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Kiyoshi YASE, Director

The world-wide competition in nanotechnology research, initiated by the year 2000 declaration of the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) by US President Clinton, has now after ten years reached a stage where R & D aiming at more practical applications is being pursued. In other words, process technologies with better reproducibility are now required rather than poorly reproducible champion data. We have so far been working on and achieving remarkable results about optoelectronic molecules, nano-particles, carbon nanotubes, and soft materials such as polymers, proteins, and enzymes, all of which with nanometer size and excellent individual functions. Now it is time to focus on utilizing these functions in micrometer to millimeter-sized (mesoscopic) assemblies, namely, the devices that we have named "Nanosystems", which can work as realistic interfaces between the nano and real world. Highly- functional, high-performance, and industrially feasible devices such as sensors, memories, and displays are created by the atomic, molecular and mesoscopic level control of structures and properties. We consider this creation route as a system of individual seed technologies and we are aiming at the realization and theoretical understanding of such systems, maximally utilizing functions of atomic and molecular assemblies, and using low-power consumption and energy-saving processes based on computer simulations.

In addition, from a viewpoint of "Full Research", the fundamental leading principle of AIST that combines basic research and practical applications, we shall conduct R & D, placing importance on a concept called "Technology Bridge", which is a mechanism that merges or connects social needs and researchers' seeds in a cross-sectional way.

The researchers of the Nanosystem Research Institute will strive with their great potentialities to achieve breakthroughs in nano-materials and processes in the fields such as environment and energy, information and electronics, and life science, not to mention innovation in materials and processes itself as a social need. Needless to say, collaboration with other research institutes and industries is critically important for that purpose.

We shall overcome "the Death Valley" supposedly lying between basic research and industrial products, by working as "Technology Bridge" connecting both sides of the valley. Here in these web pages we would like to introduce you to the outline of the Nanosystem Research Institute. We would appreciate your comments and opinions.