scoops2008

Recent ATIP Scoops

ATIP Scoops provide up-to-date government, academic, and industry information news, as well as technical highlights based on site visits and personal interviews conducted in the Asia Pacific region by ATIP staff. Opinions and comments are the author's only, and do not necessarily reflect ATIP's official views.

2007 Scoops » 2006 Scoops » 2005 Scoops »

Scoop-TAKANASHI Spin Currents Project
20 June 2008	Pages: 15

Contents: 1. Summary of Previous Report A. Aim of TAKANASHI Project B. Funding Program of TAKANASHI Project C. Outline of TAKANASHI Project D. Principal Investigators of TAKANASHI Project E. Collaboration in TAKANASHI Project 2. New Information F. Remarkable Achievements G. Interesting Reports 3. ATIP Evaluation 4. References & Contacts Summary of Previous Report In 2007, Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) adopted the proposal for "Creation and Control of Spin Current" by Koki TAKANSHI, a professor at Tohoku University, as Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Priority Area No. 469. TAKANASHI held a kick-off meeting for the TAKANASHI project on "Spin Current" research on October 4-5, 2007 at Tohoku University. A. Aim of TAKANASHI Project "Spin current," i.e., the flow of spin, has appeared as a new physical concept during the recent development of the field of spintronics. In contrast to electric current, i.e., the flow of charge, the spin current is the flow of angular momentum, and it changes through the transfer of angular momentum. The spin current, generally created through phenomena such as spin injection and spin accumulation, annihilates through spin relaxation and spin diffusion.
Keywords: Magentics, Nanotechnology (Nano), Physics, Semiconductors, Spintronics Country: Japan

Scoop-KAIST Metabolic & Biomolecular Engineering Research
17 June 2008	Pages: 13

Contents: 1. Background of Metabolic & Biomolecular Engineering Laboratory 2. New Information A. Metabolic Engineering Research B. DNA Chip Research C. Genomics & Bioinformatics Research D. Publication 3. ATIP Evaluation 4. References & Contacts Background In 1994, the Applied Biotechnology Laboratory was established at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology's (KAIST's) Department of Biomolecular & Chemical Engineering (now renamed as the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering). In 1999, the laboratory was renamed the "Metabolic and Biomolecular Engineering Laboratory" (MBEL). MBEL conducts research in genomics/proteomics/metabolomics/bioinformatics, metabolic engineering, production of primary and secondary metabolites, production and engineering of proteins and other biopolymers, and DNA chip technology for diagnostics. A number of projects supported by the Korean government as well as private companies have been completed, and many others are currently in progress. The laboratory has made significant advances in the development of upstream-to-downstream processes for the production of various primary metabolites, recombinant proteins, and biopolymers. The laboratory was recently appointed as a National Research Laboratory on Metabolic Engineering by the Korean Ministry of Science & Technology, which has now been renamed the Ministry of Education, Science & Technology.
Keywords: Advanced Materials, Bioinformatics, Bio-Nano, Biotechnology (Bio), Defense Applications, Electronics, Renewable Energy, Sensors Country: Korea

Korea
22 May 2008	Pages: 14

Contents: 1. Summary of Previous Report 2. New Information A. Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicle Monitoring Program B. Education and Public Awareness C. Stack Analysis Under Real Driving Conditions of FCV D. Hydrogen Standard Research for PEMFC Vehicle E. Life Cycle Assessment for Hydrogen and FCV System 3. ATIP Evaluation 4. References & Contacts Summary of Previous Report In a previously published ATIP Scoop TM entitled "Korea's National RD&D Organization for Hydrogen & Fuel Cell (H 2 FC)," ATIP reported on Korea's monitoring program for residential fuel cell systems as well as the performance evaluation and improvement of a PEFC system for residential power generation (RPG). The program's primary R&D goals, objectives, research strategy, potential achievements/applications and budget for the period 2006-2009 were discussed. New Information A. Monitoring Program of Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicle A variety of research and development (R&D) projects related to fuel cell vehicle (FCV) technology are currently being undertaken by nations to ensure their global competitiveness in the "Hydrogen Society" of the near future. However, it is essential to focus on building the required technical and social infrastructures as a segment of these projects in order to facilitate the early commercialization of Hydrogen FCVs and
Keywords: Defense Applications, Electronics, Energy, Energy Storage, Fuel Cells, Government S&T Policy, Homeland Security, Regional S&T Overviews, Renewable Energy Country: Korea

Light Emission Achievements in Japan
5 May 2008	Pages: 15

Contents: 1. Summary of Previous Report A. Superconductor-Based Light-emitting Diode (LED) B. Blue Nitride Phosphor for FED Application by NIMS 2. New Information C. High Output Green Laser Oscillation without Using a Resonator D. Green Photoluminescence from GaInN Photonic Crystals by NODA E. Experimental Production of White LED for LCD Back Light by NIMS 3. ATIP Evaluation 4. References & Contacts Summary of Previous Report A. Superconductor-Based Light-emitting Diode (LED) Demonstration of the Role of Cooper Pairs in Radiative Recombination Processes In a February 2008 A-Tip News Article entitled, "Superconductor-Based Light- emitting Diode," ATIP previously reported on the status of superconductor-based LED research and development (R&D) in Japan. The Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) recently announced the successful increase in LED emission utilizing a superconductor-based system. Yujiro HAYASHI et al. from the Ikuo SUEMUME group at the Research Institute for Electronic Science (RIES), Hokkaido University, along with Kazunori TANAKA from the Central Laboratory at Hamamatsu Photonics and Tatsushi AKAZAKI from NTT's Basic Research Laboratory (BRL) collaborated on this achievement. Scientists at the Tokyo University of Science and the Muroran Institute of Technology also participated in this collaborative research work.
Keywords: Consumer Electronics, Displays, Nanotechnology (Nano) Country: Japan

Small-Size Wind Generator at Zephyr Corporation
25 April 2008	Pages: 4

Contents: 1. New Information A. Introduction B. Products at Zephyr 2. ATIP Evaluation 3. References & Contacts New Information A. Introduction Zephyr Corporation in Japan specializes in the production of small-size wind generators with an output ranging from 450 to 1,300 W. Zephyr sells not only wind generator units, but also hybrid systems with a battery for electricity storage. Zephyr's activities are financially supported by the Japanese government. B. Products at Zephyr 1. 400 W Generator The 400-W generator (pictured in Figure 1 below) utilizes an ultra light and thin blade to increase the rotation efficiency. To address the large wind power requirements at start-up, the generator is equipped with a battery that supplies starting power until the blade reaches a rotation speed of 200 rpm. In order to avoid damage to the generator under intense wind conditions, the generator ceases to operate at 1800 rpm. It would be possible to reduce the generator's noise level from the conventional 62 dB to 32 dB by applying a resin coating to the blades. The 400-W generator's specifications are presented in Table 1 below and the generator's performance is shown in Figure 2.
Keywords: Energy, Renewable Energy Country: Japan

Japan National Project for Counter Terrorism Measures
25 April 2008	Pages: 8

Contents: 1. New Information A. Introduction B. Project Achievements 2. ATIP Evaluation 3. References & Contacts New Information A. Introduction A Japanese national project for counter-terrorism measures was initiated in 2005 and ended in fiscal 2007 (March 2008). Prof. KOSHI at the University of Tokyo led this collaborative project, in which the University of Tokyo, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), the National Police Science Laboratory, the National Institute of Advanced Science and Technology (AIST), and Yokohama National University have all joined. To cope with terrorism in Japan, a national project based on photo ionization mass spectroscopy, millimeter wave detection, and pulse neutron analysis was initiated in 2005 and received funding in the amount of JPY 300 million (~US$3 million) per year, for a total of ~US$9 million over a period of three years. The project was funded by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). Photo ionization mass spectroscopy can detect trace explosives either containing or not containing an N compound. In addition to photo ionization mass spectroscopy, a millimeter wave device and pulse neutron ray analyzer are integrated into the explosives detection security system. The integrated system targets a detection rate greater than 99% in less than 1 second. An explosive disposal system will also be developed under this project.
Keywords: Homeland Security Country: Japan

Development of Low Actuation Voltage Capacitive Shunt RF-MEMS Switch at Tohoku University
24 April 2008	Pages: 5

Contents: 1. New Information A. Introduction B. Achievements at Tohoku University 2. ATIP Evaluation 3. References & Contacts New Information A. Introduction Radio frequency micro electromechanical system (RF-MEMS) switches offer suitable performance characteristics such as low insertion loss, high isolation, low power consumption, good signal linearity, improved impedance matching and less frequency dependence in comparison to conventional solid-state switches based on PIN diodes or GaAs field-effect transistors (FETs). Electrostatic actuation offers extremely low power consumption and easy implementation. However, there are two issues for RF-MEMS switches actuated by electrostatic force: lowering the actuation voltage and increasing mechanical stability. The two basic RF-MEMS switches are the series switch and the shunt switch. The former is usually realized as a metal-contact switch able to switch a signal from DC to radio frequency with high resolution. Most of the shunt switches are based on variable capacitance short-circulation of the signal line in the down-state. The isolation of such capacitive shunt switches is low for lower frequency due to its capacitive short-circuiting principle, but their performance is much better at high frequency in the millimeter wave region. Recently, a great deal of effort has been put into decreasing the actuation voltage of the electrostatic switches. Prof. Masayoshi ESASHI's team at Tohoku University proposes a
Keywords: MEMS, Seimconductors, Telecommunications Country: Japan