In recent years, technological developments have increased the demand for high-performance radar. Electron tubes and low-power, low-frequency semiconductor elements have been used in the past, but gallium nitride high-electron-mobility transistors (GaN HEMTs), which are optimized for high power and high frequency, are being adopted to increase radar detection range and improve accuracy.

Cemented carbide, a hard alloy primarily composed of tungsten carbide powder (hereinafter referred to as “WC powder”), is widely used in various fields such as the automotive, aerospace, and electronics industries, due to its high hardness and wear resistance, which can reduce processing costs and time when used as cutting tools. With the increasing demand for multi-functional and high-performance components in recent times, there is a growing need for high-precision tools, prompting the demand for cemented carbides made from fine-particle WC powder that can achieve sharp shapes.

The automotive business of Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. has grown over a long period of time focusing on wiring harnesses . Meanwhile, the automotive industry has been facing the challenge of a once-in-a-century revolutionary transition known as CASE (connected, autonomous, shared, and electric) innovation. The transition is not expected to be limited simply to introducing these elements of connection, automation, sharing/service, and electrification. It has the potential to change the position of cars in society and considerably transform the structure of the automotive industry.

In the architecture of automotive electronic devices, functions have been conventionally implemented with discrete ECUs. The trend in these functions in the next-generation architecture, which is required to meet the needs for expandability and flexibility, is toward divided implementation into a brain (central ECU) in which control functions are integrated, and hands and feet (zone ECUs) that drive sensors and loads.

Traffic signal control helps improve traffic safety, mitigate congestion, and reduce CO₂ emissions by appropriately determining the green light duration and other signal control parameters suitable for traffic condition of each direction at intersections. Conventionally, vehicle detectors have been used to know the traffic conditions. However, the cost incurred by their installation and maintenance has emerged as a challenge.

In recent years, communication traffic has increased rapidly due to progress in cloud computing, video streaming services, and support for 5G. Therefore, large data centers (DCs) are currently being built. Optic cables connecting DCs are mostly installed in a duct. There are instances where micro-duct optic cables are used, being suitable for the installation method that pushes the cable into the duct by feeding high-pressure air (air-blowing method). Because the interiors of DCs are required to be flame retardant, there is a need for a connection point connecting to a non-flame-retardant optic cable used outside the DC. Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. has developed and launched a 288-fiber flame-retardant microduct optic cable, which can be used inside and also outside DCs for continuous installation without a connection point.

Our Poreflon porous materials made from stretched polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) are used in various industrial fields. For example, in semiconductor-related applications, higher cleanliness levels are required for process chemical liquids due to ever-higher integration. There has been a growing need for separation membranes with smaller pore diameters. To meet the need, we have developed Poreflon nano, proprietary PTFE membranes with nano-pores. This paper describes the specifications and applications of the new filtration module, which houses Poreflon nano in an all-fluororesin package.

In the field of cutting small parts—small-diameter and precision parts—used in industries such as automotive, electronics, and medical parts, there is a growing need for tools that can reduce burrs, chattering, and poorly machined surfaces and improve the quality of machining. To meet this need, Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. has developed the SL Type, which is a G-class three-dimensional (3D) chip breaker for small lathes that achieves high machining quality due to its superb sharpness. This article describes its features and performance.

The silicon carbide (SiC) power device market is growing each year due to the rapid proliferation of electric vehicles and photovoltaic power generation systems. Accordingly, there is an upward capital investment trend, such as planned increases in production volume by a factor of two to five within a couple of years. Meanwhile, there is a trend towards the development and commercialization of 8-inch (200 mm) SiC wafers, with 6-inch (150 mm) SiC wafers currently being the mainstream. Technology development is actively underway to manufacture SiC power devices at a reduced cost.

Semiconductor lasers offer better features than existing laser beam sources, being smaller in size and achieving higher efficiency and a longer service life. Their applications in society are advancing in many fields such as health care, sensing, and sheet-metal working. Moreover, they are drawing great attention from the perspective of carbon neutrality.

In recent years, the shift to electric vehicles and the electrification of automotive components are progressing toward the realization of a decarbonized society.The electrification of components has expanded the use of by-wire control, which uses electrical signals to control the target. However, by-wire control has a shortcoming in that it cannot control components if the vehicle power source, such as a lead-acid battery, fails. Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd. and AutoNetworks Technologies, Ltd., both of which are Sumitomo Electric Group companies, have jointly developed an integrated backup battery that enables uninterrupted by-wire control of multiple components even in the event of a vehicle power failure .

In recent years, the advancement of cloud computing, video distribution, and AI has led to a rapid increase in telecommunications traffic and the construction of largescale data centers (DCs). Since optical cables that connect DCs are usually installed in outdoor ducts, the technology for densely installing these cables in a limited duct space is indispensable. In 2017, Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. developed and commercialized an optical cable with the world’s highest fiber count of 6,912. The Company also developed wiring solutions and has contributed to increasing cabling density and improving workability throughout DCs. The Company has recently developed and started sales of a 3,168-fiber-count optical cable with 200 μm fibers and a 2,016-fiber-count optical cable with 250 μm fibers as ultra-high-fiber-count and high-density optical cables suitable for installation in ducts used in Japan and other areas. This paper describes the structure and features of these new cables.

In recent years, semiconductor devices for marine and meteorological applications have become more powerful, and solid-state radars are replacing conventional magnetron radars. Long service life is one of the advantages of solidstate devices. Although magnetrons need to be replaced periodically, semiconductors do not require replacement and thus help reduce radar maintenance costs. It is difficult to observe small objects with magnetron radars due to large frequency fluctuations. In contrast, due to their high-frequency stability, solid-state radars improve observation performance by enabling observation of objects that were difficult to observe in the past. On the other hand, to provide solid-state radars with a detection range equivalent to that of magnetron radars, a plurality of semiconductor devices must be arranged in a row, and their output power needs to be further increased to reduce the required number of devices. We have developed an S-band GaN HEMT with the highest output power of 800 W in the industry. This report describes the features of this new device.

With the rapid growth of renewable energy and electric vehicles (EVs) to realize carbon neutrality, demand for next-generation power semiconductors is expanding. In particular, silicon carbide (SiC) is beginning to be used in some application areas as a new material that achieves higher voltage resistance and less power consumption than silicon. However, the high manufacturing cost is a problem that needs to be solved before it is widely used. In the manufacturing process of SiC wafers and devices, grinding is used to finish wafer surfaces with high efficiency. However, grinding SiC, a hard-brittle material, poses the problems of (1) a high tool consumption rate and (2) high grinding resistance. To solve these problems, the development of a high wear-resistance tool capable of grinding SiC with low cutting resistance has been desired. Against this background, A.L.M.T. Corp. has developed a vitrified bond wheel that achieves both a long tool life and a low grinding resistance at the same time with its proprietary technology for the high-precision dispersion control of submicron structures. A.L.M.T. Corp. began marketing the new grinding tool “Nanomate Masspower” in fiscal year 2022.

There is a rapidly expanding market for industrial solutions to improve productivity and safety by transmitting all kinds of information in factories and cities to the cloud at high speed and with low latency through 5th generation mobile communication systems and analyzing the information using AI. We have developed an industrial 5G terminal that can be used in both public 5G networks, which are deployed by mobile carriers, and local 5G networks, which are built by companies and local governments within a limited area. This 5G terminal has an edge computing function and ease of installation of applications that meet user requirements. The combination of edge computing in this 5G terminal and cloud computing in a cloud server makes it possible to realize optimal solutions that meet user requirements.

Sumiden Communication Engineering Co., Ltd. has been involved in the nursing care service industry through the provision of the nursing care service billing system “Care Time,” which calculates service charges based on helpers’ service records and bills payers, for about 20 years. We have recently developed a WEB system that can share data with the nursing care service billing system and started offering it to nursing care service companies as a subscription service.

As fluorescent lamps installed in cable tunnels (tunnels for laying communication cables) are being replaced with LED lights, we have been selling immersion-proof LED light fixtures with an IP67 (dustproof and immersion-proof) rating since 2013. However, their use in narrow spaces has been limited due to their external dimensions. This time, we have released compact and easy-to-install LED light fixtures that can be installed in narrow spaces while maintaining the advantages of our conventional products.

Currently, most power cables are XLPE cables, which use crosslinked polyethylene (XLPE) for insulation. XLPE has excellent heat resistance due to its crosslinks, but it shows no fluidity with heat and its material recovery is difficult. In addition, the longer the cable to be produced, the longer the lead time may be, because manufacturing XLPE cables requires a crosslinking reaction process to form a network structure and a drying process to exhaust by-product gases from the reaction. Against this backdrop, we have developed environmentally friendly non-crosslinked insulated power cables that can contribute to improving productivity.

The market for industrial robots is rapidly expanding due to labor shortages, cost reductions, and productivity improvements in industry, and the demand for precision bearings (linear guides and ball screws) is growing. Profile grinding is often used to grind the rolling surfaces of the main parts of bearings because it requires particularly high productivity. Profile precision depends on the diamond rotary dresser (RD) that trues and dresses the profile grinding wheels. To further enhance efficiency, conventional and general grinding wheels have been replaced by rigid wheels, which use the most rigid material after diamond and enable high-speed grinding. In step with this, the development of profile RDs with high abrasion resistance has been required. In response to requests from the bearing industry, we have developed and begun marketing a new RD for rigid wheels, such as vitrified cubic boron nitride (CBN) wheels, using our original plating technique.

A milling cutter is a cutting tool with a cutting edge on the periphery, end face, or side face. Various kinds of parts are machined by revolving the cutter. Milling cutters with indexable inserts are widely used today for various types of machining. Recent performance improvement of machine tools is increasing the need for tools specialized in high-efficient machining in the automotive, aerospace, ship building, industrial machinery, die-mold, and other sectors to improve productivity. Environmentally friendly machining has also become a focus of attention as a part of CO₂ emissions reduction activities to achieve a decarbonized society. Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. has recently developed the SEC-Sumi Dual Mill DMSW series (DMSW), which enables more efficient machining and contributes to increasing productivity and saving energy.

Efforts toward a Zero-Carbon society to curb global warming have become a major trend worldwide. Back in October 2020, the Japanese government proclaimed the target of achieving Carbon-Neutral by 2050, referred in “Green Growth Strategy,” with a policy to make concerted efforts on the development of renewables and hydrogen energy sources, namely “carbon neutral innovation,” with aims to strengthen the competitiveness of Japanese industry. In addition, a “Green Innovation Funding” was founded to promote it.

In recent years, the electrification of automobile components/parts has been progressing with the aim of shifting to electric vehicles to realize a decarbonized society. Electrification will expand the use of by-wire control, which allows devices to be controlled by electrical signals; however, a control failure occurs if the vehicle power source, such as a lead-acid battery, becomes inoperative. Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd. and AutoNetworks Technologies, Ltd. of the Sumitomo Electric Group have developed an integrated x-by-wire backup battery designed for uninterrupted by-wire control of more than one device even in the event of a vehicle power failure. The product was adopted by Toyota Motor Corporation for their Lexus NX launched in 2021.

In recent years, there has been an increase in data processing capacity due to the widespread use of high-per-formance PCs and automatic driving systems and the communication of high-quality video data by smartphones and other devices. Therefore, printed circuit boards (PCBs) used in these products are required to be more heat resis-tant and durable than ever before. To improve heat resis-tance and durability, there has been progress in improve-ment and increase in the content of heat-resistant and heat-dissipating fillers, super-multilayering of boards, and increase in the thickness of boards, all of which make it more difficult to drill holes in boards. Specifically, it leads to increased drill wear and consequent degradation of hole position accuracy, resulting in decreased board reliability due to degraded hole accuracy and hole inner wall quality.

Conventionally, halogen lamps have been used for automotive headlamps and rear lamps. Recently, however, LED lamps have been increasingly used due to their long service life, low power consumption, and quickness to attain maximum brightness. Regarding the internal structure of in-vehicle LED lamps, an LED lamp and a driver module are built into the housing, as shown in Fig. 1. Automotive low-voltage electric wires are used for the wiring. Electric wires used in LED lamps must have anti-fogging characteristics to prevent fogging of the glass over long-term use. However, the electric wire covering causes fogging of the glass due to outgassing after a long period of use. Thus, the electric wire covering used for wiring in LED lamps must have low outgassing properties. This paper introduces our newly developed insulation material with low outgassing properties derived from our proprietary blending technology.

Electric vehicles (hereinafter “EVs”) and quick chargers have come into widespread use around the world toward achieving a decarbonized society. Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. is supplying EV charge Cable with Connector “CHAdeMO conformity” for Quick Charger in the global market to connect EVs with quick chargers. SEVD-11 and SEVD-02, which are supplied by Sumitomo Electric, are shown in Photo 1, and their basic characteristics are shown in Table 1.

Since January 2020, we have seen the spread of the novel pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus. Comparisons of the disease with the Spanish flu epidemic, which took place a century ago, has been on everybody’s lips. The 1918 influenza pandemic is said to have led to more than 40 million deaths, accounting for 2% of the then world population of two billion. Although it is known as the Spanish flu, it is said that the source of infection was U.S. soldiers entering World War I bringing the disease from the United States to Europe. In the first-ever world war, many people, including soldiers, moved and came into contact with other people on a global scale. Probably due to this, infectious diseases could spread very quickly. It is said that the death toll of World War I was 15 million in total, including both military personnel and civilians. Consequently, the number of victims of the Spanish flu was far greater than those of World War I. The world then faced truly difficult times.

In recent years, increased demand in the aircraft market has led to the need for higher production efficiency of aircraft parts. Heatresistant alloys and titanium alloys, widely employed for aircraft engines and structural members, are classified as difficult-tomachine materials and require cutting tools with high efficiency and long service life. In order to meet these user needs, Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. has developed next-generation cemented carbide tools specialized in machining heat-resistant alloys and titanium alloys. For heat-resistant alloys, a new cemented carbide material with excellent high-temperature properties suppresses plastic deformation and wear even in high-speed, high-feed machining, enabling highly efficient machining. For titanium alloys, a newly developed film coating significantly reduces the reaction with titanium alloys, suppressing adhesion to the tool and extending the service life.

The cubic boron nitride (cBN) cutting tool “SUMIBORON” is mainly composed of cBN particles that have low activity with iron, and has high hardness and high thermal conductivity next to diamond, contributing to productivity improvement and cost reduction in the finishing of difficult-to-cut ferrous materials. In the past decade, the automotive industry has strongly driven the shift to hybrid electric vehicles and electric vehicles, which requires higher precision and higher efficiency in machining of sintered ferrous alloys and cutting tools with stable performance and longer tool life for cast iron. The authors have successfully developed a new grade “SUMIBORON BN7115” for finishing these materials. BN7115 employs a high-purity cBN particles and new binder consisting of Co-Al-Cr-WC to improve the bonding strength between cBN particles, thereby achieving good resistance to wear and breakage. BN7115 is expected to solve problems such as a degradation of the cuting surface of sintered ferrous alloys caused by the dropout of cBN particles and chipping of edges caused by thermal shock during cutting cast iron.

SUMIBORON BINDERLESS is a polycrystalline cubic boron nitride (CBN) that directly binds nanometer- or sub-micron-level cBN particles without binder materials (Binderless CBN: BL-CBN). BL-CBN is harder or has better thermal conductivity than conventional CBN. Therefore, it offers higher efficiency and longer tool life in the machining of difficult-to-cut materials, such as cobalt-chromium alloys, titanium alloys, nickel-based heat-resistant alloys, and hardened steel for use in the aircraft, mold, and medical industries.

The progress of digitalization increases the need for automated and unmanned cutting process. Sensor-equipped cutting tools are expected to be one of the measuring instruments that help visualize and monitor cutting operations because they are positioned closer to the cutting point than conventional measuring instruments, enabling more precise measurement. Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. has promoted research and development on turning tools and milling tools that are equipped with sensors, wireless communication devices, and electric power sources. This paper presents feasibility studies on the monitoring of cutting operations with our sensor-equipped turning tool and milling tool.

Ceramic coatings adopted to cutting tools include chemical vapor deposition (CVD) coating and physical vapor deposition (PVD) coating. The CVD coating has excellent wear resistance and heat resistance, but is inferior in toughness to the PVD coating. By controlling the coating structure on the nanometer order using the CVD method, we have established a new CVD coating technology that ensures the toughness of PVD coatings while maintaining the wear resistance and heat resistance of conventional CVD coatings, and enabled its mass production. This paper reports on its unique structure, excellent physical properties, and outstanding cutting performance when applied to cutting tools.

In automobile-related industries, the use of aluminum alloy and other nonferrous metal parts has been increasing to reduce the weight of vehicles for improved fuel efficiency and to respond to the increasing production of hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, and fuel cell vehicles. To increase the productivity in machining of these parts, cutting tools are required to be easy to handle and highly effective in chip control, for reducing machining time and no-machining time. Furthermore, there is also a growing demand for lighter cutting tools suitable for compact machining equipment to improve the productivity per unit area of machining equipment. To meet these demands, Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. has developed a polycrystalline sintered diamond (PCD) cutter, ALNEX (ANX Series), for high-efficiency machining of aluminum alloys. This paper describes the features of the new cutter.

Nickel-based heat-resistant alloys, widely used for aircraft jet engines and power plant gas turbines, are difficult-to-cut materials causing short tool life in the grinding process. To meet the market needs for extended tool life and increased machining efficiency, we have developed an innovative electroplated cubic boron nitride (CBN) grinding wheel, CB Master. CB Master demonstrated 5 times longer tool life in grinding jet engine parts, and 1.5 times higher efficiency in processing gas turbine parts than conventional wheels.

The advancement of electric mobility as well as improvement in the efficiency of home appliance and industrial equipment have led to a need for higher performance motors. Axial gap motors (AGMs) are attracting attention as a motor that meets the need because of their low profile and high torque compared to radial gap motors. We have demonstrated the high torque and high efficiency of AGMs with soft magnetic powder composites (SMPCs) and started mass production of SMPCs for AGMs. In order to contribute to the further adoption of AGMs, we have developed a low-loss SMPC, pole-shoe teeth core, and thin-insulation-coated SMPC.

With the increasing performance of variable valve timing (VVT) systems, there is a growing demand for powder metallurgical parts with more complicated geometries. On the other hand, high productivity is also required in the manufacturing process to respond to the increasing demand for VVT parts. Accordingly, we have applied green machining, which achieves both high formability and productivity. This technology allows green compacts to be machined “before sintering,” which makes it possible to process parts about nine times faster than conventional post-sintering machining and thus enables volume production.

In an advanced information society where IoT and drones will widespread and in the near future where multitasking robots will be active due to the declining birthrate and aging population, there will be a greater need for stronger and lighter communication wires more than ever. The Special Steel Wire Division has developed thick copper covered (TCC) wire, which is a conductor composite material in which a high-strength steel wire is coated with a thick copper layer. TCC wire has higher strength than other copper alloy and composite material wires, and is particularly superior in flexibility. This paper reports on the characteristics of TCC wire.

SmART Strand is a prestressing steel strand equipped with an optical fiber to accurately measure the tension along the entire length of the prestressing steel cable. For prestressed concrete structures and ground anchors, it is important to ensure that the required tension of prestressing steel cable is provided and maintained. In order to directly evaluate the tension of prestressing cable during the installation and use, a new measuring method using SmART Strand has been developed. SmART Strand can be used for the maintenance of prestressed concrete structures and ground anchors, as well as their prestressing management.

We have developed a new aluminum material that has electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity close to those of pure aluminum, while maintaining strength even at high temperatures. As international regulations on carbon neutrality and CO2 emissions are being tightened at an accelerating pace, and emphasis is being placed on thermal management of electric devices and communication devices that contain high power semiconductors, aluminum materials are expected to be an alternative solution to copper-based materials for their light weight, high electrical conductivity, and high thermal conductivity. However, their application range is limited due to the decrease in strength at high temperatures above 150°C. Using powdered aluminum obtained by a quenching solidification method as a raw material, we have succeeded in developing a new aluminum material that maintains strength up to a high temperature of around 250°C, while also maintaining electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity close to those of pure aluminum. We are confident that this new material can meet the needs for lightweight conductive parts and heat dissipation products.

Synthetic diamonds have been widely used in industrial applications due to their high purity and low crystal defects compared to natural diamonds. It is also possible to endow specific electrical and magnetic properties by doping with different types of elements, and is expected to be applied in various fields such as sensing and measurement. We have succeeded in producing a diamond with the world's highest level of purity and lowest level of defects by using our unique high-pressure and hightemperature method. Furthermore, we have created a highly sensitive sensor with the nitrogen vacancy (NV-) center by electron beam processing and ion implantation in cooperation with Nissin Electric Co., Ltd. This paper introduces the high quality diamond synthesized for the NV sensor and its applicability.

Transportation management systems are one of the business support tools for logistics companies. Conventional systems require manual operation to change the route plan after the vehicle is dispatched, considering its current position and the time of visit to the customer. Therefore, we have developed a vehicle route planning engine and application programming interface (API) that enable real-time modification of the route plan, such as adding new tasks, even after the vehicle is dispatched. In addition, we have developed an automatic vehicle management system that enables users to check the past dispatch results and current task progress. This paper introduces the functions and performance of these systems.

For reducing traffic accidents and congestion, the need for infrastructure sensors is increasing worldwide. In order to cover a large area, multiple infrared sensors are deployed and work together to detect and track vehicles. We have developed a system and detection algorithm to integrate multiple infrared millimeter-wave radars. In this paper, we present the features of the system and the results of field tests.

A thermopile, which is a type of cooling-free infrared sensor composed of thermoelectric materials, and detects infrared rays without using electric power. For making a high-performance sensor, we developed a germanium-silicon (Si-Ge)-based thin-film thermoelectric material. The thermal conductivity of the Si-Ge thermoelectric material was reduced to 1 Wm-1K-1 due to the artificial nano-structure in the materials. In addition, its Seebeck coefficient was effectively increased by co-doping. This paper demonstrates that the thermopile constructed using the developed nanostructured Si-Ge material successfully detects infrared rays, and a gases detection system using the thermopile detects methane in the ambient air.

A large number of high-pressure fluid-filled (HPFF) and high-pressure gas-filled (HPGF) pipe-type cables had formerly been installed in U.S. power transmission lines since 1930s. As the pipe-type cables age, corrosion of the steel pipes and leakage of the dielectric fluid have become a problem. Using technology patented in the U.S. and Japan, Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. designed, delivered, and installed its new high-voltage cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) triplex cable and its accessories for the existing transmission lines.

We supply heaters for heating semiconductor wafers in the single-wafer film deposition processes. Semiconductor wafers are indispensable for 5th generation communications, artificial intelligence, automatic driving, and large-capacity data storage in data centers. The refinement of semiconductor circuits requires the formation of uniform films on wafers, and this demands uniform temperature distribution in the wafers. Conventionally, heaters have been divided and arranged in concentric zones, but this does not cover the subtle unevenness of circumferential temperature distribution caused by various factors in the device environment. To overcome this challenge, we have developed a multi-zone heater and a controller capable of high-accuracy control.

Recently, Communication traffic has been increasing rapidly with the development of cloud computing, video distribution, 5G support, and other IT services. In association with this, there has been an increase in demand for smalldiameter, high-fiber-density optical cables in order to overcome physical restrictions of space in ducts. In Europe, North America, and other regions, air-blown optical cables are widely used for FTTH since they make it possible to extend existing conduits (microducts) without additional roadwork, thereby enabling economical network construction. A small-diameter duct used for installing optical cables by blowing compressed air is called a microduct. With the recent increase in transmission capacity and the popularization of FTTH, the need is growing for densely installing a large number of optical fibers into microducts. Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. has developed and launched a 432 or fewer count optical fiber cable suitable for air-blowing installation. The new optical fiber cable comprises an intermittent 12-fiber ribbon core made up of 200 μm optical fibers (“200 μm 12-fiber Freeform Ribbon”) that are thinner than conventional optical fibers with an outer diameter of 250 μm.

With the recent popularity of telework, as well as the development of remote medical care and cloud services, data communication volume is increasing rapidly. To cope with this situation, there is a need for the construction of high-speed, large-capacity, low-latency communication networks using optical fibers. At the same time, the companies responsible for network construction have high expectations for a drastic improvement in work efficiency to efficiently manage the increased construction work. In order to meet these expectations, Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. thoroughly pursued the ultimate in workability for the previous fusion splicer, TYPE-201e, without changing its features: compactness and lightweight. As a result, the company has developed a new ultracompact optical fiber fusion splicer, TYPE-201+ .

The author received the Yahagi Memorial Award 2019 from the Technical Committee on Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation, thevInstitute of Electrical Engineering of Japan. In this paper, memories of the late Prof. Kichinosuke Yahagi and his teachings arevdescribed by a former student. The teachings of Prof. K. Yahagi can be summarized as “Seek the Truth.” The author pursued avnumber of truths according to said teachings in his research and development endeavors. The development of cross-linkedvpolyethylene insulated DC power cables rated for the world’s highest voltage was brought about as one of the results of thevteachings.

Optical fiber communication started to become practical use in 1970, when an optical fiber with a transmission loss of 20 dB/kmvand a laser diode continuously emitting at room temperature appeared. Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. has enterprisinglyvdedicated the development and commercialization of optical fibers since the early days. Utilizing the vapor-phase axial depositionvmethod, which has spread worldwide as a preform manufacturing process, we have kept launching high-quality optical fibers andvcables such as ultra-low-loss silica core fibers and ultra-high-density optical cables. This way, we have continued to support thevexpansion of optical fiber networks as one of the indispensable social infrastructure. This paper looks at the evolution of opticalvfiber technology and our efforts in developing optical fibers and cables that would meet the need of the time.

Electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles are in widespread use and these vehicles are all equipped with DC/DC converters forvcharging lead-acid batteries from high-voltage storage batteries. To simplify the installation, DC/DC converters are required to bevsmall. This paper describes a DC/DC converter that has been downsized by 50% compared with conventional ones by increasingvthe switching frequency from 100 kHz to 500 kHz using GaN devices.

Magnetrons have long been used as transmitting devices for marine radar, however, gallium nitride high-electron-mobilityvtransistors (GaN HEMT) are increasingly adopted due to their long life, high performance, and compliance with radio laws andvregulations. This paper presents our internally-matched X-band GaN HEMT that feature the industry's highest output power of 300vW, targeting a variety of marine radars ranging from small-power radars for pleasure boats to high-power radar for largecommercialvvessels. We also report on a prototype compact solid-state amplifier that has been made to demonstrate thesevtransistors.

In recent years, gallium nitride high-electron-mobility transistor (GaN HEMT) amplifiers with high efficiency have been adopted due to the increasing demand for downsized and low-power-consumption base stations. In 5G networks, where further improvement in network capacity and data rates is required, the presence of GaN HEMTs is expected to grow further due to their advantages in broadening the bandwidth of amplifiers. This paper describes the characterization and analysis method for the current source of GaN HEMTs that we are working on to develop the GaN HEMT amplifiers for base stations. We newly adopted a large-signal lowfrequency measurement that enables evaluation under conditions close to the actual radio frequency operation, to explore design guidelines for GaN HEMTs. In addition, we analyzed the effect of gate voltage clipping in class-F and inverse class-F operation, which is known as a method for improving the efficiency of amplifiers by using a large-signal model to figure out the limiting factorvof efficiency.

A large capacity of the Internet is strongly demanded due to the increase of internet-connected devices and the diversification of internet-based services. To address these needs, we are in a new phase to upgrade the transmission speed of access optical networks from the current mainstream 10G class to 50G class. We have developed a new transimpedance amplifier (TIA) capable of receiving 25.78 Gbit/s burst signals to meet the demand for higher-speed transmission. Using the TIA and avalanche photodiode (APD), we have developed a 25.78 Gbit/s/λ burst-mode receiver, and confirmed its applicability to 50G-EPON optical transceivers for the first time in the world.

We have developed a wavelength division multiplexing transmission method to efficiently connect radio base stations and antennas with a small number of optical fibers. In the fifth generation (5G) radio access networks, there is demand for a technology that can economically transmit 25G Ethernet signals over up to 40 km by wavelength division multiplexing (WDM). This paper introduces the half-rate transmission method that enables 40 km WDM transmission by dividing 25.8 Gbit/s signals into two channels of 12.9 Gbit/s signals and transmitting them.

Silicon carbide (SiC) power devices are promising next-generation devices and their market is growing globally year by year. The quality of SiC epitaxial wafers is particularly important to secure the reliability of large-current power devices used for automotive applications. Basal plane dislocation (BPD) in the SiC epitaxial wafers causes stacking fault expansion, which leads to the fatal degradation of SiC bipolar devices. To suppress the stacking fault expansion, the introduction of highly nitrogen-doped layer called a “recombination-enhancing layer” has been proposed. In this study, we have established a method to evaluate BPD in the recombination-enhancing layer by investigating the receiving filter using photoluminescence imaging, and successfully obtained a 150 mm SiC epitaxial wafer with extremely low BPD density. We also confirmed that BPD and surface defects in the drift layer were simultaneously suppressed, demonstrating the new epitaxial wafer has stable characteristics for large chip devices.

To ensure the stable operation of utility-scale solar power plants over a long period, it is necessary to improve the inspection and maintenance levels, especially the inspection efficiency of the DC voltage parts, for which visual inspection has been conducted. Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. has developed a system that detects abnormalities in solar panels by analyzing string data with AI. Data on detected abnormalities, including their types and urgency, are reported to the power plant manager via daily emails and used for efficient facility maintenance. Using the system, we also provide diagnostic services suggesting best inspection methods and countermeasures for the abnormalities.

With the expanding introduction of renewable energy sources and advances in semiconductor and energy storage technologies, direct current (DC) distribution systems that combine renewable energy sources and storage batteries have attracted attention as economical and environment-friendly next-generation power supply systems. These systems are also expected to help improve power system resilience and business continuity planning (BCP). This paper introduces the background of our study and the details of the DC distribution demonstration system built at the Nissin Academy Training Center.

We have developed a new diamond-like carbon film “HC-DLC," which is produced by vacuum arc deposition and contains hydrogen. With its appropriate hydrogen content, this film obtained extremely low attackability to soft metals without compensating its high wear resistance and seizure resistance in engine oil containing MoDTC. The film demonstrates excellent performance in protecting piston pins that repeatedly slide on soft metals. To meet market needs, the mass production of the film started in the fall of 2019, and now further application to the next-generation high-efficiency engines is under consideration.

Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. has been engaged in the development of high-performance and long-length Bi2223 hightemperature superconducting wires. These wires and their applied products, such as current leads for magnetic resonance imaging, have been commercialized and well received by the market. This paper describes the recent development and commercialization of Bi2223 wires and typical products incorporating the wires, as well as wire joint technology and high-current conductor technology, which are indispensable for expanding the application of the wires.

For research and development in material science, it is important to understand the three-dimensional (3D) distributions of chemical species in samples. The effective utilization of 4D big data which contain a lot of information about the 3D distributions is a key factor. This paper demonstrates a new 4D data analysis technique called “two-step multivariate curve resolution (MCR)”. To obtain an intuitive expression of 4D data, we devised a process involving two iterations of MCR with digitization in between. The new technique was applied to the analysis of time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry data derived from a thin-film sample to assist in the interpretation of complex three-dimensional local microstructures. Compared to conventional methods of data presentation, two-step MCR was found to greatly facilitate the clarification and understanding of the 4D analysis data.

In order to meet the demand for high dimensional accuracy in powder metallurgy products, we have been developing powder simulation techniques to support the design of the production process. Powder simulations provide a macroscopic interpretation of powder behavior by calculating the motion of individual particles that constitute the powder. In this paper, the powder simulation is applied to the milling process of raw powder and the powder feeding process of metal powder. Although the milling efficiency can be predicted from the collision energy of the balls in a ball mill, it is necessary to reproduce the motion of each ball with complicated collision process to predict the collision energy accurately. In this study, we have developed an analysis technique to predict the change of the collision energy when the milling conditions are changed, in order to improve the performance of the milling process. We have also developed an analytical technique to visualize the powder behavior in the powder feeding process to clarify the mechanism of the filling variation in the die.

"In recent years, there has been an increase in the demand for by-wire technologies for improved safety and convenience. Brake-by-wire and shift-by-wire technologies, which have been widely used, are essential for future selfdriving cars. The market is expected to expand for them in the future. However, as the by-wire-technology controls a device through electrical signals, a control failure occurs if the vehicle power source such as a lead-acid battery becomes out of order . Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd. and AutoNetworks Technologies, Ltd. of the Sumitomo Electric Group have developed an x-by-wire backup battery designed for uninterrupted by-wire control even in the event of a vehicle power failure."

"Our copper wire manufacturing technologies, which originated from Sumitomo’s copper business, were subsequently applied to electrical wire and cable products. Based on these products, the Sumitomo Electric Group has continuously developed its new technologies and products. Electrical wire and cable manufacturing technologies are divided roughly into conductor technologies and covering material technologies required for insulating wires. Let us take a look at the history of diversification of Sumitomo Electric’s products along with the growth of these technologies."

As part of its overseas business, Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. has been providing contact wires for the high-speed dedicated freight corridor that is being constructed in India. To enter the Indian contact wire market, it was necessary to satisfy the specifications required by the local customer, such as high conductivity and high tensile strength based on overseas standards. Taking advantage of our accumulated expertise in copper-tin alloys, we achieved the required properties by adjusting the tin and oxygen ratio in material casting and by improving the drawing process of contact wire. This paper introduces our technical development.

The air spring is an essential component for improving the comfort of railway vehicles and realizing safe high-speed driving. Due to the growing urban population and increased concern about environmental issues, railways are attracting attention because they have higher transportation efficiency than automobiles and aircraft and contribute to the reduction of CO2 emissions and energy consumption. As the railway network spreads all over the world, air springs with various characteristics are required depending on the route and environment. To respond to such market needs and make proposals in a speedy manner, we are developing innovative design methods based on computer simulation. This time, we have developed a simulation technology that accurately predicts the static and dynamic characteristics of air springs.

The electrification of vehicles has been advanced rapidly with the aim of reducing environmental impact. This paper summarizes the transition of motor design technology and its future development trends with a focus on driving motors for electric vehicles as a benchmark. We also report on the current status of our efforts towards the development of rectangular wires that contribute to the improvement of motor performance. In our efforts, we have worked to enhance the insulation performance of the film coating for magnet wires and reduce their size variation.

Magnet wire is an electrical wire coated with an insulation film. We analyze its constituent elements such as a conductor, insulation film, and the interface between them, in order to improve the quality and performance of the wire. It is increasingly important to develop novel and advanced analysis technologies and use them depending on the purposes of analysis. This paper reports on our unique technology and approach to the analysis of the aforementioned elements.

With the spread of mobile devices, market needs are increasing for the improved sound quality of small speakers. Self-bonding magnet wires used in the voice coils of small speakers are required to be durable against vibration and to be lightweight for enhanced responsiveness in a high-frequency range. Our copper-clad aluminum wire is resistant to fatigue fracture caused by vibration. The wire comes with various densities and conductivities by changing the composition ratio of the copper coat and aluminum core. This paper reports on the development of the wire that has increased flexibility in coil design and durability for the improved sound quality of small speakers.

The composite metal wire is composed of multiple metallic phases and has multiple functions at a relatively low cost. The Sumitomo Electric Group offers a variety of composite metal wire products that are made by cladding and plating. This paper introduces the technologies and application examples of our wires.

Celmet, the unique porous metal product of Sumitomo Electronic Toyama Co. Ltd., has high gas-diffusivity and high electric conductivity. Celmet is a good candidate for the cathode current collectors of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) that require uniform gas-diffusivity and high electric conductivity. Thus far, we have examined the application of nickel (Ni) Celmet to the collectors, however, the desired output power density has not been obtained due to the decrease in electric conductivity caused by the oxidation of Ni at high temperature of the fuel cells. We have developed new nickel cobalt (NiCo) Celmet that forms conductive ceramics, keeping high electric conductivity at high temperature and highly oxidizing atmosphere. This paper introduces the physical properties of the NiCo Celmet and reports on the performance of an SOFC that uses the new Celmet for its cathodic current collector.

Heat shrinkable tubing is used for the insulation and mechanical protection of electric wires in fields such as electronics and aircrafts. Among such tubing, dual-wall heat-shrinkable tubing is used for the waterproofing of automotive wiring harnesses at the joints of electric wires. In recent years, with the aim of improving fuel efficiency and reducing vehicle weight for the reduction of CO2 emissions, aluminum wires have been attracting attention as the replacement of conventional copper wires. We have developed a new dual-wall heat-shrinkable tubing for the anti-corrosion protection of aluminum wires at their terminals.

Fluororesin, represented by polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), is an excellent polymer that has the lowest level of friction performance among solids and the highest level of heat resistance, chemical resistance, weather resistance, and electrical properties among resins. In contrast, it has poor wear resistance and hardly adheres to substrates when used as a composite material. Through electron beam irradiation under special conditions, we promoted the cross-linking reaction of fluororesin and developed a new material that features wear resistance improved nearly 1,000 times compared with the conventional material and good adhesion to substrates. This paper investigates the cross-linking state of the new material using solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance, and elucidates its adhesion state to substrates utilizing SPring-8 hard X-rays.

We have applied cross-linking technology to plastic materials through high-energy electron-beam irradiation to obtain gears with high durability. Sumitomo Electric Fine Polymer’s Teralink cross-linked gears, which use polyamide 66 as their base polymer, exhibit a three-fold improvement in durability in terms of the amount of tooth load that they can withstand compared to gears made of the same base polymer.

Porous polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membranes were first developed by Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. as “POREFLON.” Thanks to its high chemical and heat resistance, POREFLON has been used for microfiltration in various industrial applications. With advanced technological innovations, Sumitomo Electric has newly developed a nano-porous PTFE membrane “POREFLON NANO” and confirmed its high degassing and gas separation performance.

We have developed and marketed a new POREFLON membrane module unit for water treatment. It has a smaller footprint and is more energy saving than conventional products. In addition to the features of the conventional POREFLON hollow fiber membrane such as fouling resistance, high strength, and bending resistance, the module unit features the cassette type module structure, increased effective membrane length, enhanced packing density, and newly developed air diffusers that generate large air bubbles to prevent fouling. In a pilot test for municipal wastewater treatment jointly conducted with Japan Sewage Works Agency and others, we achieved a power consumption per unit of 0.4 kWh/m3 or lower, which was the target point for the popularization of membrane treatment. The module unit passed another several field trials and was currently commercialized. This report introduces the development process, product specifications, and case studies regarding the new membrane module unit.

Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. has developed an Ethernet access switch for Carrier Ethernet that contributes to the reduction of operation expenditures. We have integrated functions of a fiber optic media converter and a layer-2 aggregator into one Ethernet access switch. This has enabled a power- and space-saving solution compared with conventional device sets. The switch features hitless firmware upgrades, zero touch provisioning, NETCONF, alarm notifications and line test capabilities. At the end of the paper, we report on the experimental results of Streaming Telemetry.

This paper reviews device design and performance of high-speed vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) arrays for nextgeneration short-reach 400 Gbit/s applications in data centers using the advanced PAM-4 modulation format. The both 850 nm/900 nm PAM-4 VCSELs have been optimized to improve dynamic performance and suppress noise for PAM-4 transmission. The new VCSELs also show good uniformity of characteristics, which is advantageous for array products.

Demand for high-resolution displays and virtual reality applications is increasing and the use of these devices is spreading rapidly in the consumer electronics market. Cables attached to these devices are required to support high-speed and long-distance transmission, while maintaining their plug size. We have developed an active optical cable with a USB Type-C connecter (a smallsized multifunctional interface) and a plug of the same size as that of a conventional cable. This paper introduces the new cable, describing its design, transmission characteristics, and results in a reliability test.

In the machining industry, long tool life and high machining efficiency are required for cost reduction and productivity improvement, and sudden troubles need to be reduced for factory automation. Furthermore, machining facilities have been increasingly integrated into single facilities that can process various work materials. In such circumstances, we have developed a general-purpose grade “ACU2500” that achieves a stable and long tool life in the milling of a wide range of work materials including steel and cast iron. We have also developed special grades ”ACP2000 / ACP3000” and “ACK2000 / ACK3000” that offer high machining efficiency and long tool life in steel milling and cast iron milling, respectively. While covering a wide variety of work materials, these five grades demonstrate 1.5 times longer tool life and twice higher efficiency than conventional grades, enabling significant cost reduction and productivity improvement.

Cermet tools, characterized by low affinity with steel, realize high-quality finished surfaces in steel cutting and are commonly used for finishing. In the automobile, industrial machinery, and other manufacturing industries, high machining efficiency has become important year by year for lessening the environmental impact and machining costs. In increasingly severe machining conditions resulting from the pursuit of high efficiency, cermet tools are strongly required to offer long tool life and high-quality finished surfaces. Under such circumstances, we have developed and launched “T2500Z,” a new cermet grade that features a long tool life and excellent finished surface quality. The T2500Z has twice the tool life of our conventional steel-turning grades, thus making it possible to meet user needs for high efficiency.

Thermoelectric generation that directly converts waste heat into useful electric power has attracted considerable attention as one of the most efficient techniques leading to a low carbon, sustainable society. For automobile exhaust heat power generation, the figure of merit (ZT) of thermoelectric materials, which parameterizes the efficiency of energy conversion, needs to be more than 4, but at present it is considered to be extremely difficult to reach. We are conducting research and development to overcome this issue by modulating the electronic structure of materials, that is, with precise control of nanostructures. By controlling nanostructures, we have succeeded in lowering the thermal conductivity of conventional Si-Ge thermoelectric materials to 1/7 and improved their materials figure of merit. In this study, in order to improve the performance even further, we propose a unique technique called a co-doping method (modulating electronic structures with doped Au and controlling the Fermi level with doped B). With this method, we have achieved ZT = 1.38, which is the best result for the same materials of the same type.

A quantum cascade laser (QCL) is the most promising semiconductor laser for trace gas sensing in the mid-infrared region due to its excellent features such as a small chip size, high speed modulation, and a narrow linewidth. In practical gas-sensing, QCLs are required to achieve single-mode operation and wide-wavelength tuning without mode-hopping for high-sensitive and multiple gas detection. To obtain the wide tuning range of QCLs, increasing the operation temperature is effective. Therefore, we have developed a distributed feedback (DFB)-QCL that can operate at high temperature by introducing our original strain-compensated core structure and buried-hetero waveguide structure. As a result, we have successfully achieved single-mode operation without mode-hopping between -40ºC and 200ºC under a pulse condition, leading to a wide tuning range of 123 nm with only a singlewaveguide QCL. As a future challenge, we will develop a gas-sensing method using the above-mentioned DFB-QCLs as the light source.

In recent years in Japan, behind the widespread use of cloud computing, data center networks serving as a fundamental technology have been handling an increasing amount of data transmission, which also lead to a growing for increased ultra-high-fiber-count and higher-density cables. Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. has successfully commercialized the world’s first cable containing 3456 or more fibers and shipped it to its many customers.

"With the recent expansion of cloud services, countries around the world are facing a pressing need for building data centers. Optical fiber cables for data center applications now comprise of thousands of core optical fibers. There is a noticeable tendency for these cables to be made even denser by increasing the number of core optical fiber cores, for example, from 1728 to 3456. As optical fiber cables become increasingly dense, data center construction companies have high expectation for a device that improves work efficiency through mass fusion splicing of ribbon fibers. To meet these users’ new expectations, Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. has developed a new ribbon fiber splicer TYPE-72M12 that both saves optical fiber splicing/heating time and reduces workloads."

Along with the progress of global warming, the introduction of renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power has been promoted, and large-capacity energy storage batteries have become important as a measure to stabilize electric power systems. A redox flow battery (RFB) is one of such batteries. It is charged and discharged by redox reactions*1 of ions in an aqueous solution containing active materials*2. The RFB is suitable for large capacity storage and has excellent features such as long life and high safety. We began developing RFBs in 1985 and have delivered approximately 30 units. As a global trend, research and development have been actively promoted particularly in the United States, Europe, and China since around 2010, and recently, there have been many reports on new electrolytes using organic compounds. This paper introduces the development history of RFBs, the demonstration status of large capacity systems, and the recent development trends.

Recently, the demand for silicon photonics (SiPh) optical transceivers for data centers has been increasing rapidly. In order to address this situation, we have developed FlexBeamGuidE (FBGE) as an optical interconnection device indispensable for SiPh chips. The FBGE is an optical fiber array with a 90-degree bend, formed using state-of-the-art stress-free fiber bending technology. The developed FBGE is suitable for use in SiPh optical transceivers because of its compact nature with an overall height of less than 3.8 mm, low attenuation loss of less than 0.5 dB, and high reliability.

This paper describes a newly designed ultra-high-density (UHD) microduct optical cable to be installed into microducts with airblowing technique. The UHD microduct cable employs Freeform Ribbon, in which fibers meet and split out in turn in longitudinal and transverse directions, thus allowing high fiber density and mass fusion splicing. In order to enhance the blowing efficiency, we employed a thin and lightweight cable design and low friction jacket material. In addition, we have significantly increased fiber density owing to a bend-insensitive and thin optical fiber and Freeform Ribbon technology. We also evaluated the blowing performance in collaboration with Plumettaz S.A. to confirm the excellent blowing property of the developed cable.

There has been a strong demand for increasing data traffic resulting from the growth of advanced mobile terminals and the diversification of internet-based services. To address the needs, 100-Gbit/s optical transceivers have been used in optical communication systems. For further increase in data capacity, a new specification for 400-Gbit/s optical communications has been standardized, and optical transceivers applicable to it have been developed actively. We have developed a new compact receiver for 400-Gbit/s transmission based on the structure of our previous 100-Gbit/s receivers. This paper describes the design and typical characteristics of the new optical receiver.

Gallium nitride high electron mobility transistors (GaN HEMTs) are characterized by high power, high efficiency, and wideband operation. In recent years, they have gained market share for base station applications. GaN HEMTs are more advantageous for wideband applications than LDMOSs and, therefore, expected to contribute to the establishment of high-power multi-band base stations. This paper presents a packaged GaN HEMT device with internal matching circuits. A high-power wideband asymmetric Doherty amplifier using the devices are also described. The transistor has a pair of 180 W GaN dies. The internal matching circuit is designed with a high-dielectric substrate so that it can be mounted in a compact package while maintaining the wideband characteristics. The asymmetric Doherty amplifier is fabricated using three transistors to cover B1 and B3 LTE bands. It achieves an output power of 59.2 dB and drain efficiency of more than 50% at 8-dB power back-off in the 1.8-2.2 GHz range.

For the next-generation power systems, a mechanism called Virtual Power Plant (VPP) is expected to be deployed, where distributed energy resources are aggregated and remotely controlled by a resource server so that it operates like a virtual power plant. Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. has developed what is called a resource aggregation server, s EMSA server, which plays a core role in this mechanism. Sumitomo Electric has been working to develop VPP systems and extend energy resources in order to enter a new electric power market that will be created after 2020. This paper presents the features of sEMSA server and its verified performance in pilot projects for VPP operation and photovoltaic power generation control.

Copper conductors cross-linked polyethylene insulated wires are widely used for overhead distribution lines in Japan. On the other hand, a trend can be seen in the shift from copper conductors to aluminum conductors because aluminum is light and moderately priced. For the replacement, however, the increased diameter of insulated wires is inevitable due to the difference of conductivity between aluminum and copper. This causes an increase in wind pressure on wires, occasionally requiring rebuilding supporting structures (for example poles). Under such a circumstance, we have developed a low wind-pressure aluminum insulated wire with an original grooved surface. This helps reduce the wind pressure at a wind velocity of both 28 m/s and 40 m/s. Featuring competent electrical performance and workability for connection and other wiring work, the wire has been applied to actual distribution lines.

The “System UPS” is an energy solution system that achieves both peak shaving and business continuity plan (as a countermeasure for instantaneous voltage drop and blackout). It combines battery energy storage systems with emergency generators on the consumer side. Aiming to present a solution that offers new customer value as part of our SPSS (Smart Power Supply System) business, we are conducting verification at Maebashi Factory of Nissin Electric Co., Ltd. We report on the development progress and demonstration results of the System UPS.

Exotic alloys, such as nickel alloys, cobalt alloys, and titanium alloys, are widely used for equipment and parts in the aircraft and auto industries due to their superior heat and corrosion resistance. There has been a growing demand for the machining tools for these alloys. When machined, exotic alloy work materials are likely to adhere to the edges of cutting tools, resulting in a sudden fracture of the tools. These tools have a significantly shorter life than those used for general steel. Thus, demand is high for cutting tools with stable performance and long tool life. The newly developed grades, AC5015S and AC5025S, are characterized by improved wear and fracture resistance with a state-of-the-art physical vapor deposition coating and special cemented carbide. These materials help reduce tool replacement frequency and tool consumption by extending tool life, thus contributing to the reduction of machining costs.

In recent years, the quality level required for diamond dies has risen along with an improvement in the precision of wire materials such as semiconductor bonding wires and medical wires. Requirements are increasing for wire characteristics, particularly wear resistance and properties to maintain roundness and wire surface roughness. In order to meet the needs, we have developed the BLPCD die using a nano-polycrystalline diamond (Sumidia binderless) developed by Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. as its core material. This paper reports the performance evaluation results.

Extrusion tools made of refractory metals, such as molybdenum (Mo) and tungsten, are used in increasingly severe environments. Nevertheless, these tools are required to have superior mechanical properties, long life, and excellent reliability. We have developed a new Mo alloy “MSB” for hot extrusion dies used in plastic working, by using a dispersed Mo-base intermetallic compound. The MSB exhibited superior mechanical properties compared with conventional Mo alloys at temperatures below 1000°C. In addition, by adding a titanium alloy to the MSB, we have developed another alloy “T-MSB” that has high mechanical properties at high temperatures. In the hot extrusion of brass, dies made of these Mo alloys had 2.5 times longer tool life than conventional Mo dies.

In the development and production of compound semiconductor devices, atomic-scale structural analysis is required to evaluate their performance and characteristics. For the analysis, scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) is indispensable. However, it is necessary to control the sample thickness to around 100 nm using a focused ion beam (FIB) milling system, and the required number of samples could not be prepared quickly even by highly skilled engineers. In order to solve this problem, we have improved the processing capacity by automating the FIB milling process. Since a wide variety of devices are being developed and manufactured in our company, it is necessary to prepare various kinds of samples according to the analysis objectives of each device. Therefore, we identified the automation conditions for each sample, and by combining the established automation functions we constructed a system that can deal with a large number of samples expeditiously. The higher throughput enables us to repeat the device fabrication and evaluation in the shorter turnaround time, accelerating the development of devices and improvement of the quality.

With the recent tightening of fuel consumption/emission control regulations, Zero-Emission Vehicle regulations, and other environmental regulations, the use of electrified vehicles (electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles) is expanding. A motorized vehicle is equipped with a battery pack for powering electric motors. In the battery pack, multiple battery modules are connected to each other to produce high-voltage, highcapacity power. In the battery module, the electrodes of multiple laminated battery cells are electrically connected in series or parallel by the bus bars of a battery wiring module. A control unit is connected to the battery modules via the wires of the battery wiring module to monitor the voltage of each battery cell .

The OPTHERMO fiber-optic distributed temperature sensing system is a product of Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. and is one of the component technologies used in infrastructure monitoring and maintenance systems. There are currently two models in the OPTHERMO lineup: the FTR3000 (a short distance model at an accessible price) and the FTR3000X (a long-distance and high-performance model at a higher price). By limiting its functions, the FTR3000 has offered the most reasonable price in Japan among equivalent products. However, it is 10 years since FTR3000 was introduced to the market, and therefore it was time for the product to be updated with functional enhancements and other changes. We have now developed a successor model, the FTS3500, which offers better performance while still maintaining the lowest price in Japan.

Recently, automobile-related industries are required to protect the global environment by improving the fuel economy of vehicles. To meet the requirement, vehicle manufacturers are increasing the use of aluminum alloy and other nonferrous metal parts to reduce vehicle weight, in parallel with an increase in the production of hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, and fuel cell vehicles. To increase the productivity of these nonferrous metal parts by improving machining efficiency, cutting tools are required to be easy to handle and feature highly effective chip evacuation, thereby reducing machining time and nonmachining time. In light of the situation, demand for lighter-weight cutting tools suitable for compact machining equipment is also increasing recently to improve the productivity per unit area of machining equipment. To meet such demand, Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. has developed a polycrystalline sintered diamond (PCD) cutter, ALNEX (ANX series) , for high-efficiency aluminum alloy machining application.

A milling cutter is a cutting tool with a cutting edge on the end face or side face. Various kinds of parts are machined by revolving this cutter. Cutting tools equipped with indexable inserts are widely used today for face milling, shouldering, side milling, slot milling, contouring, ramping, helical milling, and various other types of cutting. On the other hand, in the field of machining, the accuracy and quality required of parts are becoming stricter year by year. Accordingly, cutting tools are required to provide increasingly enhanced performance in order to be able to cut the surfaces of parts to the required roughness and quality. To realize parts of reduced weight, the quantity of parts made by machining low-rigidity thin-walled workpieces and intricately shaped difficult-to-clamp materials is increasing. As a result, the demand for cutting tools with sharper edges is increasing.

The automotive industry has entered a major once-ina-century revolutionary era characterized by the connected, autonomous, shared/service, and electric (CASE) strategy. R&D efforts are strongly directed towards the next-generation motorized society. Meanwhile, global automobile sales are expected to continuously increase. At the same time, the market for environmentally friendly vehicles is forecast to grow substantially due to tighter environmental regulations to be enforced in many countries.

Automobiles and the environment surrounding them have been rapidly changing. The value that vehicles offer will change significantly as the concept of “connected” is added to the basic vehicle functions of “driving,” “turning,” and “stopping.” In short, vehicles will evolve from a simple means of transportation to a social terminal that provides mobility and various related services. Thus, not only individual users, but also the whole society may benefit from the added value. As vehicles are used as social terminals that will create new industries in the automobile society of the 2030s, new values may arise as management resources. Therefore, it is necessary to build key technologies adaptable to the newly created social needs in addition to the functional value of conventional vehicles. This paper outlines a next-generation in-vehicle electronic platform that is currently being developed as a new key technology for the era of connected cars by integrating our social infrastructure and in-vehicle technologies.

As the demand for the reduction of CO2 emissions from vehicles is ever increasing, lightweight wiring harnesses have been in high demand. Effective weight reduction can be expected by replacing conventional copper electric wires with aluminum electric wires. However, aluminum wires have several drawbacks such as low electrical conductivity and low tensile strength, as well as the thick oxide film on the surface and galvanic corrosion. To solve these problems, we have developed an aluminum alloy with improved electrical conductivity and tensile strength. We have also developed a unique terminal for a splice that maintains low contact resistance and sufficient wire retention force even on a thick oxide film. We have established an anti-corrosion technology that prevents galvanic corrosion by coating a new anti-corrosive onto the crimped joint of the terminal. This paper explains respective solutions in detail.

In-vehicle control software has become complex, and powertrains have been diversified due to the advancement of vehicle electrification pushed by tightening environmental regulations. Nevertheless, we are required to shorten our development time and propose driver-friendly vehicle systems. We have worked on the development of mechanical and electrical co-simulation techniques as well as simulation-based quantitative evaluation methods for the trade-off between power consumption and ride comfort. To strengthen our system design and solution proposal capabilities, we have also been developing a whole vehicle simulation technique. This paper introduces our virtual car that can be connected with the real driving environment, focusing on an electric vehicle charging system.

The introduction of high-speed automotive Ethernet to in-vehicle networks has been accelerated by the increase of communication volume resulting from the spread of advanced driving assist systems (ADAS) including autonomous driving. To ensure safety, in-vehicle network products require communication reliability even under severe conditions associated with extreme heat and noise, and therefore electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) performance is one of the important factors. However, conventional trial EMC countermeasures require a lot of efforts and development costs to ensure EMC performance. We have developed a simulation technology to efficiently verify the EMC performance of automotive Ethernet communication systems under various conditions by constructing the physical layer model of a communication system composed of connectors, wire harnesses, and electronic control units.

Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. has developed and produced high-voltage wiring harnesses and connectors used for electric drivetrains, and these products have been used in many hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs). For the past quarter century, HEVs have been actively developed to prevent global warming caused by CO2 emissions. The development of electric vehicles (EVs) that require no internal combustion engines has also been accelerated. An electric drivetrain used in an EV mainly consists of a highvoltage battery, inverters, and motors. This paper introduces our products that have been developed for HEVs and are also applicable to EVs. These products include a pipe shielded wiring harness applied to the aluminum wire between the high-voltage battery and the inverters as well as a power cable and direct connector that connect the inverters to the motors.

The number of electrified vehicles, such as electric and hybrid electric vehicles, has been increasing rapidly due to concerns about the environment, energy savings, and rising oil prices. To promote the use of these vehicles, motorizing systems need to be reduced in size and weight while also ensuring running and acceleration performance comparable to that of gasoline vehicles. We have developed a compact and lightweight reactor, a key component for a boost converter used in the motorizing system. Using a new magnetic material and heat dissipation structure, we have succeeded in the size and weight reduction of the reactor by 10% while maintaining the same performance level as conventional reactors.

We have been producing wiring modules for high-voltage battery packs used in electrified vehicles. With the recent rapid expansion of the market, we have been promoting product development for electric vehicle (EV) applications. The number of battery cells used in an EV battery pack increases to extend the mileage, which in turn requires a reduction in the volume of battery wiring parts. For the widespread use of EVs, the safety of battery packs is another important factor. This report introduces our development on battery wiring modules for EVs.

In order to meet the CO2 emission target, the electrification of powertrains is accelerating in each country. The 48-V mild hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) can reduce CO2 emissions at lower costs than other systems, and therefore it is expected to become popular mainly in Europe. DC/DC converters installed in the mild HEV are required to supply high power with high reliability. We have developed a power control technology and achieved a high efficiency and high response compact converter. This paper introduces the features of the converter.

A surge current caused by a high-voltage inverter-drive motor system damages the insulation performance of magnet wires. Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. has developed a novel magnet wire that has a uniform micro-closed cell structure in the insulation film. This paper discusses the excellent dielectric properties of the new magnet wire.

There are two categories for electric vehicles charging systems. One is normal charging (AC) and the other is quick charging (DC). In recent years, the application of the latter has been expanding due to an increase in the capacity of in-vehicle batteries. In 2011, we began supplying the SEVD series as a CHAdeMO-conformity 50 kW-class quick charger cable assembly and have since delivered 27,000 units mainly in Europe, U.S.A. and Japan. Our connectors have a high reputation for superior safety and operability. We responded quickly to the CHAdeMO specification ver. 1.2, which described high output, and began shipping SEVD-11 for over 100 kW-class high power charger connectors in the beginning of 2018.

Recently lithium-ion batteries have been widely used for electric vehicles. The states of batteries should be estimated accurately for their safe and effective use. We have developed a battery state estimation system that has a parameter estimation algorithm for a battery model. This paper describes the estimation results, including the state of charge (SOC) and state of health (SOH) for each battery cell, and presents the system that transmits these results to a server.

Tab-lead is an electrical lead wire used for a pouch lithium-ion battery (LIB) that features lightweight and high heat dissipation. Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. has released the world’s first tab-lead in the late 1990s. Tab-leads have since been used for pouch LIBs that are applied to small electronic devices such as personal computers and cellular phones because of their high reliability. Since pouch LIBs are lightweight even if upsized for electric vehicle and hybrid electric vehicle applications, they have been in high demand. In light of this, we have developed a tab-lead for automorive use that offers high permissible current and long-term reliability.

As the electrification of automobiles advances, the efficiency of power devices used for electrical power control becomes increasingly important. Although silicon (Si) power devices have been commonly used, the adoption of silicon carbide (SiC) power devices, which are more power efficient than Si devices, have been accelerating. Against this backdrop, we have focused on the development of SiC metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs) with trench gates for high efficiency. Our trench MOSFETs can reduce the on-resistance with the V-groove structure and achieve a high breakdown voltage due to the electric field alleviating regions implanted around the trench bottom. Here we report on our V-groove trench MOSFETs (VMOSFETs) that have a rated voltage of 1200 V and current of 200 A as required for high current automotive applications. The VMOSFETs exhibit both a low specific on-resistance of 3.4 mΩ cm2 and a high breakdown voltage of 1660 V. In addition, the VMOSFETs also achieve high speed switching due to the electric field alleviating regions that reduce the parasitic capacitance.

Traffic accidents and congestion problems have been reduced by the efforts of public and private sectors. Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd., a leading supplier of intelligent transport systems, has contributed to the development and installation of wide area traffic management systems. For more safety, infrastructure-vehicle cooperative driving safety support systems using sensing and wireless communication technologies are expected to be one of the best solutions to traffic problems particularly near intersections. To meet these needs in the era of connected and automated vehicles, we have been researching and developing new technologies utilizing artificial intelligence and simulations. This paper reports on our previous and future efforts for advanced traffic management systems.

In light of the security incident of the Jeep Cherokee in 2015, where a vehicle was illegally controlled remotely using spoofing messages inserted via a public mobile network, security measures have become one of the most crucial issues in the realization of autonomous driving and connected cars. Taking security measures for each unknown cyberattack requires quick detection of attacks that happen throughout the life cycle of the vehicles. This paper introduces an intrusion detection system (IDS) to detect spoofing messages at the central gateway. Additionally, we report on the detection performance of the system using messages from an actual in-vehicle network.

Recently, quite a number of security attacks against Controller Area Network (CAN) have been reported. Many automotive companies are planning to adopt security countermeasures to strengthen security of their in-vehicle systems while saving the costs. This paper proposes a method to block unauthorized CAN-bus access using our enhanced CAN controller that prevents the transmission of messages from a malicious electronic control unit. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our device disabler on a CAN with Flexible Date rate buses.

In the urban area where the wireless roadside units of 700-MHz band intelligent transport systems (ITS) are densely installed, an operation method is required to install the units as many as possible by efficiently allocating limited radio resources without interference. This paper evaluates the radio resource allocation algorithm that utilizes simulation and proposes an installation and operation method devised based on the evaluation.

We are developing driving safety support systems to reduce traffic accidents. One function of this system is to provide information on the presence of pedestrians on a crosswalk to a vehicle turning right at an intersection and call attention to the driver. We have developed a 24-GHz band radar to detect pedestrians as a roadside sensor, and started shipping it in March 2018. The radar features robustness against changes in weather and sunshine conditions, high performance in pedestrian detection, and a wide detection area. This paper introduces the radar and shows the result of a field test.

In order to realize autonomous driving, millimeter-wave radar will become more and more important. Being used in the radar, printed circuit boards (PCBs) are required to have low-loss characteristics, because transmission loss is very high in the millimeterwave band. We have been developing low-loss PCBs made of fluororesin. We evaluated fluororesin substrates and confirmed their favorable transmission characteristics. We also prototyped an array antenna for automotive millimeter-wave radar using the substrate and successfully downsized the antenna surface area by approximately 40% compared with the conventional ones in the market.

Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. has conducted a virtual power plant pilot program jointly with Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. and Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc. (KEPCO). In this project, 60 electric vehicles (EVs) parked at home and KEPCO were linked to the virtual power plant demonstration system, which simultaneously controls vehicle battery charge. This system is expected to enable the effective use of renewable energy, mitigating its output fluctuation. Through the adjustment of power supply and demand, we will add value to EVs.

The flexible flat cable has been used for electric wiring of electronic appliances. Along with the increase of electronic equipment installation in automobiles, the application of flexible flat cables has been increasing. Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. has successfully produced a new flexible flat cable for automotive use featuring high heat resistance up to 150°C.

Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd. started the development of the flexible wiring board “FUREKI” in the 1960s. Being light, thin, and highly flexible, FUREKI was well received by the market, and has been in high demand for the internal wiring of handheld units since the 1980s. Combining new materials and new technologies (such as connection technologies), Sumitomo Electric has added new products to the FUREKI series. This paper introduces our efforts for the application of FUREKI to automobiles.

Since the successful development of the world’s first AZ91 alloy sheet, which has high strength and superior corrosion resistance, we started the magnesium alloy business with the AZ91 alloy sheet used for the case body of mobile electronic devices. For application to transportation vehicle parts, however, the properties of AZ91 were not sufficient and we launched the development of new Mg alloys. Recently we have successfully developed a high-temperature creep resistant Mg alloy that can be applied to automobile powertrain components through a collaborative research with the University of Toyama. The new alloy has overcome the drawbacks of conventional creep resistant Mg alloys, such as the low castability and inferior recyclability. This paper introduces major properties of the developed alloys, which are necessary for practical applications in transportation vehicle parts.

Automakers have launched environment-friendly and fuel-efficient cars into the market. In such cars, decreased number of cylinders and expanded lock-up range are used to improve fuel efficiency. However, particularly in a vehicle with a 3-cylinder engine and continuously variable transmission, vehicle body vibration is aggravated by the influence of suspension resonance at the start of lock-up. To propose anti-vibration products that reduce the vibration, an analysis technique that covers drivelines and suspension systems is essential. Therefore, we have built a full vehicle analysis technique for evaluating a whole vehicle. With this technique, the reduction of vibration at the time of lock-up was examined using hydraulic strut mounts and the effects were confirmed in the actual vehicle evaluation. This full vehicle analysis technique is one of the fundamental technologies for our future product development.

For automotive fuel piping, we have been working on the reduction of fuel permeation to comply with regulations for hydrocarbon evaporation including low emission vehicle standards in the North America. Concurrently, in order to comply with the tightening CO2 emission control, we have also been working on the reduction of CO2 emissions by improving fuel efficiency through vehicle weight reduction. For this purpose, we have promoted the replacement of rubber hoses used for filler neck piping with those made a low fuel permeation material, and the metal filler pipe with a resin pipe. The replacement to the resin filler pipe involved the development of modules that consist of filler pipes and hoses. This paper describes these development efforts.

The automotive sector is currently undergoing a major transformation. This structural change is called “CASE” (connected, autonomous, shared, electric), and the electrification and digitization of vehicles are advancing rapidly. Under these circumstances, we have developed a magnetic induction foaming (MIF) technique for improving the thermal conductivity of sound absorbing polyurethane foam through magnetic field orientation, and succeeded in mass production of soundproofing products capable of achieving both thermal and noise countermeasures for in-vehicle electronics products. Recently, there has been an increasing need for heat dissipation and noise reduction for large products such as electric vehicle drive motors, in addition to in-vehicle small products. This time, focusing on the heat transfer structure of MIF, the heat dissipation property was improved by 2.5 times (up to 100 times of common urethane). Applying this method, this paper finds the possibility of MIF as a soundproofing cooling device that further enhances the air-cooling performance in addition to the soundproofing effect by covering the motor case.

Steel cords are widely used as reinforcing material for automobile tires. The adhesion of steel cord to rubber and long-term durability are increasingly critical factors not only in terms of fuel efficiency improvement but also the technological advancement of automobiles such as electric vehicles and automated driving. Focusing on the humidity heat resistance as an indicator of longterm durability, we have developed a ternary alloy plating with cobalt (Co) added as the third element in the brass plating of ordinary steel cord, and established its mass production technology ahead of the world. In this development, we also clarified the plating-rubber adhesion and its deterioration mechanism, enabling quantitative and quick evaluation of the effect of adhesion performance improvement. This innovative plating technology has substantially increased the durability of tires compared to conventional ones, being keenly anticipated by customers.

Active efforts have been made to create environmentally friendly products in the automobile market. Under this circumstance, parts that make up an automobile need to maintain their functions in harsh environments, requiring even higher durability than ever before. To meet this challenge, we have developed a diamond-like carbon (DLC) film that has an excellent rolling fatigue resistance for bearing parts. We also started the mass production of the DLC film coating for bearing parts by overcoming production technology challenges, and achieved both mass productivity and cost efficiency.

There has been growing demand for cloud servers due to the widespread use of IoT and smart devices. This has increased the demand for higher signal processing speed, namely, signal transmission speed. We already mass-produce metal cables for 40 Gbps differential transmission. We have developed a metal cable for 100 Gbps differential transmission designed for the next-generation communication protocol.

Exotic alloys such as Ni-based alloys, cobalt (Co)-based alloys, and titanium (Ti) alloys are often used for equipment and parts used in the aircraft and auto industries due to their superior heat resistance and corrosion resistance. There has been growing demand for tools for machining these alloys.

We have developed a microfracture strength evaluation technique that uses a spherical indenter made from nano-polycrystalline diamond. The technique enables us to evaluate the fracture strength characteristics in the micro regions of diamond materials with a high accuracy, which has been difficult in the past. Through evaluation tests on various types of single crystal diamonds using the technique, it was revealed that the fracture strength of natural diamond greatly differs depending on the location in each crystal, while that of synthetic diamond is uniform with small deviations. We also confirmed that the microfracture strength of nanopolycrystalline diamond is increased through grain refinement.

Vehicle electrification has been proactively promoted because of environmental restrictions. At the same time, new functions, such as autonomous driving and V2X communication, have made vehicle systems more complex. As the development costs have risen following these trends, system development using simulation has come into widespread use to improve cost efficiency. We have been developing simulation techniques to identify the effects of improvements in our product performance in regard to power consumption. This paper introduces a simulation technique to verify the trade-off between power consumption and ride comfort.

In a visual inspection setting, quantitative and qualitative judgment is needed. To automate this particular judgment process, an algorithm that resembles human recognition ability is required. Sense Learning is our algorithm that mimics the human recognition ability using the images of non-defective products. With an autoencoder, a deep-learning-based network, the inspection AI progressively learns to reconstruct the images of non-defective products, thereby acknowledging the ideal characteristics of products. When the image of a defective product is input, the inspection AI fails to reconstruct the defective part because it has never learned the form. Based on the difference between the input image and the reconstructed image, Sense Learning detects the defective part and measures the degree of its severity.

Level 3 or higher autonomous vehicles, which themselves control all aspects of driving, require lane-specific traffic information for safe and smooth driving. While this information is expected to be generated using probe data sent from vehicles, there are still problems such as the insufficient positioning accuracy of probe data for identifying the driving lane and the low penetration rate of probe vehicles. To overcome these problems, we have developed a system for generating lane-specific traffic information. The system uses images sent from on-vehicle front view cameras, which are in widespread use today, to identify the driving lane and the propagation model of traffic congestion to supplement the probe data.

For further automation and efficiency improvement of production, industrial control systems have been increasingly connected to other information systems to exchange data. Under this circumstance, establishing security measures for control systems against malware (such as Stuxnet*1) is an urgent issue. Therefore, security design has been taken into consideration at the beginning of the system development. In collaboration with the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), we have been applying security design guidelines for automobiles to control systems, aiming to improve the efficiency of design procedures without depending on personal knowledge or experience. Focusing on the risk-assessment phase in security design consisting of multiple phases, this paper proposes a quantification method optimized for the risk assessment of control devices and systems by utilizing an existing vulnerability assessment system. We report on the security design results using the method, providing a case study on a control system equipped with a data logger as the key element.

Physical contact (PC) optical connectors are commonly used for their favorable connection characteristics. However, PC connectors have some drawbacks such as the necessity of careful end face cleaning and an increasing mating force as the number of fibers increases. To overcome these drawbacks, we have developed a new multi-fiber connector that has an air-gap between its end faces. Eliminating the need for PC connection, this connector offers good optical characteristics and high reliability. This paper reports on the optical characteristics and reliability test result of the new connector.

With the growth of cloud services that require high-speed communication, CFP4 and QSFP28 optical transceivers have been commonly used for 100 Gbit/s transmission. Along with an increase in the market need for higher-speed transmission beyond 100 Gbit/s, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) published 400GBASE-FR8/LR8 as the next-generation communication standards, and the CFP Multi-Source Agreement (MSA) defined the CFP8 form factor of an optical transceiver to support 400 Gbit/s interfaces. Against this backdrop, we have developed a new optical receiver module for 400GBASE-FR8/LR8 CFP8. Using the conventional design for 100 Gbit/s, the module has an integrated 8-ch optical de-multiplexer. This paper describes the module structure, optical characteristics, and sensitivity in 26.56 Gbaud PAM4 signal transmission.

The demand for high-speed data communication systems has been increasing to accommodate huge data communication traffic resulting from the growth of smartphone and cloud computing services via data centers. This trend has generated a strong demand for high-speed optical transceivers. To transmit electric signals without distortion, transmission lines are designed with a due consideration of characteristic impedance. Nevertheless, electric signals tend to be distorted by unexpected factors on actual circuit boards. These factors often consist of signal integrity, power integrity, and electro-magnetic interference/electro-magnetic susceptibility, which are correlative to each other. For these problems, electromagnetic field analysis plays an extremely important role. This paper describes typical contributing factors, as well as problem examples and their solutions extracted by electromagnetic field analysis.

We have developed a 40-W microwave integrated circuit (MIC) equipped with gallium nitride (GaN) high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) that is functional in the L-band and S-band for satellite and rocket launch control applications. The MIC has a 10-W GaN HEMT in the front stage and a 40-W GaN HEMT in the post stage. It achieves an output of over 45 W, gain of over 30 dB, and power added efficiency (PAE) of 45% in the range of 1.0-1.7 GHz, while it shows an output of over 47 W, gain of over 30 dB, and PAE of 50% in the range of 2.0-2.7 GHz. The GaN HEMTs met all the reliability and lifetime requirements in a space qualification test. When used in a solid state power amplifier, the MIC will contribute to a reduction in the size and weight of satellites.

As a solution to the rapidly increasing optical traffic, 100 Gbit/s transmission systems using the digital coherent optical communication technology has been adopted in high-speed and large-capacity optical transmission. Optical transceivers are required to be operable in the long wavelength band (L-band) in addition to the conventional band (C-band). Based on the design of C-band receivers, we have developed compact optical receivers for the L-band operation. This paper presents the design and typical characteristics of the new optical receivers.

Power devices have been essential to significantly advance efficient electric power use mainly for a future electric network society that will use versatile energy sources such as renewable energy resources and electric vehicles. SiC power devices are expected to be a key for power conversion systems to cut back electric power loss. To achieve large chip dies used in high current ratings, the wafer size of SiC substrates has increased, requiring precisely controlled fabrication processes. The epitaxial layer used for the drift region in a device structure strongly influences the device performance, entailing to the requirement of epitaxial defects reduction as well as the precise control of doping concentration and thickness for stable chip production. We have successfully demonstrated an extensive defect-free epitaxial layer with an excellent doping concentration and thickness uniformity on a 150 mm diameter 4H-SiC substrate.

Due to the development and wide-spread use of high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission and its related equipment, the evaluation of the dielectric properties of insulation materials under HVDC has become important. While the evaluation of electric properties is generally carried out using different methods appropriate for their specific purposes, the authors have found a relatively simple technique that can simultaneously evaluate multiple dielectric properties of a material, such as permittivity, space charge behavior, and electrical conductivity, using the direct current integrated charge method. This paper describes the principle of the method and measurement results of low- and high-density polyethylene and polystyrene.

With an increase in the use of renewable energy, the problem of power system constraints in which electricity transmission is limited has become significant. One major factor of this is the restricted capacity of transmission lines. While the enhancement of the transmission line capacity is necessary to solve this problem, it requires a large amount of capital and time. Therefore, it is important to utilize existing systems to their maximum potential. For the purpose of increasing power transmission capacity of existing systems, we have been developing a real-time monitoring system for the temperature and electric current value of power transmission lines. This paper reports on the present status of our ongoing developments.

Due to technological innovation utilizing information technology (the fourth industrial revolution), major changes are taking place at manufacturing sites. Internet of Things (IoT) technology is expected to improve production capacity and efficiency through the collection and analysis of a large amount of data by networking many sensors and devices. In the automobile industry, the development of common platforms and modules has been progressing, requiring parts manufacturers to cope with demands for cost reduction in super-mass production and quality risk management to prevent mega recall. To adapt to the age of megaplatforms, we have built an innovative sintered part production line making full use of IoT technology. Based on the Sumitomo Electric Group’s manufacturing concept, Sumitomo Electric Industries Production System (SEIPS), the new production line features: (1) zoned quality control by automated inspections, (2) quality assurance in units of products using 2D codes, (3) reduction of lead time and no intermediate stock by “one-by-one production / synchronized production” through compacting, sintering, sizing, to machining, and (4) IT-based production-management and monitoring systems.

Sumitomo Electric System Solutions Co., Ltd. Develops and sells AgentNavi, a navigation software development kit for smartphones. AgentNavi offers route guidance to the destination together with information about traffic congestion and regulations.

Information and communication services as well as the technologies that underpin these services have been developing rapidly. We have observed such developments as a user and a supplier. This paper aims to study the trends in the information and communication market based on relevant data to understand them correctly.

If wireless communication is utilized to collect data in a production site, manufacturing processes can be modified more flexibly without building a new network. However, it is not easy to achieve stable wireless communication in a factory because signal strength changes frequently due to various factors such as the rearrangement of equipment and the movement of machinery and workers. Therefore, we have developed a wireless repeater and controller that automatically manage communication quality. This development will enable full wireless networks for quick and reliable data collection.

The development of autonomous driving has increased expectations for advanced ITS technology. To prevent traffic accidents at intersections in Japan, for example, roadside radio units transmit information about oncoming vehicles detected by roadside sensors to vehicles waiting to turn right on the opposing side. This paper describes the prototype of a 76-GHz band radar applicable as a roadside sensor. The radar adopts a multiple-frequency-stepped CPC (complementary phase coded) modulation method characterized by long-range detection without resolution degradation. The performance of this radar was verified in a field experiment.

We have been producing pure-silica core fibers that enable low-loss transmission since as early as 1980s, contributing to the development of submarine optical cable networks through continuous reduction in transmission loss and nonlinearity of fiber. We have succeeded in further reducing the density fluctuation of a pure-silica core and developed an optical fiber with a transmission loss of 0.14 dB/km.

Communication systems based on conventional single-mode optical fiber transmission technologies may face a “capacity crunch” in the near future. To address this, Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. has been conducting the R&D on various types of the multicore fibers (MCFs) for the space-division multiplexed (SDM) transmission. Since the very beginning of the SDM R&D, we have continuously contributed both to revealing the behavior and characteristics of the optical properties—such as inter-core crosstalk— of MCFs, and to proposing various MCFs for practical applications. This paper reviews our MCF R&D history.

The need for optical interconnection has been increasing at data centers (DCs) to process information for cloud computing and mobile internet services. To accommodate the need, multi-mode fiber systems will be replaced with single-mode fiber (SMF) systems. We have developed multi-fiber connectors (such as multi-fiber push-on and dust-proof connectors) as SMF optical connection solution based on high-precision molding technologies. This paper outlines our latest multi-fiber connectors for DC applications.

We have developed a chipset consisting of a transmitter device, a receiver device, and a power amplifier by using our 3-D Wafer Level Chip Size Package technology that allows miniaturization and cost saving. Mounting the chipset to a printed circuit board, we have developed a radio frequency module for 76-GHz band infrastructure radars. The module is as small as 20 × 34.5 mm2, in compliance with ARIB standard, and meets performance requirements for radar applications.

Infrared detectors with Type-II superlattices are attracting increasing attention due to their theoretically higher performance and lower environment impact than HgCdTe detectors. While quite a number of reports have been made on sensor development, only a few of them have discussed a long wavelength region over 14 μm, which is required for hyper-spectral imaging. Using a Type-II InAs/GaInSb superlattice, we have developed an infrared imaging sensor (640 × 512, VGA format) that functions in the wavelength range of up to 15 μm. At a temperature of 77 K and a bias voltage of -20 mV, the sensor obtained a dark current density of 3.7 × 10-3 A/cm2. The noise equivalent differential temperature (NEdT) of 0.29 K was achieved under an experimental condition using F/4 optics, a bias voltage of 0 mV, integration time of 200 μs, and temperature of 95 K. We succeeded in taking thermal images of a person.

This paper describes a newly designed ultra-high-fiber-count (UHFC) optical fiber cable for data center applications. The UHFC cable employs Freeform Ribbon, in which fibers meet and split out in turns in a longitudinal and transverse direction, thus allowing high fiber density and mass fusion splicing. Having a non-preferential bend axis, the cable can easily be installed in spaceconstrained areas. We combined the Freeform Ribbon technology with a new cable design to significantly increase fiber density compared to conventional underground cables while retaining their advantageous features such as easy handling, identification, and mass fusion splicing.

Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. released the TYPE-3 fixed V-groove optical fiber fusion splicer for multi-mode fibers in 1980. Over the years, optical fiber fusion splicing technology has been making steady progress with the advancement of optical fiber production technology and the development of new jointing methods. This paper looks back at the history of splicing technology and highlights the technology that marked a crucial turning point in the progress. We also discuss our perspectives on how the technology can make further headway in the future.

Global data traffic has been steadily increasing with the spread of the Internet. High-density and high-efficiency cabling between server racks and devices has become more and more important for data centers. We have developed multifiber push-on (MPO) cassettes (PrecisionFlex) and a polarity conversion LC connector (FlexULC). This paper suggests a plug-and-play solution that eliminates the need for fusion splicing by using these new products in combination with round cords and trunk cables that use our MPO connectors (SumiMPO) for improved handling in the field.

A traditional PON (passive optical network) consists of an OLT (optical line terminal) installed in a cable television headend and ONUs (optical network units) at subscriber premises (Fiber-to-the-Premise, FTTP) or a distribution point serving multiple subscribers (Fiber-to-the-Distribution-Point, FTTdp). This paper describes a new class of products Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. is introducing to assist North American MSOs (multiple system operators) to address fundamental requirements for their access networks such as distance, subscribers served per port, trunk fiber conservation, uniform operations support systems, and the cost of space, power, and cooling of equipment.

Gallium nitride (GaN) high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) have been widely used for high-power and high-frequency applications, such as cellular base stations, owing to their superior material properties. This paper describes the features and characteristics of the world’s first commercialized GaN HEMTs. Specifically, it introduces our 400-W GaN HEMT Doherty amplifier for cellular base stations and 20-W broad band GaN HEMT for fixed wireless communications. For satellite communications and weather radars, we have also developed a high-power and high-reliability GaN HEMT. These GaN HEMTs contribute to the creation of small-form-factor, light-weight, and power-efficient transmitters for wireless communication.

Optical transceivers for high-speed transmission at more than 100Gbit/s have been downsized and implemented at increasingly high density. We have developed a new compact optical transmitter that consists of a low-coupling-loss optical multiplexer and four distributed feedback lasers with integrated electro-absorption modulators. This transmitter can be installed into QSFP28 to enable transmission at 100 Gbit/s up to 40 km and also used for 200 and 400 Gbit/s systems. This paper presents the design and performance of the transmitter.

In response to market expectations for 200 Gbit/s and 400 Gbit/s optical devices, we have developed a new compact receiver with four avalanche photodiodes and an integrated optical de-multiplexer for 40 km operating distance applications. This receiver is based on the structure of our previous 40 Gbit/s and 100 Gbit/s receivers and employs newly developed avalanche photodiodes for high responsibility. This paper presents the design and performance of the receiver, including its receiver sensitivity in 53 Gbit/s PAM4 (Pulse amplitude modulation 4) signal transmission.

Thunderbolt 3 is a high-speed and high-capacity input/output standard that enables bi-directional 40 Gbps transmission using a reversible USB Type-C connector. Based on Intel Corporation's technical specifications, Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. has developed Thunderbolt 3 cables by combining its flexible and durable cables and high-speed transmission technologies to be the world’s first approved vendor of Thunderbolt 3 cables. This paper presents an overview of Thunderbolt 3 cables using Sumitomo Electric’s coaxial cables.

Heat shrinkable tubing with a meltable inner layer (dual-wall heat-shrinkable tubing) protects joints and connections in wiring harness connection with high adhesion, and has been widely used in electronics products and aircrafts. The application of the tubing has been extended to automotive wiring harnesses due to its easy handling and waterproof performance, and tubing that can be applied to complicated harness configuration is in high demand. To meet this demand, we have developed a new dual-wall heat-shrinkable tubing that shrinks at a low temperature and stays long. We optimized the shrink behavior and mechanical properties of the outer layer by controlling resin blending, and the flow and adhesion of the inner layer by applying the molecular design method and polymer alloy technology.

High-efficiency power semiconductors are becoming increasingly important for an energy-saving society. While metal-oxidesemiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs) are basically made of silicon (Si), silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFETs have been finding commercial applications due to advantages such as high efficiency owing to their material properties. We have been developing SiC V-groove trench MOSFETs (VMOSFETs), which achieve high efficiency through the combination of SiC material properties and optimized trench structures. By introducing an electric field concentration layer into VMOSFETs, we have succeeded in suppressing a gate insulation film breakdown at the trench bottom and improved the breakdown voltage. Moreover, we have realized fast switching VMOSFETs with a reduced switching loss of up to 70% by optimizing the structures and reducing feedback capacitance.

Thermoelectric generators, with which one can directly convert waste heat to useful electric power, have attracted considerable attention as one of the most efficient techniques leading to a low carbon and sustainable society. The figure of merit (ZT) of constituent thermoelectric materials is generally used as a measure for the efficiency of energy conversion in thermoelectric generators. The value has never reached a large magnitude exceeding 2, despite that ZT ≥ 4 is strongly required for automobile exhaust heat utilization systems. This large gap between the required values and obtained values let us believe that thermoelectric generators are not usable in practical applications. We need new, innovative techniques leading to a breakthrough for developing high-performance thermoelectric materials. In this study, we have developed an amorphous bulk material as a precursor of nanostructured thermoelectric semiconductors.

Sumitomo Electric lndustries, Ltd. installed a concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) power generation system in a high solar irradiation area in Morocco and evaluated its power output performance in comparison with a crystalline silicon photovoltaic (Si-PV) system. Based on the positive result, a megawatt-class CPV power plant was built in Ouarzazate, Morocco and is now operating for demonstration purposes. The CPV system is superior to the Si-PV system in energy generation per module area and effective rated power. The performance ratio of the plant has remained almost the same throughout the year, confirming its stable operation.

Axial gap motors have been attracting attention as demand increases for thinner motors with a higher output. However, radial motors using laminated steel sheets remain dominant in the market, and the use of axial gap motors is still limited due to the difficulty in producing three-dimensional magnetic cores with laminated steel sheets. We have built an axial gap motor using soft magnetic powder cores that feature magnetic isotropy and high design flexibility. The motor offers high torque and cost efficiency compared with a conventional radial motor of the same size.

To lessen the environmental burden, lead-free, difficult-to-cut materials are increasingly used and high-efficiency dry turning is becoming popular in the automotive industry. Under these circumstances, cutting tools need to have long tool life and offer stable performance. To satisfy these demands, we have developed the new coated-carbide grades AC8015P, AC8025P, and AC8035P for steel turning. This paper describes the features and cutting performance of these products.

We have developed a closed system for growing tomato seedlings using LEDs as the main light source. Although closed production systems reduce the risk of pest infection without using pesticides, tomato seedlings grown under artificial light for a long time are subject to physiological disorders. Our production system suppresses this problem and grows uniformly large seedlings, thereby shortening the cultivation period between seeding and harvesting. This paper describes how the system suppresses physiological disorders, while controlling air flow for uniform growth. (This research was conducted in collaboration with Chiba University.)

High-efficiency and high-frequency GaN-HEMTs (gallium-nitride high-electron-mobility transistors) for satellites and mobile phone base stations need to assure long-term reliability. The life time of these products is estimated based on the temperature of the channel layer (Tch), with a channel length of approximately 0.2 μm, located under the gate electrode. However, the current measurement method using an infrared microscope with a spatial resolution of 4 μm is insufficient to obtain the Tch precisely. We have developed a high-accuracy estimation method that uses μ-Raman spectroscopy with a spatial resolution of 0.8 μm, and achieved an accuracy of ± 5 degrees C by the optimization of sample structures for μ-Raman spectroscopy and careful calibration. It was confirmed that the life time of our existing products estimated by this method is 20 times longer than that estimated by the infrared microscope measurement on the same Tch.

Using strong synchrotron x-rays, advanced characterization can be performed for chemical-bonding states, atomic structures, and chemical reactions. We have constructed beamlines of our own called “Sumitomo Electric Beamline” in the SAGA Light Source to develop new materials and devices as well as improve existing products with advanced characterization. In our two beamlines using hard and soft x-ray, absorption spectroscopy, diffraction measurement, small-angle scattering, and photoelectron spectroscopy are performed. We began the construction of the beamlines in February 2015 and started operation in November 2016.

Regulations on chemical substances are being strengthened yearly in each country, and chemical substances contained in products such as electrical and electronic equipment are subject to regulation. In order to comply with such regulations, communicating information of chemical substances contained in products in the supply chain is necessary. For communicating information, international standards are set for electrical and electronic equipment, and construction of a mechanism for communication of information by industry groups, etc. Furthermore, in order to communicate accurate information, it is essential to manage chemical substances at each stage of design and development, purchasing and manufacturing, etc.

Connected vehicles that can wirelessly interact with the environment will become popular as they support safe and comfortable driving and offer improved functionality, security, and services to passengers. We have been evaluating and testing in-vehicle devices and infrastructure equipment in a realistic environment utilizing a testbed for concept proposals. This paper describes the features of the testbed and its application to the performance comparison of intelligent transport system (ITS) radio communications and the evaluation of vehicle-to-infrastructure cooperative systems.

Reduction in the transmission loss and nonlinearity of optical fibers used for submarine cables is important for meeting the evergrowing demand for telecommunication traffic. Pure silica core fiber (PSCF) has substantial advantages of low transmission loss and low nonlinearity because no dopant is added in its core. We have developed a PSCF having the highest transmission performance among commercialized optical fibers. The fiber, Z-PLUS Fiber 150 (Z+150), has been realized by improving our previous Z-PLUS Fiber 130 ULL (Z+130) in terms of both the glass quality and the mechanical performance of the protective coating. As a result, the transmission loss reduced form 0.154 dB/km to 0.152 dB/km, and the effective core area enlarged from 130 μm2 to 150 μm2. We have further confirmed an excellent manufacturability of Z+150 by the trial mass production of about 4,000 km fibers.

Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. has developed a 125-μm-cladding coupled four-core optical fiber achieving the lowest spatial mode dispersion (SMD) and attenuation among optical fibers for space-division multiplexed transmission. The standard 125-μm-diameter cladding offers high mechanical reliability equivalent to that of field-proven standard fibers. The low SMD reduces the computational complexity of multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) digital signal processing. The low transmission loss comparable to that of conventional ultra-low-loss fibers contributes to the increase of the transmission capacity without sacrificing the per-core capacity. Furthermore, the transmission characteristics of this coupled multi-core fiber (MFCF) were experimentally confirmed to outperform those of an equivalent single-mode fiber (SMF). The present results demonstrate that the coupled MCF is suitable for ultra-long-haul transmission systems.

Digital coherent optical communication technology using multi-level modulation formats has been adopted in long haul systems as a crucial solution to the rapidly increasing optical traffic. This technology is expected to further expand to metro systems, where smaller optical transceivers are required. We have developed compact optical receivers that can be installed in the CFP2-ACO optical transceivers, complying with the OIF implementation agreement for Micro-ICR. The new optical receivers have achieved a high responsivity in a small package of 12.0 × 22.7 × 4.5 mm due to an InP-based PIC that consists of waveguide PDs and a 90 degree hybrid. They also include a VOA and signal monitor PD. The digital coherent transmission was verified by the successful demodulation of 128 Gbit/s DP-QPSK modulation and 224 Gbit/s DP-16QAM. This paper presents the design and typical characteristics of the compact optical receivers.

We have been developing communication equipment based on passive optical network (PON) technology to promote the widespread use of fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) broadband services domestically and globally. To accommodate the data traffic that has been increasing due to high-quality video distribution, we have developed a 10 Gigabit Ethernet PON (10G-EPON) optical line terminal (OLT) that supports nearly ten times higher line-speed transmission than the current Gigabit Ethernet PON (1G-EPON). This paper presents the 10G-EPON OLT that supports upcoming features of broadband video services, such as 4K and 8K resolutions, using existing optical distribution networks and optical network units (ONU) for 1G-EPON. It also reports on the lower size and power consumption of the 10G-EPON OLT, which will reduce operational expenditures.

We have developed a high-efficiency L-band 200-W GaN HEMT for space applications. Incorporating two 100-W dies, the GaN HEMT achieves a PAE of 71% and DE of 74.6% at 1.58 GHz in CW operation, demonstrating world-class efficiency in this product range. In a space qualification test conducted under high temperature and RF overdrive conditions, this GaN HEMT showed excellent performance, satisfying all the reliability and lifetime requirements for space applications. This paper describes the feasibility of an SSPA using the GaN HEMT, which will contribute to a reduction in the size and weight of satellites.

Metal oxide semiconductors are expected to be used for the thin film transistor (TFT) of large high-definition flat panel displays (FPDs) and In-Ga-Zn-O (IGZO), in particular, is already being mass-produced. For high-definition 8K FPDs, we have developed a new metal oxide semiconductor with a high electron mobility. Semiconductors used as a film in a TFT are made of oxide ceramics. We sintered the new metal oxide ceramic, In-W-Zn-O, as the base material of the new metal oxide semiconductor film and studied the properties of a TFT that used the new metal oxide semiconductor. The electron mobility of In-W-Zn-O was three times higher than that of IGZO and the stability of a TFT with In-W-Zn-O was superior to that of one with IGZO. In-W-Zn-O sintered material showed a high density and a low electrical resistivity, indicating that it is suitable as a sputtering target. This development will lead to the realization of 8K FPDs.

Automotive components have increasingly complex designs and thin walls for weight reduction, and accordingly, high-strength, difficult-to-cut materials are used. Meanwhile, high-speed and high-efficiency machining is also required to reduce lead time. Under these circumstances, cutting tools need to have long tool life and stable performance. To satisfy these demands, the authors have developed the new coated carbide grades AC4010K and 4015K for cast iron turning. This paper describes their features and cutting performance.

In recent years, variable valve timing (VVT) systems have been increasingly used for vehicle engines. The most common VVT is hydraulic systems because they require fewer parts and production costs are lower. However, the rising concern about the environment and demand for improved fuel efficiency have made VVT systems more complicated. We have developed a green machining technique that enables the one-chuck processing of a large number of complicated holes and lateral grooves and established a simple machining line for smart production. For quality assurance, compacts can be traced by 2D codes applied after in-line green machining.

The authors have developed a novel method for the fabrication of uniform epitaxial graphene on SiC substrates. Graphene was grown on the C-face 6H-SiC substrates with a sputtered SiC film by annealing at high temperatures. Observation using Raman mapping and low-energy electron micron microscopy revealed that 95% of this graphene consisted of two layers on the fractional area in a 75×75 μm square. This uniformity is quite high compared to that of graphene grown with the conventional method without sputtered SiC films, indicating the new method is more likely to be suitable for the fabrication of high frequency wireless devices.

To achieve a high facet reflectivity needed for the threshold current reduction (Ith) of a quantum cascade laser (QCL), we have developed an InP-based 7-μm Fabry-Perot (FP) QCL integrated with a distributed Bragg reflector (DBR). The DBR consists of semiconductor walls and air gaps which are alternately arranged by periodically etching the epitaxial layers of the air gap regions. The incorporation of a pair of 3λ/4 DBRs increased the facet reflectivity up to 66%, which was more than twice as high as that of a cleaved facet, and reduced Ith by 11%. This DBR-integrated FP-QCL succeeded in oscillation at up to 100°C in pulse operation and at up to 15°C in continuous wave operation, which is the first report on the operation of InP-based DBR-integrated QCLs. It also achieved sufficient output for sensing (up to dozens of mW). The DBR is expected to be used as a low-loss reflector suitable for front facet of QCLs.

Sumitomo Riko Company Limited has developed the smart rubber (SR) active mattress “Taiatsu Bunsan” for preventing bedsores. Consisting of stretchable SR sensors and double-decked air cells, this mattress automatically disperses the weight of bed-ridden patients to prevent ulcers. We are aiming to provide this product to clinics in order to improve the quality of life (QOL) of the patients and support their independence. This product will also lessen burden on caregivers by reducing the frequency of postural changes. We believe the Taiatsu Bunsan helps both patients and caregivers.

For the quantitative characterization of copper corrosion products, the author has developed a new voltammetric method that uses a strongly alkaline solution (6 M KOH + 1 M LiOH) as the supporting electrolyte. Using this method, he investigated the growth mechanism of copper oxides (i.e., Cu2O and CuO). When copper was heated with no adherent ions supplied, both Cu2O and CuO formed and grew. However, they showed different growth mechanisms when pre-immersed in salt solutions, and heated under high humidity. Cu2O grew selectively when copper was pre-immersed in LiCl and LiBr solutions, most likely due to Li+ ions permeating into the Cu2O layer and continuing proportionation (Cu + CuO → Cu2O). On the contrary, CuO grew at the early stage of heating when copper was pre-immersed in a KOH solution presumably because of the high OH– concentration in the water layer deposited on the copper surface.

Confronted with global warming and other environmental issues that have become tangible as a result of rapidly growing energy demand, mainly in developing countries, expectations are raising for stable and safe supply of environmentally friendly electric power and other energy sources. Under such circumstances, the environment surrounding electric power and energy is changing dynamically. In particular, expansion of power generation/transmission/distribution networks is being promoted on a global basis, use of renewable energy is increasing, and enhancement of the reliability of electric power systems is required in response to an increase in renewable energy consumption.

Amid the global changes in the fields of environment and energy, Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. has started new business for energy systems and services. This paper explains the paradigm shifts that the energy field has been going through, and introduces the Company’s efforts in response to the shifts, including its organizational changes as well as the development of new products and technology such as vanadium redox flow batteries and concentrative photovoltaics.

Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. has developed and commercialized a high-strength DI-BSCCO Type HT-NX wire. This wire is reinforced with Ni alloy tapes and undergoes residual axial compression after lamination. The wire has a critical tensile stress of 400 MPa at 77K. The new wire structure successfully reduced the splice resistance without sacrificing the mechanical properties. This wire is highly useful for nuclear magnetic resonance and other high field magnetic applications.

High expectations have been placed on rechargeable batteries as a key technology to power system reliability associated with introduction of an increasing volume of renewable energy, as well as efficient power supply and successful business continuity planning. We have developed a redox flow battery system that is safe with a long service life. A demonstration proved its applicability to multiple requirements from electric power companies and other businesses. This paper describes the system, demonstration results, and our effort to reduce the price.

Electric vehicles can be charged by either AC normal charge or DC quick charge. For the latter, a CHAdeMO DC quick charger was developed in Japan and has been widely used in Japan, Europe, and the US. We developed a DC charger connector that meets the CHAdeMO specifications, and have since supplied over 15,000 units of it and other connectors including those for vehicle to home applications. Our connectors have a good reputation for their operability and safety.

Large-scale batteries play an important role in the effective use of renewable energy like wind and solar power. Among various battery technologies, redox flow batteries (RFBs) offer high-speed response, independent design of power and energy, high safety, and thus have attracted more attention than ever. All-vanadium RFBs are the most mature technology and have been used in practical applications. As the prices of renewable energy power generation continue to decline, cost reduction of the battery system has become the major issue. In order to reduce the cost, many efforts have been made to develop a low cost electrolyte. We focused on a low cost manganese material, and developed a Ti (IV) and Mn (II) mixed aqueous electrolyte, and applied it to a Ti-Mn RFB. This paper briefly introduces development of electrolyte research and the characteristics of the Ti-Mn electrolyte.

While an increasing number of megawatt solar power plants have been constructed, some of them have already been facing problems with degradation in power output due to initial failures, aging solar panels, or external factors. We have developed a string monitoring unit that uses the power line communication (PLC) technology. These units monitor individual strings of hundreds of thousands of solar panels in real time without the need for wiring additional cables. We installed the units at a megawatt solar power plant, and successfully detected irregularities in power generation by analyzing data collected from the units.

The deterioration of overhead transmission lines in Japan has been continuing and transmission failures caused by corroded aluminum conductor steel reinforced (ACSR) conductors have increased year by year. From the viewpoints of securing reliable power supply and prolonging the life of ACSR conductors, Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. has developed a high-corrosionresistance ACSR conductor jointly with the Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc. (KEPCO). The conductor is highly resistant to sea salt because of the high corrosion resistance offered by aluminum-manganese alloy clad steel wires used in the steel core part. The corrosion resistance of the conductor is about 1.6-2 times higher than that of the conventional ACSR/AC conductor. Using conventional materials for the aluminum wires, this product offers high economic efficiency with a minimal cost increase. Since 2012, the conductor has been installed into many transmission lines in KEPCO’s area and other regions in Japan.

Floating offshore wind power generation has attracted increasing attention because of the deep water levels around Japan. We have developed a dynamic cable system that stably transmits electric power from floating offshore wind turbines to a substation on land, and tested it in a demonstration project led by the Japanese Ministry of the Environment. During the demonstration, no problems occurred with the cable system, and a subsequent investigation found no remarkable deterioration. These results confirmed that the cable system withstands mechanical stress caused by the large excursion of hybrid spar-type floaters. We have also developed a method to analyze the behavior of the cable in the sea to optimize the cable installation design and ensure longterm reliability.

The cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) cable has been used for DC transmission lines. We have been developing the DC XLPE cable for a few decades, and proved its quality and reliability through the research and development process. In 2012, we delivered the cable to Electric Power Development Co., Ltd. for its 250-kV DC transmission project, making it the world's highest voltage DC XLPE cable at that time and the world's first one to be applied to a line commutated converter system. Following the project, we successfully completed a pre-qualification test for a 400-kV DC XLPE cable. Currently, we are working two new projects: the 250-kV transmission project of Hokkaido Electric Power Co., Inc. and the 400-kV transmission project of NEMO Link Ltd. Our DC XLPE cable has an allowable continuous conductor temperature of 90 degrees Celsius, which is equivalent to the conventional AC XLPE cable, and withstands polarity reversal of voltage. This cable will meet the various needs of DC transmission that are expected to increase in the future.

Amid the changes in electrical power supply in Japan, Nissin Electric Co, Ltd. has been developing the Smart Power Supply Systems (SPSS) as a solution that integrates various distributed energy resources for power saving and stable power supply. The core system of SPSS, ENERGYMATE-Factory, enables the optimized control of energy provided by the combination of an electrical substation, one of the company’s major products, and various distributed energy resources such as solar power generators, cogeneration systems, and grid energy storages. This paper describes the ENERGYMATE-Factory and its features, and introduces a practical-scale demonstration conducted at the Maebashi plant.