide range of aspects of our lives, from daily life to industrial activities, such as lighting, displays, processing, manufacturing, medicine, healthcare, and agriculture. What makes it unique is that it has brought about technological innovation in many fields. We have made major changes to conventional technology, such as switching to LED lighting and laser processing. It can be said that the birth of new optical materials has been one of the driving forces in bringing this optical technology to a level where it is actually useful.
In the optical functional field, we aim to develop such optical materials. Although there are many future prospects for technologies that utilize light, the number of technologies that have been implemented in society is still limited. Therefore, we will promote a wide range of research, from the radiation level to the visible light, infrared, and terahertz regions, from nano-sized to bulk-sized, and including quantum light sources, from the basic level of pioneering research to the level close to practical use.

 Research Center for Electronic and Optical Materials SITE MAP