Research & Development - Hitachi Global · An inverter is comprised of power devices such as diodes and tran-sistors. Si (silicon) has long been used as the material for power devices,

Research & Development

Research & Development

HITACHI TECHNOLOGY 2010–201172

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There are high hopes that reducing the loss of power conversion devices such as inverters will have a major effect onenergy conservation in industrial fields. Hitachi has developed a 3-kV-class diode that uses SiC, which has become afocus of attention as a material for next-generation power devices. Hitachi has also created a prototype of a powermodule that uses this diode. A simulation that includes the module’s operating characteristics forecasts that thepower conversion loss in the main power converters for alternating current overhead lines will be reduced by about30%.

3-kV-class SiC Diodes and High-speed Drive Technology for Increased Railcar Inverter Efficiency


when voltage is applied in a direction opposite to the current flow

direction. JBS resolves this problem and has a structure that

enables both low conduction loss and restriction of the leakage

current. This resulted in the achievement of a high reverse voltage

resistance of up to 3.3 kV and a low conduction voltage of 2 V.

Although we are making steady progress in improving the quality

of SiC single-crystal substrates, unlike Si the substrate still contains

numerous defects. There are also many defects in the layer that is

formed on the substrate for creating devices. As such, it is impor-

tant to develop device structures and process technology for

restricting the effects of defects.

Further, we have developed high-speed drive technology for

exploiting the high-speed switching properties of the SiC-SBD that

we developed, and so further reduce power conversion loss. We

created a prototype of a power module for railcar inverters in

which the conventional silicon diode is replaced with the devel-

oped SiC-SBD. By applying this high-speed drive technology, the

turn-on loss and recovery loss, which are major causes of power

conversion loss, were reduced to 1/6 and 1/10 respectively. This

enabled the overall power conversion loss for the main power con-

verters for overhead lines to be reduced by about 30%. And also,

because this reduced the heat generated by the inverter, the cooling

device could be made lighter and more compact.

Aiming to Expand Commercialization and Fields of Application

The reason that the railroad was targeted in this development is

that it will help reduce the CO2 emissions of society as a whole by

further improving the energy conservation of railroads, which is

already a transport infrastructure of low environmental burdens.

This development has already been noticed by the market and

there are high hopes for its commercialization. So first, we will

work hard to try to meet these expectations. Also, in the future we

would like to use SiC-SBD in a wide range of power devices that

have a voltage resistance range of 600 V to 3 kV. We would like

SiC-SBD to be used not only for railcars, but in a diverse variety of

fields, including industrial devices, power supply devices, elevators

equipment, hybrid vehicles and home appliances, as well as in

photovoltaic solar power generation and wind power generation.

By making improved efficiency a reality, we hope to contribute to

the battle against global warming.

Expectations for SiC as a Next-generationPower Device Material

Inverters are used in a wide variety of electric devices to convert

direct current into alternating current. Currently there is demand

for a further improvement in the efficiency of inverters as a means

of reducing CO2 (carbon dioxide) emissions.

An inverter is comprised of power devices such as diodes and tran-

sistors. Si (silicon) has long been used as the material for power

devices, but a physical limit has been reached in how far their effi-

ciency can be improved. As a result, compounds such as GaN (gal-

lium nitride) and SiC (silicon carbide), which we used in this

development project, have received attention as next-generation

materials.

Important properties of SiC include its high breakdown field

strength that is nearly 10 times higher than that of Si. These prop-

erties mean that a chip can be made about 1/10 thinner than an Si

device, which reduces resistance loss during conduction by an

equivalent amount. As a result, devices can be made smaller, cool-

ing systems can be simplified, and the efficiency can be improved.

Reducing Loss with High Voltage-resistantSiC Diodes and High-speed Drive Technology

In this project, we developed a diode using SiC materials for adop-

tion in a railcar inverter. The “SiC SBD (Schottky barrier diode)”

that we developed was designed with a JBS (junction barrier

Schottky) structure that combines pn (positive-negative) junctions

with Schottky junctions, and makes full use of the SiC properties.

Although conventional SBDs that use Schottky junctions only can

perform switching faster than with pn junctions, they have a prob-

lem in that when an attempt is made to reduce the loss during con-

duction by decreasing the resistance, a large leakage current occurs

Katsumi Ishikawa (left), Unit Leader, Senior Researcher, PS4 Unit, Department of Power

Electronics System Research, Information and Control Systems Research Laboratory,

Hitachi Research Laboratory; Natsuki Yokoyama (right), Unit Leader, Senior Researcher,

Nano-process Research Department, Electronics Research Laboratory, Central Research

Laboratory, Hitachi, Ltd.

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In recent years, from the perspective of preserving the global environment, and in particular reducing greenhousegas emissions, there have been growing expectations about the role of HEV and EV, which use electrical energy as apower source. A key technology in making these vehicles of the future a reality is the lithium-ion battery. Using theexperience and technical skills that it has cultivated over the years, Hitachi has developed a fourth generation oflithium-ion batteries that achieve a world-class level of performance. In the future, by providing system solutionsthat include batteries, Hitachi will continue to contribute to the creation of a sustainable society.

Fourth Generation of Vehicular Lithium-ion Batteries with World-classPerformance


ation of battery will be used in new HEV from General Motors

Company. The vehicular lithium-ion batteries that we have deliv-

ered thus far have been highly evaluated for many reasons, includ-

ing their high quality, performance, safety, and durability. Hitachi

develops and manufactures not only battery systems, but also

motors, inverters, and other components, giving us the strength to

propose optimum hybrid systems.

And now we are developing a fourth generation of lithium-ion bat-

tery that increases performance by 150% compared with the third

generation, raising output to 4,500 W/kg. To raise the output of

batteries, the internal resistance must be reduced. By using a new

positive-electrode material made from manganese, making the

electrodes slimmer and increasing their surface area, and using

square-shaped batteries, we achieved this goal of reducing resis-

tance in the internal current paths. A key problem was the need to

evenly manufacture uniform, slim electrodes at high speed. We

were able to overcome this issue because of the techniques that

Hitachi has cultivated in the manufacture of magnetic tape.

Expanding the Possibilities of Lithium-ionBatteries

Because mobile power sources for automobiles and railcars must

be small, light and deliver high output at high energy, the lithium-

ion battery is the most suitable technology. Through the develop-

ment of green mobility technology such as this, not only can we

contribute to reducing CO2 (carbon dioxide) emissions, which is a

key global issue, but we can also help construct a low-energy and

sustainable society. In the future we believe that demand may

increase for technology that uses the characteristics of lithium-ion

batteries, not only for vehicular batteries, but also for backup

power supplies for high-rise buildings and portable base stations,

and for power storage for natural energy such as solar power. We

are verifying the long-term reliability and developing manufactur-

ing processes for the fourth generation of batteries with a view to

start mass production in 2014, and we are also considering apply-

ing the electrode technology in cylindrical batteries that we have

already developed. In addition to expanding our lineup to meet

the needs of customers, we will also provide society with a wide

range of low energy solutions for battery systems that combine

products and controls that use our battery technology.

About 20 Years’ Experience in theDevelopment and Commercialization of Large Lithium-ion Batteries

Lithium-ion batteries are currently the focus of attention as a

power source for vehicles that are more environmentally con-

scious, such as HEVs (hybrid electric vehicles) and EVs (electric

vehicles). These lithium-ion batteries have a volume and weight

that is about 1/3 that of lead batteries and 1/2 that of nickel-hydro-

gen batteries, and have the excellent characteristics of being com-

pact, lightweight and having high output at high energy.

Hitachi was among the first to start the development of large lithi-

um-ion batteries, using the opportunity of its participation in the

“New Sunshine Program” of New Energy and Industrial Technology

Development Organization (NEDO) in 1992. Achievements in our

long history of development include the use of our batteries in

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.’s global-pioneering “Tino Hybrid” HEV and

“Hypermini” EV in 2000, adoption for commercial HEV vehicles in

2005, and use in East Japan Railway Company’s “Kiha E200 Type”

hybrid railcar in 2007, which won the Minister’s Prize, the Ministry

of Environment in the Eco-Products Category of The 4th Eco-

Products Awards.

Increased Battery Output by ReducingInternal Resistance

The results described above were achieved by vehicular lithium-ion

batteries up to the second generation, and we have already deliv-

ered a total of more than 1 million cells. We have finished the

development of our third generation of batteries that have

increased output, and are currently completing the preparations for

mass production. It has already been decided that this third gener-

Mitsuru Koseki (left), Deputy General Manager, Battery Design & Development Division,

Hitachi Vehicle Energy, Ltd.; Hidetoshi Honbou (middle), Senior Researcher, Department

of Battery Research, Advanced Battery Research Center, Hitachi Research Laboratory;

Toshio Otaguro (right), General Manager, Battery Systems Company, Hitachi, Ltd.

Research & DevelopmentResearch & DevelopmentResearch & Development

Walkthrough Explosive Detection Technology

airflow, where it is sampled and then introduced to an ionsource. In the ion source, the molecules of the explosive are ion-ized by the corona discharge. The generated ions are sent into alinear ion trap type of mass spectrometer in a vacuum, wheremass separation and ion detection are performed (mass separa-tion method). The molecules of explosives have a specific molec-ular mass and chemical structure, so the presence of explosivescan be judged by monitoring for the ion signal strength of massthat is characteristic of explosive molecules. In this system, thepresence of explosives can be judged very quickly, within threeseconds of someone passing through. Also, Hitachi is improvingthe performance of this mass separation method to detect moreminute traces of explosives by adopting a wire type of linear iontrap, which enables analysis that is 10 times more efficient thanconventional methods.The sampling area of the explosive detection system that isexplained above was built into a security gate (automatic gatetype). A problem with conventional security gates is that theymistakenly detect substances that are not explosives. With the cur-

rent ion mobil i ty methodthat is widely used at airportsand other fac i l i t ies , theincorrect detection rate is ashigh as 1%. Mass spectrome-try is a method that has high-er selectivity than the ionmobility method, so a reduc-tion in the incorrect detec-tion rate can be expected.Actual verification tests havebeen run in public spacessuch as Tokyo InternationalAirport (Haneda Airport) andEast Japan Railway Company’sAkihabara Station (railroad).In the future, Hitachi aims tomake the entire structure,including the detection area,more compact, to enable itsinstallation on security gates.Hitachi will strive to com-mercialize security systemswith high throughput, whichhave good compatibility withcurrent social systems, inorder to contribute to theimprovement of security inplaces where many peoplegather.Note that par t of thisresearch was performed ascommissioned by the Projecton Science and Technologyfor a Safe and Secure Societyof the Ministry of Education,Culture, Sports, Science andTechnology, Japan.

Taking countermeasures against terrorism has become an urgentissue to keep society safe and secure. In particular, knowledgeabout how to make homemade bombs by blending explosivesfrom everyday items has become widely available, so that even inJapan concern has risen about their use in terrorism and crime.Explosive detection equipment that is currently used at airportsand other facilities can be broadly divided into two types; bulkdetection that identifies the overall shape of the explosive, andtrace detection that finds traces of absorbed explosives. With traceexplosive detection equipment, the officer must take swabs of thehand luggage or other items, and so from the perspective both ofthroughput and the number of inspectors that will be required, itis often difficult to increase the number of installations. Inresponse, Hitachi has developed a walkthrough explosive detec-tion system that can detect the vapor of homemade bombs athigh speed, without the need for inspectors.In the explosive detection system, vapor that is released fromtraces of explosives that are adhered to the bodies or clothes ofpeople is sent from the air feed area to the air intake area by the

Absorbedhomemadebombparticles

Ions from homemadebomb particles

Molecular weight

Sign

al s

treng

th

Explosive BExplosive A

Explosive C

Analyzed by linearion trap type of massspectrometer.

(a)

Dischargeionization

(b)

Diagram of explosive detection system (a) and walkthrough explosive detection equipment (b)

75HITACHI TECHNOLOGY 2010–2011

Handling Technology for 0.075-square-mm Powder IC Chip

MEMS Combined Sensor for Vehicle Stability Control

t ic electr ici ty and van derWaals force, causing them tostick together or fly apart. Forthis reason, it was difficult tohandle chips one by oneusing the conventional han-dling technology for semi-conductor mounting. In thisdevelopment, microparticleand cell capture technologythat is used in advanced bio-medical fields was applied.The IC chips were insertedinto and dispersed in a sur-factant solution to enablethem to be placed on thesubstrate wi thout beingaffected by forces such as sta-tic electricity.

There are high expectations that RFID (radio-frequency identifica-tion) tags that use powder IC chips will create a new market,developing into a key device for the simple and low-cost manage-ment of a large number of objects, identification of paper docu-ments such as stock certificates, and many other uses.

Hitachi has developed a handling technology for a powder IC(integrated circuit) chip with a size of 0.075 mm and a thicknessof 7.5 μm.Because the powder IC chips are extremely small and thin, in adry environment they can be greatly affected by forces such as sta-

meet these demands, a combined sensor with a small packagewhich is embedded on the hydraulic control unit in the enginecompartment is indispensable for the VSC system. A deformation-resistant MEMS structure has been adopted toachieve stable operation under both high vibration and in a widetemperature range (-40 to 125ºC) in the engine compartment. Apackage as small as 10×19×4 mm is achieved by adopting TSV(through silicon vias) and WLP (wafer-level package) technologies.These sensor technologies can be applied to multi-range detectionfor other automotive controls such as anti rollover systems.

An MEMS (microelectromechanical systems) combined sensorthat measures two-axis acceleration and the angular rate (rota-tion) has been developed for VSC (vehicle stability control) sys-tems, which control braking forces for each wheel separately inorder to maintain vehicle stability. In the USA, the installation ofVSC systems will be mandatory for vehicles up to 4.5 t by the MY(model year) 2012. There is also a movement towards the manda-tory installation of VSC systems in Europe and Asia. To apply VSCsystems to all vehicle types including small cars, it will be neces-sary to reduce system costs and simplify installation. In order to

ActuatorPowder IC chip during handlingas observed with a CCD camera

Micropipette

PowderIC chip

0.075 mm

Side

Mounting substrate

CCD camera

Mirror

Micro pipette

Powder chipstorage bottle

Agitator

Bottom

Outline of powder IC chip handling device

CCD: charge coupled device

Measuring acceleration and angular rate

Automatic brake control(vehicle stability control)

Acceleration

Acceleration

Angular rate

Angular rate

Combined MEMS sensor[10×19×4 (mm)]

Off-course

Spin

Y axis

X axis

X axis

Z axis

Y axis

Under steering

Over steering

Normal driving

MEMS combined sensor for vehicle stability control76



Thin-type Finger Vein Authentication Module

100-Gbit/s Ethernet Prototyping Implementation

oped to reduce interference from external light such as sunlight invein pattern observation to improve practicality. This modulemakes it possible to expand the application of finger vein authen-tication technology to a wide range of products such as mobileequipment, motor vehicles and homes, where space is limited ormobile operation is required. Hitachi will continue to use fingervein authentication equipment in a wide range of applications asa security technology that supports innovative businesses in oursociety.

Hitachi has developed a3-mm-thick thin-type fin-ger vein authenticationmodule which is suitablefor mobile use. The sig-nificant decrease in thethickness of the f ingervein authentication mod-ule was achieved throughthe development of anew contactless flat sen-sor for capturing the fin-ger ve in image. Unt i lnow, the image obtainedby i l luminat ion withinfrared light was cap-tured using a single lens camera method. As a result, there was alimit to how thin the module could be made, due to the spacerequired between the finger and the lens, as well as the thicknessof the lens itself. In the newly developed thin-type contactless flatsensor, micro lenses with a short focal length are provided foreach pixel of the sensor. This enables a focused and clear veinpattern to be captured despite the proximity of the finger to thesensor, thus allowing a thinner finger vein authentication moduleto be designed. Further, signal processing technology was devel-

The MAC/PCS LSI prototype was developed in order to verify themulti-lane transmission method. The result of this prototypingimplementation is that the logic scale of the PCS is 135-k LUTs(lookup tables) and 3.1 Mbit RAM (random access memory), andthe logic scale of the MAC is 116-k LUTs and 2.6-Mbit RAM. Anevaluation board for testing the MAC/PCS function unit wasdeveloped. The results indicated that the module functioned asthe draft standard specified.The gearbox LSI was designed using a 65-nm CMOS (complemen-tary metal-oxide semiconductor) process for low overall powerconsumption. The 10-Gbit/s interfaces reduced power consump-t ion by achieving a t ransmiss ion per formance of 0 .98mW/(Gbit/s). The 25-Gbit/s interfaces were designed to reducepower consumption by using CMOS-type transistors. After imple-menting the circuit, the gearbox LSI had a 6.1-mm × 3.5-mm diesize. The anticipated power consumption will be less than 2.3 Wfor the whole gearbox LSI.With this result, the path for achieving low power 100 GbE in thefuture has been shown.This research and development was supported by the NationalInstitute of Information and Communications Technology(NICT) and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications,Japan; the MAC/PCS prototyping and the gearbox LSI prototypingare related to the NICT’s “Lambda Access technologies” projectand the “Universal Link technologies” project, respectively.

Hitachi has developed the subsystem of a prototype for 100-Gbit/sEthernet (100 GbE), a specification that was standardized in June2010 by the IEEE P802.3ba Task Force. The targets of the 100-GbE prototype are a “MAC/PCS (media access control/physi-cal coding sublayer)” LSI (large scale integration) that supportsan MAC sublayer and PCS, and a “gearbox” LSI that provides 10:4parallel lane-width exchange inside an optical transceiver mod-ule.

(a) (b)

25 mm

3 mm

30 mm

LED

3 mm

Infrared-pass filterMicro lensLight shieldImaging sensor

3-mm-thick finger vein authentication module (prototype unit) (a) and structure of the module (b)

PCS RxFPGA

MAC RxFPGA

PCS TxFPGA

10×10GSerDes LSI

MAC TxFPGA

Picture of the evaluation board

SerDes: serializer/deserializer, Tx: transmitter, FPGA: field programmable gate array, Rx: receiver


LED: light emitting diode

Weight Loss Program for Metabolic Syndrome

Thermally-assisted Magnetic Recording Head Technologiesfor 2.5-Tbit/in2-class HDD

to their target weight. The system also reduced the time requiredfor nurses to create e-mails from 20 minutes to 5 minutes. Theweight loss program and system are helpful for both the metabol-ic syndrome participants and the nurses.

Hitachi has developed a new weight lossprogram for metabolic syndrome. Theparticipants of the program set behavioralobjectives using 100-kcal (≒418,600 J)cards and carried out tasks for achievingtheir target weight, which is 5% weightloss over 90 days. The 100-kcal cards areillustrated cards that show food that com-ply with 100-kcal restrictions or exercisethat burns 100 kcal. The participants areable to set concrete objectives using these100-kcal cards. To help them continuetheir activities, the participants receive e-mail advice from nurses every 10 days.Hitachi has also developed an IT (infor-mation technology) system to improvethe operational efficiency of the nurses.By using the system, the nurses are able toconfirm the weight and objectives of theparticipants, check off their daily tasks using the to-do list, andsend e-mails using the message templates that are automaticallygenerated depending on the condition of the participant.As a result of the program that uses this system, 421 participantslost 4.7 kg on average and 51.3% of the participants were down

In TAR, light irradiation heats a local part of themagnetic media and thus temporarily lowers themagnetic field that is required to switch themagnetization direction. Then, a data bit ismagnetically recorded in the easily switchablepart of the media, while the remaining part leftunchanged. Therefore , the head must beequipped with an optical element to irradiatesmall optical spots onto the media.The developed technologies were an optical ele-ment that generates a tiny optical spot with adiameter of 20 nm, and an integration technolo-gy to simultaneously fabricate an optical ele-ment adjacent to the magnetic pole tip. The leftfigure shows that a near field optical elementwas successfully fabricated next to the magneticpole. The performance of the developed ele-

ments was verified by a combination of optical, thermal, andmagnetic simulations. The right figure shows the magnetic pat-terns corresponding to 2.5 Tbit/in2-class areal density, which isabout five times the current recording density, were successfullyrecorded.The development was conducted under “Development of NanobitTechnology for Ultra-high Density Magnetic Recording (Green ITProject),” which was commissioned by the New Energy andIndustrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO).

During the past few decades, exploding demand and intenseresearch and development competition in the HDD (hard diskdrive) industry have kept the areal density growth rate at over40% per year. However, a recording density of 1 Tbit/in2 is con-sidered by many to be close to the limit of the current recordingtechnology, namely perpendicular magnetic recording on contin-uous granular media. TAR (thermally assisted magnetic record-ing) technology is one of the leading candidates for achievingareal density beyond this limit.

Weight loss program support system

FeCo (magnetic pole)

100 nm

Al2O3

20 nm

Au

8T mark pattern

2T mark pattern S/N = 14.1 dB

Track width= 28.6 nm

Bit length (T) = 9.2 nm

Simulated mark patternsFabricated near-field transducer

Fabricated head element with near-field transducer and simulated recording patterns


S/N: signal-to-noise ratio


Discovery of Spin-injection Hall Effect

Technology for Stability Control of Inverted PendulumMobile Mechanism for Human Symbiotic Robots

tronic layer. The Hall effect signals along thesemiconducting micro-channel are used toelectrically measure the local spin orienta-tion of injected electrons. The observedtransverse electrical signals remain large athigh temperatures and are linearly depen-dent on the degree of circular polarizationof the incident light, indicating that electronspins propagate without losing the originalinformation in a range of a few microme-ters. This device represents a realization of anon-magnetic spin-photovoltaic polarimeterwhich directly converts polarization of lightinto transverse voltage signals. The spin-injection Hall effect demonstrated in thedevice can have a broad range of applica-tions in non-magnetic semiconductors with-out disturbing the spin-polarized currentand without using magnetic elements. Thisdiscovery was achieved by physicists from

the Hitachi Cambridge Laboratory, University of Cambridge andThe University of Nottingham in the UK, Texas A&M University inthe USA, Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt in Germany, andthe Institute of Physics of the Academy of Sciences of the CzechRepublic.

Hitachi has successfully measured the spin-injection Hall effectfor the first time in the world. To observe the spin-injection Halleffect, Hitachi utilized a specially designed p-n junction photo-diode. By shining a circularly polarized light on the p-n junction,spin-polarized electrons are excited in the two dimensional elec-

A new control technology for an inverted pendulum mobilemechanism that enables fast and stable mobility on an unevensurface has been developed. It is used in a humanoid robot calledEMIEW2 that has a leg-wheel mobility mechanism developed in2007. EMIEW2 is l ight (14 kg) to ensure intr insic safety.However, this makes EMIEW2 unstable when it runs over abump. This technology enables the robot to run as fast as 6 km/hon a surface with bumps up to a maximum of 15 mm.A pair of newly developed SHS (serial hybrid suspension) devicesis used to stabilize the posture of the robot. The SHS comprisesan actuator serially coupled to an orthodox spring-damper shockabsorber. The shock absorber alleviates the impact when thewheel hits a bump on the ground. However, conventional suspen-sions that absorb the impact are too soft and too slow to recoverthe posture from the fluctuation, thus making the stability low.The actuators of the SHS solve this problem. A gyro sensormounted on the robot detects the slant, and the actuator lengthsare controlled to keep the robot upright.A new control algorithm is also applied to overcome the instabili-ty caused by overspinning. The robot wheels sometimes get out ofcontact when the robot hits bumps. This causes overspinning andmakes the robot unstable. The overspinning is detected by thenewly developed algorithm, and the wheel is controlled so thatstability is kept after making contact with the ground again.

(a)

(b)

i-AlGaAs substrate

Two-dimensionalelectronic gas

2 µm

2

1

0

-1

-2-1.0 -0.5 0Degree of circular polarization

0.5 1.0

-1.0 -0.5 0Degree of circular polarization

0.5 1.0

10

5

0

-5

-10

n-type AlGaAssubstrate

Circular polarized light

H1

H1

H2

H2

Hal

l coe

ffici

ent(

10-3)

Hal

l coe

ffici

ent(

10-3)

BSO

Device structure (a) and measurement results (b)

Human symbiotic robot “EMIEW2”79


Technology for Investigating the Effect of Nano-scratch on Magnetization in HDD Magnetic Recording Media

Technology for Three-dimensional Behavior Analysis and Simulation of Multiple Bank Notes in ATM

ing f rom a sub-nanometer to a few nano-meters that occur on thesurface of the magneticrecording media of anHDD (hard disk drive).This technology utilizesthe fact that magnetiza-t ion i s reversed in ascratch area but not in anormal area when asmall external magneticf ie ld i s appl ied to themedia. The magnetiza-t ion direc t ion can beobserved through themagneto-opt ica l forceeffect . Hitachi was thef i r s t in the world toquant i fy the e f fec t ofnano-scratches on mag-netization. This technolo-

gy is used for strengthening perpendicular magnetic recordingmedia and improving HDD reliability.

Hitachi has developed a new technology to investigate the effecton recording magnetization of nano-scratches with a depth rang-

ed without using a prototype device or test bank notes. This tech-nology will contribute to shorter development times for ATMsand to developing ATMs with greater reliability.

Hitachi has developed a three-dimension-al simulation technology for reproducingthe bank note and mechanism movementsin the bank note feed mechanisms andcollection mechanisms that output, input,and store bank notes in ATMs (automatedteller machines) when stacked bank notesare separated and fed out one by one, orwhen bank notes are continuously stackedone by one. With this technology, Hitachihas developed a method where the con-tact area between bank notes is modeledto a level equivalent to actual conditions,enabling the friction that acts betweenbank notes to be accurately estimated. Asimulation can reproduce the friction con-dition between bank notes when multiplebank notes are stacked together, and thecontact condition between the bank notesand the mechanism parts. As a result, vari-ous movements related to bank notes canbe reproduced that were difficult to dowith previous simulations, such as thesimultaneous feed out of multiple bank notes, and collisionsbetween bank notes. This means that the performance of the banknote feed mechanisms and collection mechanisms can be evaluat-

(a) (b)

Nano-scratch

No change

Normal areaNano-scratch

Lightsource

Detector

Polarization plane

Polarization planeMagnetization

OvercoatRecordinglayer

Change

Change

Magnetic field

Zero

AFM MFM

Small

Large

0 2.00 µm 2.00 µm0

Magnetization changes from the applied magnetic field at the normal and scratch areas (a) and rotation of polarization plane from changes in disk magnetization (b)

AFM: atomic force microscope, MFM: magnetic force microscope

Sheet roller

Feed roller

Stacked bank notes

Stacking guide

Integration space

Bank note with folded edge

Initial bank note position

Transport path

Example of simulation of abnormal behavior when collecting a bank note that is folded in four



Filter Design Technique for General-purpose Inverters

Embedded Video Analyzer for Surveillance Camera and Hybrid Recorder

The operating principles of invert-ers mean that they generate strongelectromagnetic noise. In recentyears, Europe in particular hasestablished higher standards forelectromagnetic noise. As such, thenoise level in inverter productsmust be restricted to less than thelevel that is stipulated by the stan-dards. In response, a filter is usedto restr ict the electromagneticnoise. However, a large filter isrequired to satisfy the standards,which led to size and cost issues.To resolve these issues, a filterdesign technique was developedthat uses simulation, enabling acompact and high-performance fil-ter to be developed that is basedon noise generation principles.This technique is being used in thedevelopment of inverters that arebuilt into filters and are compati-ble with European standards.

or vehicles, as well as peoplewho are standing still.This function alerts the sur-veillance staff if an intruderenters the security area, andenables the recorded imagesto be searched for the impor-tant par ts only , whichincreases the efficiency ofsurvei l lance work. In thisdevelopment, to enable thereal-time processing of multi-ple recognition applications,hardware measures weretaken for basic computing forimage processing, and therecognition algorithm wasoptimized and installed inmass-produced cameras andrecorders.In the future, Hitachi willcontinue to develop moreintelligent image recognition

technology to contribute to video surveillance solutions thatachieve better safety and greater peace of mind.

Using image recognition technology, Hitachi has developed a net-work surveillance camera and hybrid recorder (supports bothanalog and digital) that can detect moving objects such as people

Cond

uctio

n nois

e (dB

uV)

Frequency (Hz)

Analysis

Enables high-precision forecasting of conduction noise. Enables selection of filter element capacity.

Enables selection of multistage filter circuit method.

Filter analysisConduction noise(actual measurement)

Actual measurement

Con

duct

ion

nois

e (d

BuV)

Filte

r atte

nuat

ion

rate

(dB)

20

−10 100

70

40

−50

−90

40

60

80

100

120

100k 1M 10M

Frequency (Hz)

100k 1M 10MFi

lter a

ttenu

atio

n ra

te (d

B)

−10

−50

−90

Frequency (Hz)100k

CX1=2uFCX1=1uF

R0

LC

CX

CY

RST

S0T0

1M 10M

Frequency (Hz)100k 1M 10M

100M

Stage 1 filter

Stage 2 filter

R0

LC

CX

CY

RST

S0T0

R0

LC

CXCX CY

RST

S0T0

Filter design technique using simulation

Imagerecognition

Detection of still object

Imagerecognition

Video

Alert

Recorder

Surveillance center

Detection of moving object

Surveillance area, such as building,office or shop

Important imageVideo

Video

Camera

Camera

Camera

Search

Image surveillance system


Universal Inverter Drive Control

World’s Highest S/N Sensitivity Achieved with Development of New NMR Method

Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems Co., Ltd. used sensorlessdrive technology in a product in April 2009, and Hitachi is work-ing to further expand the application of this technology.

Hitachi has developedsensorless drive technolo-gy that i s sui table forindustr ia l universa lmotor control.For the universal inverterdrive technology, Hitachiused smart vector controltechnology, which hasfew adjustable elementsand high universality, toachieve high s tar t ingtorque of 200% at anextremely low inductionmotor speed of 0.5 Hz.Also, to enable use invarious operating envi-ronments, HPS (half pulse shift) universal current sensorless tech-nology that increases inverter noise resistance was developed,which enables products to be made smaller and at lower cost.

In this development, aconf igurat ion wasused that combines asolenoid type anten-na, which has excel-lent detection capabil-ities, and a split typesuperconducting mag-net. This increased thesensi t iv i ty by 1 .6times compared withthe previous NMRdevice of the sameclass, setting a recordfor the world’s highestsensi t iv i ty . In thefuture, in addition todeveloping advancedprotein measurementtechnology that uti-

lizes cross-shaped bores, Hitachi plans to expand the supercon-ducting magnet technology, cryogenic technology, and other tech-niques from this development to uses such as MRI (magnetic res-onance imaging) magnets.Note that this was a joint development with Ibaraki Universityand used devices that were made in research commissioned bythe Minis t ry of Educat ion, Cul ture , Sports , Sc ience andTechnology, Japan.

Hitachi has developed an NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance)device using a new method, which has achieved the world’s high-est S/N (signal-to-noise) sensitivity.NMR devices are widely used for chemical analysis, and in recentyears there have been high expectations of their use in proteinresearch. There is always a demand for higher sensitivity in NMRmeasurement, and in the past sensitivity was improved byincreasing the magnetic field of the superconducting magnet andby lowering the temperature of the detection antenna.

Inverter

Operationcommand

Smart vector control

Voltagecalculation

Currentestimate(HPS)

Motor

Currentsensor

not required

Configuration and outline of developed sensorless drive (left), and the WJ200 compact, high-performance inverterin which the technology is used (right)

Probe and room temperatureshim are inserted from themagnet axis direction.

Temperature control gas introduced from bottom

Measurement sample inserted from top

Cross-shaped bore

Superconducting coil

Liquid helium container

Radiation shield

Vacuum case

Solutionsample

Solenoid typeRF coil

Split superconducting magnet for new NMR method


RF: radio frequency


Evaluating the Magnetic Structure of Magnetic Head FilmsUsing Neutron Rays

Development of Next-generation Hash Function

As the recording density of magnetic disk devicesbecomes higher, it has become important to developadvanced magnetization control technology for themagnetic layer that makes up the magnetic head film.In response, Hitachi has developed neutron reflectivitytechnology that uses spin reversal and is capable ofevaluating the magnetization amount of each magneticlayer and the distortion in the magnetization.This technology clarifies whether an interface layer thathas magnet izat ion-dis tor t ing components ex is t sbetween the antiferromagnetic layer and the fixed mag-netic layer, and it has been demonstrated to be an effec-tive method for evaluating the magnetic structure.Hitachi plans to apply this technology in the develop-ment of the next generation of magnetic heads.Note that this was a joint development with the JapanAtomic Energy Agency.

ing speed per unit gate.In summer 2010, the candidates will be narrowed down to 5 finalcandidates, and the next-generation standard will be decidedaround June 2012. Hitachi aims to expand information business-es through the standardization of the hash function, which is thefoundation of information security.

Hash funct ions are used forchecking the integrity of commu-nication data and for authentica-tion of devices and users, andthey improve the security of vari-ous information systems, such ase-government and online bank-ing. The security of the “SHA-1(secure hash algorithm 1)” hashfunction, which is the currentworldwide s tandard, hasdecreased, leading to concernsabout security risks in the nearfuture. In response, the NationalInst i tute of S tandards andTechnology (NIST) in the USAhas launched the SHA-3 compe-tition to decide the next genera-tion of standards.This i s the background toHitachi ’ s jo int research anddevelopment of a new hash func-tion with Belgium’s KatholiekeUniversiteit Leuven. It was theonly proposed hash function from Japan to pass the first round ofthe competition, where it was selected as one of 14 candidates. Astructure that possesses both high security and high speed wasachieved by combining a new “sponge type” of hash functionstructure with the technology of lightweight stream ciphers. Thishas achieved the highest value in the world for hardware process-

Neutron ray

Spin

Fixed layer magnetizationFree magnetic layer

Fixed magnetic layer

Antiferromagnetic layer

Barrier layer

Interface layer

Analysis of magnetization distortionfrom the spin reversal amount of thereflected neurons

Interface layermagnetization

(distortion)

Externalmagnetic field

Magnetizingdirection

Magnetic structure of magnetic head film as seen through spin reversal neutronreflectance

Input data

M1

256 bit Mixing process

256 bit

8 steps

Initi

al v

alue

M2

Mix

ing

proc

ess

Mix

ing

proc

ess

Mn……

……256 bit

Hash value

・Sponge structure with large intermediate state・Improved parallelism at overall structure level

Divided

Step function

Step function

・SPN structure with high parallelism and diffusivity・Improved mixing efficiency with a low number of steps

Outline of new hash function

SPN: substitution-permutation network


Full Parallax Three-dimensional Display

Ultra-trace Organic Analysis Technology

using actual measurements of the corresponding light directionsgives greater flexibility for design conditions such as screen size,view angle, and light density, enabling the construction of theoptimum system for the application.In the future, Hitachi plans to improve picture quality by makingthe projectors smaller and adding more of them, and expandingits application to fields that make use of full parallax technology.

By superimposing multiple projectors, Hitachi has developed a3D (three-dimensional) display that achieves full parallax with adifference in viewpoint between the top, bottom, left and right,with no need for special glasses.This method is based on a light reproduction method that canreproduce 3D light fields from real space, resulting in realistic 3Dimages. Using multiple projectors and performing calibration

Using a local heating mechanism that can heat only the minutesample that is subject to the analysis, Hitachi has developed amass spectrometry method that can identify the chemical struc-ture of trace organics with a diameter of about 3 μm and mass ofabout 15 pg, which is difficult using conventional analysis meth-ods.A key feature of this technology is that the heating range isextremely small. In previous heating systems, the heating rangewas large and adsorptive components other than the sample werealso heated, which inhibited the analysis. In the newly developedlocal heating mechanism, only the tip consists of an extremelyfine wire. This tip is heated locally when the electrical power isturned on. With a double-digit reduction in the heating rangefrom the previous method, the occurrence of analysis inhibitorshas been restricted, resulting in the highly sensitive analysis ofminute samples. Further, high speed heating to more than1,000℃ can be performed within 0.1 seconds, which enables sta-ble analysis even of refractory substances and macromolecularorganic samples.In the future, this technology will be applied in fields such asenvironmental surveys and foreign matter inspections in devicemanufacturing processes.

Lens system

3D light field

Light emission points

From left From right

From bottom

From top

Projectorfocal plane

Projector

Principles of 3D light field generation and example of full parallax display results

Base

Heating range

Silver (Ag)

Platinum (Pt)300 µm

Electron microscope image of local heating mechanism



Solder Film with Low Melting Point for Reducing Stress in Optical Component Connections

Image-processing Algorithm for High-sensitivity Detectionof Minute Defects at the Nanoscale

film restrict the oxidization of the Sn surface to maintain a goodconnection performance. This structure reduces the stress byabout 30% and improves the LD property fluctuation.This technology can be applied to components such as LED (lightemitting diode) packages, and its applications will be expandedin the future.

At the l ight source of opticalrecording drives, the LD (laserdiode) and substrate are connect-ed with a solder whose maincomponent is gold (Au). Oneproblem with this structure isthat because the melting point ofthe solder is high (278℃), afterthe components are connectedand cool down, the difference incontraction between the LD andsubstrate generates a large stressand the LD properties fluctuate.In a joint development betweenHitachi Kyowa Engineering Co.,Ltd . and the Product ionEngineering Research Laboratory, Hitachi, Ltd., a solder film wasconstructed with 3 layers, tin (Sn), silver (Ag), and Au, and thethickness of each layer was adjusted to make a film with a melt-ing point that is lower (206℃) than the Sn base material. Usually,the connection performance of Sn deteriorates because it oxidizeseasily. However, the Ag and Au layers in the developed solder

at an early stage, and then to take appropriate measures. Inresponse to these needs, Hitachi has developed image processing

technology for the high-sensitivity detec-tion of minute defects from scanning elec-tron microscope images that are taken ofsemiconductor wafers.A feature of this technology is the detec-tion of defects through the integrated useof secondary electron images in whichcontours can be reviewed and backscat-tered electron images in which dents andbumps can be reviewed. This enables thestable detection of various defects (suchas broken wires and foreign particle) on ascale of tens of nanometers.This technology was adopted in a defectreview electron microscope [review SEM(scanning e lec t ron microscope)] ofHitachi High-Technologies Corporation,and is currently being used for the stablemass product ion of semiconductordevices.In the future, Hitachi will continue todevelop high-sensitivity inspection tech-nology to satisfy the inspection needs ofever-more complex semiconductor manu-facturing processes.

In the manufacture of semiconductor devices, it is important todetect the various defects that occur in the manufacturing process

Au layerDevelopedsolder layer

Stress: High

Stress

High

Low

Stress: Low

Connected with conventionalsolder film

Connected with developed solder film

LD

Electrode

Electrode

Ceramic substrate

(Melting point: 206°C)

Ag layer

Su layer

Outline of developed solder film and LD connection (left), and stress measurement results (LD only) (right)

Secondaryelectronimages

Examples of defects on semiconductor wafers

(1) Secondaryelectron images

(contour information)

Electron beam

Detector

WaferSEM electron optical system

(1)

(2) Backscatteredelectron images

(dent information)

Defect

Defect

Good

Defect

Good

Defect detectionby integratingmultiple images(coordinatespecification)

High magnification imaging

1.7 µm

(2)(2)

Broken wire Foreign particle Scratch

Mul

tiple

det

ecto

r im

ages

Backscatteredelectronimages

10 µm

Defect detection technology using multiple scanning electron microscope images


Broadcasting, Recording, and Network Integration Technologyand User Interface Technology for Digital Television

High-density Holographic Recording Technology

interface) design that gives easy-to-understand feedback for theoperation methods and television status. This was accomplishedby repeatedly identifying and improving operations that were dif-ficult for users, resulting in the best possible gesture operationsfor television watching.In the future, Hitachi aims to commercialize the technology byincreasing the accuracy of hand recognition and further improv-ing the operability to make it compatible with other functions,and to expand its application to fields such as digital signage.

Hitachi has developed aplatform for digital tele-vision whose optimizedparallel and distributedprocessing of the dualSoC (system-on-a-chip)system can perform thes imultaneous high-speed process ing ofmult iple s t reams oftranscoding/copyrightprotection system con-version, which enables8X long-time recordingof high definition videoonto a HDD (hard diskdrive) and the use ofv ideo download ser -vices via networks andcontent sharing in thehome-network. This brings a new TV (television)-viewing stylewhere broadcasting, recording, and networks are integrated toenable viewers to watch the programs that they want at the timethat they want.Hitachi has also developed a prototype of a user interface wherethe basic functions of a television can be controlled with gestures,to create a technology that is more user-friendly than a remotecontrol. In addition to developing an algorithm that recognizeshand movements, Hitachi has devised a GUI (graphical user

A feature of this technology is three-dimen-sional recording. A signal beam which hastwo-dimensional information and a referencebeam create an interference pattern (holo-gram) in a disc. The interference pattern isrecorded in the thickness direction of thedisc . The high-densi ty recording wasachieved with angle-mult iplex ing thatchanges the incident angle of the referencebeam and records multiple data items at thesame posi t ion in a disc . Fur thermore ,monocular architecture has been developedto reduce costs and size. Monocular architec-ture requires only a single objective lens,compared with multiple lenses in conven-tional holographic memory systems. Thistechnology has achieved recording density of712 Gbit per square inch (about 2.54 cm2).

Hitachi is aiming to develop optical disc drives with high-densityrecording and a fast transfer rate in the near future that can storeover 1 Tbyte on a single disc.

Hitachi has developed high-density holographic recording tech-nology as optical data storage for digital data that is continuouslygrowing in size.

Digital terrestrial broadcastsDigital BS/CS broadcasts

Video deliveryservice

Contentdelivery

Content sharedin the home-network

High-qualityand long-time

recordingVideo content

uploading

Interaction

Data analysis

Algorithm for gestureoperations GUI design

User experience

Hand movement recognition, feedback

Hand position detection(hand tracking)

Sensor

Spatial body shape detectionby 3D image sensor

(a) (b)

Technology for integrating broadcasting, recording, and networks for digital television (a) and structure of gestureuser interface technology (b)

BS/CS: broadcasting satellite/communications satellite

Disc

Disc

Reference beam

Reference beam

Objective lens

Mirror

Mirror

Mirror angle (a) (b) (c)Hologram:300×300 (µm2)

24 mm 58 mm(a) (b) (c)

Interference pattern (hologram)changes with the mirror angle.

LaserSignalbeam

Signalbeam

Camera

Spatial lightmodulator

Over 1 million pixels

High-density holographic recording technology


Documents

Research & Development - Hitachi Global · An inverter is comprised of power devices such as diodes and tran-sistors. Si (silicon) has long been used as the material for power devices,