@article{f3e1ceda11034e77979bc0c309ba0773,
title = "MEMS research is better together",
abstract = "Open collaboration based on shared facilities can accelerate the commercialization of microelectromechanical systems.",
author = "Kentaro Totsu and Masaaki Moriyama and Masayoshi Esashi",
note = "Funding Information: We started an open-access facility, named the Hands-on-access Fabrication Facility, at Jun-ichi Nishizawa Memorial Research Center, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan in 2010. Since 2012, it has been supported by a national program for open facilities — the Nanotechnology Platform of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). The fab is principally equipped with facilities for 4-and 6-inch MEMS, semiconductor and other micro–nano device development and uses an 1,800 m2 cleanroom at the research centre. To fabricate prototype MEMS and semiconductor devices, engineers can access the fab and operate the equipment themselves (Fig. 1). The fab does not accommodate contract development like a foundry. However, it offers technical operational support by a staff of eight engineers and also know-how accumulated at the university over 40 years. The fab is shared with other users, and sharing the costs of installation and maintenance can reduce risk in device development. Users pay a fee to the university depending on their usage time and equipment. The equipment usage fee Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2019, Springer Nature Limited.",
year = "2019",
month = apr,
day = "1",
doi = "10.1038/s41928-019-0236-z",
language = "English",
volume = "2",
pages = "134--136",
journal = "Nature Electronics",
issn = "2520-1131",
publisher = "Nature Publishing Group",
number = "4",
}