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ROHM’s corporate goal has been to contribute to the progress of society by emphasizing quality as the company's highest priority while mass-supplying global customers with highly reliable semiconductors and electronic parts. Our beginnings can be traced to a small resistor that a college student had developed in his bathroom. In 1958, he established a venture company to manufacture this resistor. By 1969, this company had entered the semiconductor market with transistors and diodes. By 1971, we had become the first Japanese company to make inroads into Silicon Valley in the United States, expanding our business to include electronic parts and semiconductors and launching an IC development center. That small venture company has now developed into a corporate group encompassing 42 companies around the world. ROHM’s wide variety of high-quality semiconductors and electronic parts — including system ICs developed with advanced technology — are playing a vital role in improving performance and reducing the size of LCD and plasma TVs, mobile phones, personal computers, digital audiovisual devices, in-vehicle devices, and consumer electronics.
In envisioning the future scope of our R&D activities, ROHM is focused on continued efforts to anticipate the future needs of both people and our planet.
At ROHM, we are pursuing limitless opportunities. For example, we are seeking to determine what kind of “compound device” could be created by integrating a conventional silicon device with new materials or technologies from different fields. Moreover, we are considering what type of new value could be created through collaboration between electronics and bioscience.
At ROHM, the scope of our R&D spans a wide variety of diverse initiatives.
ROHM’s R&D headquarters has been working in cooperation with academia to develop next-generation ICs, optical devices, nano bionics, devices made with new materials, and other advances focused on future markets. Many of our achievements have attracted great attention at conferences around the world. Here we introduce some of the results of our R&D and consider the outlook for new businesses in the near future.
The world’s first “nonvolatile CPU” saves its state when the device is turned off. This innovation means applications are immediately available when a device is turned on. This completely new logic integrated circuit is an innovative technology that contributes to high-speed operation and energy efficiency.
ROHM has developed an image sensor integrating next-generation photovoltaic cell technology and LSI technology. The result is a completely new camera that captures clear images not only in regular light but also in light low enough to render a scene invisible to the naked eye.
The green semiconductor laser is being considered for use as a highly compact projector in mobile phones and as a light source for next-generation large-screen laser TVs. ROHM has developed an innovative crystal growing technology that will contribute to successful development of the green semiconductor laser.
ROHM has employed a photonic crystal capable of arbitrarily controlling light permeation to achieve what was once thought impossible — the development of a semiconductor laser capable of freely changing beam shape. This achievement attracted attention around the globe when it was published in the leading British scientific journal Nature.
A global race is afoot to develop a next-generation power device with exceptional energy efficiency. At ROHM, we’ve become the world leader in this field by developing a prototype high-power silicon carbide (SiC) device with industry-leading performance.
ROHM’s R&D of nano-biochips integrates cutting-edge biotechnology and semiconductor technology. The result is a biochip capable of diagnosing metabolic syndrome from a single drop of blood. Until now, it has only been possible to perform this test using large equipment. ROHM has succeeded in miniaturizing this equipment and is on the verge of developing a practical implementation.
