'Precious Metals Research Grants' awarded

In addition, six others received 'Silver Awards.' Tanaka Precious Metals develops and provides a stable supply of a variety of precious metal materials based on the corporate philosophy of 'realizing a prosperous society and a beautiful future for our world through precious metals,' and is working to contribute to the advancement and stability of industry and the economy in addition to the realisation of a prosperous and affluent living environment.

This grant programme has been implemented every year since 1999 to support the various challenges faced in the 'new world opened up by precious metals' as part of these business activities. In the 16th year of the programme, there were 136 applications to a call for research in all fields related to research and development aimed at the practical application of new technologies and products to which precious metals can make a contribution. A total of 14m yen in research grants was awarded for 43 of these research projects.

The two recipients of the Gold Award are shown below:

Yu-Ching Lin, Associate Professor, Tohoku University, Low- and Room-Temperature Bonding Technology Using Gold Nano-Structures for Integration of Micro and Nano Devices. This study applies to low temperature bonding techniques for nano-porous gold obtained by dissolving the tin in gold-tin alloy plating film. Along with being able to easily form a pattern using photolithography, high flattening of the bonding surface is not required due to the sponge effect of nano-porous gold, and so there are great practical expectations with application surfaces. Therefore, this study has been highly evaluated as it can lead to new bonding technology with excellent bonding force at a low price.

Tsuyoshi Minami, Assistant Professor, Yamagata University Development of Organic Transistor-Type Biosensors Using Gold Gate Electrodes. The printed electronics market is expected to expand in the future and focusing on organic field effect transistors as flexible sensors, chemical sensors and biosensors using gold gate electrodes for these sensing portions are being developed. This study has been highly evaluated for its growth from foundational technologies into applied and commercialisation-conscious development and contribution to TANAKA's corporate philosophy of 'realizing a prosperous society through precious metals.'