Japan, Brunei researchers work on silicon alternative

Japanese and Bruneian researchers have partnered on a project to build a plant that will manufacture a semiconductor material seen as a cheap and more efficient alternative to silicon.

The new semiconductor material called molybdenum trioxide is a product of years of research in Japan, and the construction of a plant to process it in the Sultanate is estimated to cost $50 million.

Semiconductors like silicon are used for chips and in low-voltage electronic appliances and gadgets.

Komitsu Yamasaki, head adviser at Azabu Management and Finance Consultants Corporation, Japan, said: "After we've found that (molybdenum trioxide) can be commercialised, we propose Brunei to make a processing plant here and later sell the product out of the country."

On the level of investment required, he said: "The requirement here is only for the basis, or the infrastructure, for the plant and once we make the basis for the processing plant there will be interested industries from other countries.... (who) will join this project and start investing funds into the country or into the plant. So for the requirements of Brunei, it's initially not really a big amount."

In a 'Material Cluster Forum' hosted by Universti Brunei Darussalam (UBD), Takashi Katoda from Kochi University of Technology's Faculty of Engineering and representatives from Azabu Management and Finance Consultants Corporation held discussions yesterday morning on the future of the new material within the semiconductor industry.

Chee Ming Lim, dean of the UBD Faculty of Science, said the joint research project will aim to identify commercial opportunities of the new material.

"What's happened is that (Takashi and Kochi University) carried out the research for many, many years and they've acquired the primary Intellectual Property (IP) now, so what we're doing now ... is to develop and study further the product."

Asked if UBD and Katoda would be looking to tout the material to the government for funding or assistance, Lim said "perhaps (they) might like to pick it up and consider it as a potential new technology industry to develop".

He said the industry is worth billions of yen in Japan. "But because the industry is new (and) the material itself is very cheap ... it's the technique that people haven't been able to get yet to mass produce (and) this is a technique of value."

The Brunei Times