Osamu Tabata
Dean, Professor, Faculty of Engineering
Kyoto University of Advanced Science
Kyoto JAPAN
Education:
- Doctor of Engineering, Mechanical System Engineering, April 1990 – March 1993, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Nagoya, Japan
- Master of Engineering, Instrumentation Engineering, April 1979 – March 1981, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Nagoya, Japan
- Bachelor of Engineering, Instrumentation Engineering, April 1975 – March 1979, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Nagoya, Japan
Work Focus:
Tabata has been engaged in research on micro/nano processes, MEMS, DNA nanotechnology and micro/nano system synthetic engineering from early 1980s. After became a Dean of Faculty of Engineering on April 2020, he has been more focusing on the engineering education including nanotechnology.
Advice to Students:
- Study hard: physics, chemistry, and biology.
- Try to find a field you can have the strongest interest in, and deepen the field. Then, slowly consider how nanotechnology can add something new.
- Dream the future. Think about how do you want to change the world
Links:
Interview:
In which technical fields within Nanotechnology does your work apply best?
Tabata:
- Nanosensors and Nanoactuators
- Nanofabrication
Q: When did you first find that your career path focused on nanotechnology?
Tabata: I started to work on MEMS from 1981 after I joined Toyota Central R&D Labs. When I spent more than 25 years, I realized the limitation of MEMS based on silicon based microfabrication technology. So, I wanted to find another possibility to miniaturize the system and met the DNA nanotechnology. It was around 2006.
Q: What current nanotechnology applications are you working on?
Tabata: I am trying to establish a new technology OSAM (Oriented Self-Assembly on MEMS). The aim of this technology is to fuse top-down (Si based microfabrication Technology) and bottom up (DNA Nanotechnology) to realize a miniaturized complex system which is not feasible by existing technologies. The main target of this OSAM is a sensing device in which nanoscale sensing element is integrated with MEMS device.
Q: What’s the most rewarding thing about working with nanotechnology?
Tabata: The nanotechnology can open your eyes by stimulating intellectual interest in your mind. This has been done by the interaction of people working in different disciplines across- engineering, biology, medicine and so on. This intellectual interaction will continue in the future as well.
Q: Is there an example you can provide that shows how something you’ve worked on has positively impacted the world?
Tabata: The research outcomes in Nanotechnology has not been commercialized yet nor applied to the real products yet. The technology I developed in MEMS field, such as an anisotropic wet etching technology using TMAH, is now widely utilized in the microfabrication for MEMS in almost every MEMS production in the world. I believe, and I wish, that the technology I am now working will be utilized worldwide in future.
Q: In which areas do you anticipate future commercialization of nanotechnology having the greatest positive impact on the world?
Tabata: The future application field of nanotechnology is everywhere — from nanoelectronics, nanooptics, nanobiology, nanomedicine, and so on. In the case of DNA Nanotechology, due to the compatibility of DNA material with body, nanosensor and nanomedicine delivered in the body or embedded in the body will have the greatest impact.
Q: What do you think is the single greatest impact nanotechnology has had on the world thus far?
Tabata: Nanophotonics using nanophotonic crystal. It has already applied in high power laser for the manufacturing. It will be expected to be utilized in optical communication, optical manipulation, and so on, in the near future.
Q: Over the past decade, nanotechnology has moved out of the lab and is making a real impact in society. Have you worked on any efforts that helped to commercialize nanotechnology and resulted in new products or processes?
Tabata: Unfortunately, my research on nanotechnology has not yet been applied to real products or fabrication processes.
Q: Did your university training help you in your nanotechnology work?
Tabata: No, my current University has not had nanotechnology activities before.
Q: Do you have a mentor? Did you in your college years?
Tabata: Not in the field of Nanotechnology.
Q: If you had to do it all over again, would you still focus on nanotechnology applications?
Tabata: Maybe YES. The reason why I said “Maybe” is fields such as information technology and biology are also very attractive for me. However, both of these fields are and will be incorporating nanotechnology.
Q: If a high school or college student was interested in nanotechnology, what advice would you give them to help prepare take on those roles?
Tabata:
- Study hard: physics, chemistry, and biology.
- Try to find a field you can have the strongest interest in, and deepen the field. Then, slowly consider how nanotechnology can add something new.
- Dream the future. Think about how do you want to change the world
