Researchers in AIST has developed the world's first SiC monolithic power IC. It integrates a blocking voltage 1.2 kV class vertical MOSFET and a drive circuit comprised by a CMOS onto the same chip, and the switching operation was achieved.
The SiC monolithic power IC contributes to power converter enhancement such as size, weight and loss reduction, but had not yet been realized due to the challenge of achieving both increased output current and isolation from high voltages for SiC CMOS. An AIST original device structure was newly developed and succeeded in simultaneously achieving high voltage isolation and increased output current for SiC CMOS. This technology was used to fabricate an SiC monolithic power IC that integrates a CMOS drive circuit and an SiC vertical MOSFET onto the same chip, and the switching operation was demonstrated for the first time in the world. This technology opens the way for integration of functions such as SiC sensors and SiC logic circuits, and it expands the applications of power converters.

AIST determined the genome and analyzed the biological functions of the symbiotic bacterium found in leaf beetles. This study revealed for the first time that one species of symbiotic bacteria can perform different functions in larvae and adults of the same host insect.

AIST has developed a thermo-projection shaping method that enables easy high-speed 3D shaping without damage to electronic circuits fabricated on a flat resin sheet. The heat applied to the sheet during shaping is partially blocked to create non-deforming areas, thus avoiding damage to the circuits.

In collaboration with Tosoh Corporation, researchers in AIST developed a catalytic reaction for producing urea derivatives from low-concentration CO₂ equivalent to thermal power plant exhaust gas. Urea derivatives are useful chemicals as raw materials for resins, solvents, and pharmaceuticals. In the NEDO project "NEDO Feasibility Study Program/Uncharted Territory Challenge 2050/Direct Conversion of Low-concentration CO₂ Derived from Exhaust Gases into Useful Chemicals," R&D was performed on a synthesis process that directly converts low-concentration CO₂ into useful chemicals such as polyurethane raw materials and led to development of this technology. This technology can efficiently synthesize various urea derivatives, such as the useful chemical ethylene urea, by acting a titanium catalyst on ammonium carbamate, which is easily obtained from amines and low-concentration CO₂ (volume ratio 15 %) equivalent to the exhaust gas at coal-fired power plants. In addition, low-concentration CO₂ in thermal power plant exhaust gas can be efficiently converted into useful chemicals without passing through costly and energy-demanding concentration, compression, and purification processes. This technology will contribute to the reduction of CO₂ emissions causing global warming.

Researchers in AIST developed fabrication process technology to integrate single-crystal memory elements for non-volatile memory MRAM in silicon LSI. Non-volatile memory MRAM consists of recording bits comprised of magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs), semiconductor transistors (CMOS) used as bit selector, metal interconnects, etc. This memory is fabricated by directly depositing polycrystalline MTJs with magnesium oxide tunnel barriers onto polycrystalline metal wires. However, MRAM is expected to reach its scaling limit with this conventional technology due to increasing performance variations and insufficient material properties of polycrystalline MTJ elements. Therefore, single-crystal MTJs with new materials and integration technology for the single-crystal MTJs are attracting attention as a solution for extend the scalability.

AIST has published a next-generation geological map “Urban Geological Map of Central Tokyo (Special Wards Area)”. It visualizes the subsurface geological structures beneath central Tokyo to a depth of tens of meters in three dimensions.
It was difficult to accurately express subsurface geological structures beneath urban areas with conventional planar geological maps. Analysis of large amounts of survey data from as many as 50,000 sites with originally developed 3D modeling technology enabled to visualize the detailed subsurface geological structure of central Tokyo in three dimensions. As a result, the distribution of a valley-filling soft stratum called the post-Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) deposits in the lowlands of downtown Tokyo was depicted in great detail. Furthermore, it was clarified that a weak stratum similar to the post-LGM deposits is also distributed in a part of the Musashino Upland in the Yamanote area, which had generally been considered hard ground. This 3D geological map can be easily viewed by anyone free of charge, so widespread use is expected such as for earthquake hazard maps and urban infrastructure development in central Tokyo (special wards area). The map was released on the “Urban Geological Map of Central Tokyo” page of the AIST website on May 21, 2021.

Researchers at AIST has been developed a compact radiation dosimeter using power-saving wireless technology. It does not require battery replacement for two years or more. The newly developed dosimeter combines the low power consumption technology developed by AIST at the time in response to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident with the latest IoT (Internet of Things) technology. This enables to check the radiation dose transition over time directly on the dosimeter unit display or an information terminal such as a smartphone, with almost no concern about battery drain.