STELLA NEWS SITE is managed by Stella Corporation Inc.


FPD/PCB NEWS`February 12
 

Mitsubishi Electric and Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad Sign MOU to Strengthen Industry-Academia Collaboration

Mitsubishi Electric announced to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IITH) to promote industry academia collaboration in science and technology, effective for a three-year period until February 2029.

Under the agreement, Mitsubishi Electric and the IITH will promote joint research and personnel exchanges in various scientific and technological fields, including artificial intelligence, quantum technologies and cybersecurity. By strengthening industry academia collaboration, they aim to accelerate the development of technologies and the societal implementation of research results in order to contribute to a more sustainable world and nurture talented research and development (R&D) personnel.

FPD/PCB NEWS`February 9
 

Konica Minolta Collaborates with Swiss Public Research Institute iPrint to Expand Applications of Inkjet Technology

Konica Minolta has begun a collaboration with the Swiss public research institute iPrint to expand the range of applications for its inkjet technology.

Through this collaboration with iPrint-an institute that attracts inkjet-related companies and engineers from around the world and is highly active in applied research on inkjet technologies-Konica Minolta aims to accelerate the development of new applications for inkjet technology and the identification of new collaboration partners, thereby driving further business expansion.

FPD/PCB NEWS`February 6
 

AIST Group Establishes gHonda R&D?AIST Diamond ~ Electronics Collaborative Research Laboratoryh with Honda R&D and AIST

AIST Group, AIST Solutions, and Honda R&D Co., Ltd. have established the gHonda R&D AIST Diamond ~ Electronics Collaborative Research Laboratoryh at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST).

In 2023, AIST and Honda R&D signed a joint research agreement on diamond power devices capable of handling high voltages and large currents for automotive drive applications, and successfully demonstrated ampere-class switching characteristics of diamond power devices for the first time in the world. With the establishment of this new laboratory, the partners will promote research and development leveraging diamondfs unique properties as an gultimateh semiconductor, focusing on the development of diamond power devices for mobility applications that surpass the performance of SiC, as well as next-generation electronic devices suited to a digitalized society.

Through these efforts, the laboratory aims to contribute to the application of diamond power devices to mobility, including new fields, and to the reduction of power consumption, a key societal challenge. In addition, the laboratory will serve as a hub for open innovation, bringing together ideas utilizing diamond semiconductors from related domestic institutions and fostering the creation of a collaborative ecosystem.

FPD/PCB NEWS`February 5
 

Murata Manufacturing's Production Subsidiary Fukui Murata Manufacturing Completes Ceramic Capacitor R&D Center
Fukui Murata Manufacturing, a production subsidiary of Murata Manufacturing has completed the construction of its Ceramic Capacitor Research and Development Center, which had been under construction since November 2023. A completion ceremony was held on February 5. The center is scheduled to begin operations on March 30, with a total investment of approximately \35 billion.

The five-story building has a total floor area of 41,709 square meters. The facility aims to strengthen technological capabilities in the development and manufacturing of ceramic capacitors, the companyfs core business.

FPD/PCB NEWS`February 4
 

Mitsubishi Materials Develops Sintered Copper Bonding Materials Using Submicron Copper Particles: Copper Paste and Copper Sheet

Mitsubishi Materials announced to develop sintered copper bonding materials in the form of copper paste and copper sheet using submicron copper particles that enable low-temperature sintering and bonding compared with conventional copper powders.

The company developed submicron copper particles with particle sizes of 100?200 nm, extremely low levels of metallic impurities, and high sinterability enabled by a proprietary particle surface coating design. By using these particles, Mitsubishi Materials commercialized copper paste and copper sheet as copper bonding materials that offer low-temperature bonding (200?250Ž), large-area applicability, and high reliability, serving as alternatives to conventional silver-based sintering materials.

FPD/PCB NEWS`January 30
 

NEG officially adopted for the new glass dome tweeter released by SEAS

Nippon Electric Glass (NEG) announced that the ultra-thin glass diaphragm jointly developed with GAIT, a glass processing company in Taiwan, has been officially adopted for the new glass dome tweeter (T27GL001 DXT) released by SEAS, a world-renowned speaker unit manufacturer based in Norway.

A glass dome tweeter is a speaker component that reproduces high frequency sound using a dome shaped glass diaphragm. The T27GL001 DXT is the first SEAS model to incorporate a glass diaphragm and utilizes NEG's ultra-thin glass, which is extremely thin and lightweight while offering exceptional strength. Thanks to these material properties, the tweeter delivers extremely fast sound attack and clearly reproduces even subtle sonic details. Glass is also resistant to humidity and deterioration over time, enabling long term stability in sound quality.

FPD/PCB NEWS`January 29
 

Stanley Electric acquires all shares of Iwasaki Electric to make it a consolidated subsidiary

Stanley Electric announced to resolve at its board of directors meeting held today to acquire all shares of Iwasaki Electric to make it a consolidated subsidiary.

FPD/PCB NEWS`January 26
 

Ricoh Signs Agreement with Saitama City on Demonstration Project for CO2 Sensors Equipped with Perovskite Solar Cells

Ricoh Company and Ricoh Japan have signed an agreement with Saitama City regarding a demonstration project for CO2 sensors equipped with perovskite solar cells.

Under the demonstration project, CO2 sensors will be installed in the Saitama City Main Government Building from January 2026 to March 2027 to collect data on temperature, humidity, CO2 concentration, illuminance, and the heat index. By utilizing this data, the project aims to widely promote Saitama City's initiatives for the use of perovskite technology, as well as to verify the power generation performance and durability of the CO2 sensors through data collection, analysis, and evaluation.

FPD/PCB NEWS`January 21
 

NHK Succeeds in Developing World's First Blue-OLED that also Generates Power
NHK Science & Technology Research Laboratories (STRL), in collaboration with Professor Hirohiko Fukagawa of Chiba University's Advanced Science Center and Professor Takuji Hatakeyama of Kyoto University's Graduate School of Science, has successfully developed the world's first organic LED display device capable of blue light emission while also generating power.

This pioneering development was achieved by using MR-TADF materials that combine high luminous efficiency for light emission and strong light absorption for solar power generation, and by precisely controlling energy within the device. For display applications, the research team achieved red, green, and blue emission, with blue emission marking a world-first for a dual-function device, and therefore, enabling emission of a wider range of colors.

FPD/PCB NEWS`January 14
 

UBE and Tohoku University Establish the Co-creation Research Institute for Future Driven Technologies

UBE Corporation and Tohoku University have established the "UBE x Tohoku University Co-creation Research Institute for Future Driven Technologies " within the Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials (IMRAM), Tohoku University and commenced operations on January 1, 2026.

FPD/PCB NEWS`January 13
 

Canon achieves world first with novel inkjet-based wafer planarization, delivering dramatically smoother wafer surfaces
Canon has become the first in the world to develop and practically implement a groundbreaking wafer planarization technology called inkjet-based adaptive planarization (IAP) by leveraging its expertise in nanoimprint lithography. Canon aims to commercialize equipment incorporating IAP technology in 2027 for use in advanced semiconductor manufacturing, including the manufacture of logic and memory devices.

Canon developed a nanoimprint lithography method in which an inkjet system is used to apply resist onto wafers before a patterned mask is pressed onto the surface like a stamp to transfer circuit patterns. Canon then incorporated this technology into the FPA-1200NZ2C semiconductor manufacturing system, launched in October 2023. Building on this foundation, Canon developed IAP by adapting key elements of nanoimprint lithography for use in the planarization process.

An inkjet is used to dispense light-curable material onto areas of the wafer in a precisely tuned manner that matches surface topography, including the distribution of circuit patterns. High-precision planarization is achieved by then pressing a flat glass plate onto the wafer. This makes it possible to precisely level the entire surface of a 300 mm-diameter wafer in one stamping process, regardless of variations in the underlying circuit design or topographical density. Topographical irregularity is thereby reduced to 5 nm or less, facilitating the uniform layering of structures essential for subsequent downstream processing.

FPD/PCB NEWS`January 9
 

Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation Launches Pilot Program Introducing AI-Powered Transparent Translation Displays on Toei Buses
Nikon has announced that it has begun construction of a new building at Tochigi Nikon, its subsidiary located in Otawara City, Tochigi Prefecture. The construction cost is approximately 25 billion yen, and completion is scheduled for the summer of 2027.

The new building will have a total floor area of about 20,000 square meters and is intended to strengthen production capacity for interchangeable lenses for digital cameras, high-performance objective lenses for microscopes, projection lenses for semiconductor lithography equipment, and industrial lenses. Nikon aims to promote new manufacturing practices, including the renewal of production lines, the introduction of mixed-model production, and the automation of in-building logistics.

FPD/PCB NEWS`January 6
 

Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation Launches Pilot Program Introducing AI-Powered Transparent Translation Displays on Toei Buses
The Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation will begin a pilot program introducing AI-powered transparent translation displays on Toei Bus routes that serve the Asakusa area, which is frequented by many inbound foreign visitors.

Transparent displays will be installed around the driver's seat to evaluate their effectiveness and convenience in facilitating communication with a diverse range of passengers. The trial period will run from January 15 to 29.