ABSTRACT:

Dr. Shimizu will introduce the METI & NEDO (New Energy Development Organization) project entitled "The Next Generation Power Electronics by means of SiC." Dr. Shimizu is working in the field of power electronics, especially developing power converters (DC/DC, DC/AC, etc.) using new wide band gap semiconductors such as SiC and GaN to improve energy efficiency of converters. Such converters will be used in various systems and play an important role in smart grids. This project aims at Green innovation from the viewpoint of increasing the energy efficiency of products, IT power supply systems, PV power conditioners, and vehicles.

His associate, Dr. Takahashi, will introduce his activities in the field of cyber security.

BIOGRAPHIES:

Hazime Shimizu is a program manager for a METI national project entitled "The Next Generation Power Electronics Using SiC Devices." He has studied compact and energy-efficient SiC power modules for a photovoltaic cell system (Mitbishi Electric Co.) and a power supply for IT systems (Hitachi Electric Co.). He has also been studying the additional value of power modules (w/cc, w/g, w/$, high-frequency operation, operation at high junction temperature, etc., with AIST, Nissan Automobile Co., and universities) compared to Si power electronics from the viewpoint of Green IT. He is interested in the application of "GaN on Si" power devices for consumer electronics in the energy range below 600V. Shimizu holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Tokyo. He has worked at the Electrotechnical Laboratory of the Agency of Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI); Kitakyushu University; and the Future Electron Device Association (FED), which is part of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI).

Koichi Takahashi is Group Leader of the Dependable IT Research Group in the Information Technology Research Institute of AIST. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Tokyo in 2000. In 1988, he joined the Electrotechnical Laboratory (ETL), where he focused on computer science. ETL was rebuilt into AIST in 2001. Takahashi helped establish the Research Center for Verification and Semantics (CVS) at AIST in 2004 with the aim of encouraging Japanese industry to adopt mathematical methods (formal methods) as standard verification methods. He was transferred temporarily from AIST to METI from 2009 to 2010. His research interests include software verification, formal methods, model checking, theorem proving, and formal specification. He recently turned his attention to security of control systems (including the smart grid).