Electronics and Manufacturing

Enhancing industrial competitiveness through innovative technologies that lead varying manufacturing

We are contributing to enhancing industrial competitiveness by developing advanced electronic and optical device technologies that enable both performance enhancement and significant energy savings of IT equipment, and innovative manufacturing technologies that enable energy savings, resource savings, and low cost. Moreover, we are building a highly efficient production system by combining innovative manufacturing technologies and sensing technologies based on the advanced devices.
By advancing cyber-physical systems that integrate data collection in the real world, digital technologies in cyberspace, and interventions in physical space, we build efficient industrial production systems and contribute to solving social issues as well as strengthening industrial competitiveness.

New Research Results

Nanoscale magnetic memristors emulate synaptic function

In collaboration with the National Institute for Materials Science, we, researchers at AIST, have developed magnetic memristors that can be integrated at high densities and operate at high speeds. These magnetic memristors use an ultrathin film of a magnetic iron-manganese alloy in which the alloy composition fluctuates periodically on the scale of several nanometers. These nanostructures are formed spontaneously through heat treatment. Furthermore, researchers successfully used these devices to emulate the synaptic function of the brain.
Brainmorphic systems are a new type of computing system that operates by emulating the information processing in human and animal brains. The use of brainmorphic systems is expected to drastically reduce the power consumption in AI architectures. In the brain, synapses transmit signals between neurons and demonstrate long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression (LTD), processes that strengthen or weaken information transmission. Magnetic memristors are a promising candidate that can perform these synaptic functions while enabling high-speed operation and high endurance. However, device structures suitable for high-density integration were still missing.
Here, we developed a simple, fine circular pillar device with a 200-nanometer diameter using an iron-manganese alloy as the magnetic data storage layer. Stepwise resistance control is enabled by forming nanometer-scale magnetic subdivisions within the magnetic storage layer through spinodal decomposition. Furthermore, we successfully reproduced fundamental synaptic learning functions, including LTP and LTD, using these magnetic memristors. Practical brainmorphic systems capable of high-speed operation are expected to benefit from this achievement.

Concept of magnetic memristor developed in this study and an example of synaptic functions emulated by using the magnetic memristor
^*This figure is based on and modified from the original paper.

World's First Motor Drive by a SiC Power Module with Built-in SiC CMOS Gate Driver

AIST researchers, in collaboration with MEIDENSHA CORPORATION (Meidensha), have realized the world's first motor drive by a SiC power module with a built-in SiC CMOS gate driver (hereinafter referred to as "SiC CMOS power module" — a power module that combines silicon carbide (SiC) devices with a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) circuit for precise and efficient switching control).
Due to their high energy-saving performance, SiC (silicon carbide) power devices are being applied in fields where high efficiency is important, such as motor drive control for electric and hybrid vehicles. However, current SiC power devices are used only in extremely low-speed switching operations, without fully exploiting their inherent energy-saving performance.
AIST has been working on the development of high-speed switching operation technology for SiC power devices using SiC CMOS gate driver. This time, AIST and Meidensha have succeeded in driving a motor using SiC CMOS power modules for the first time in the world by conducting integrated joint research from basic device technology to motor system applications. By reducing noise through the unique gate drive method, the energy loss (switching loss) during switching operation can be reduced to about one-tenth by simply replacing the current SiC power module with a SiC CMOS power module, while improving the reliability of the motor system. The SiC CMOS power module is a new power module that is designed to be used in the future.
The results of this research were presented in detail at the 2025 IEEJ National Convention on March 20, 2025.

Motor system with power module incorporating SiC CMOS gate driver
^*Figures from the original paper have been cited and modified.

Research Unit

Open Innovation Laboratory

Since FY 2016, as a part of the “Open Innovation Arena concept” promoted by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), AIST has created the concept of “open innovation laboratories” (OILs), collaborative research bases located on university campuses, and has been engaged in their provision. We are planning to establish more than ten OILs by FY 2020.

AIST will merge the basic research carried out at universities, etc. with AISTʼs goal-oriented basic research and applied technology development, and will promote bridging research and evelopment and industry by the establishment of OILs.

Cooperative Research Laboratories

In order to conduct research and development more closely related to strategies of companies, we have established collaborative research laboratories, bearing partner company names.

Partner companies provide their researchers and funding, and AIST provides research resources, such as its researchers, research facilities, and intellectual property. The loaned researchers of companies and AIST researchers jointly conduct research and development.

By setting up cooperative research laboratories, we will accelerate the commercialization of our goal-oriented basic research and application research with partner companies.