Hitachi - Experts & Thought Leaders

Kenny’s team, led by Isaac Shahan and Ramon Briseno, is excited to participate in Burnett Dairy’s Biogas upgrades located in Carpenter, WY. The crew will work with Hitachi Zosen INOVA, a company specializing in recovering renewable energy from waste materials. The biogas produced from the anaerobic digestion process will be drawn to the biogas upgrading plant, where the upgrader will remove the CO2 from the biogas making the biogas acceptable for injection into the natural gas pipeline or used by Burnett as biofuel. They will be providing the following services to upgrade their equipment pad, scheduled for completion in mid-October: Adding Grounding Connections Installing Tray Cables, Rigid Conduit, and Terminations Testing Commissioning Options Burnett uses digesters to turn farm waste into biogas so it can be repurposed as fuel for direct heating, electrical generation, or mechanical power. We are happy to serve an environmentally friendly, renewable energy source, and we look forward to completing many projects similar to this one in the near future. Check Kenny’s sustainable energy efforts across the nation, including EV Charging Stations, Solar Panels, and Wind Energy.

Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems Co., Ltd. and Mitsubishi Electric Corporation have announced that they have agreed to transfer the distribution transformer business of Mitsubishi Electric’s Nagoya Works, which develops and manufactures factory automation (FA) equipment, to Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems and integrate their businesses (hereinafter “Business Transfer”). After obtaining approval from the relevant authorities, assets and other items related to the distribution transformer business (development, design, manufacturing, sales, and maintenance) at Mitsubishi Electric’s Nagoya Works will be transferred to Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems in stages beginning in October 2024, with completion scheduled for April 1, 2026. Business Transfer The Business Transfer does not include the transformers manufactured at Mitsubishi Electric’s Transmission & Distribution Systems Center, Ako Factory. Through this Business Transfer, Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems will expand its product lineup of highly energy-efficient and eco-friendly transformers and accelerate the growth of grid edge solutions centered on power distribution systems, mainly in the domestic market. The company aims to contribute to the sustainable evolution of Japan’s power transmission Furthermore, the company aims to contribute to the sustainable evolution of Japan’s power transmission and distribution network by utilizing Hitachi Group’s wider capabilities in IT, OT, and Products. Mitsubishi Electric will focus on expanding its FA systems business based on its portfolio strategy of concentrating investments in priority growth businesses. Distribution transformers Distribution transformers serve the function of lowering the voltage of high-voltage electricity generated by power plants, so that the power can be used to meet the needs of the users. They are installed at relay points of the power grid, such as substations, public facilities, business facilities, and commercial facilities. With the global diversification of power generation sources due to the spread of renewable energy and the increasing demand for electric power due to the expansion of data centers and semiconductor manufacturing with the spread of generative AI and Digital Transformation (DX), the demand for power distribution transformers is expected to grow globally over the long term. Top Runner Program In Japan, the Top Runner Program under the Energy Conservation Law sets targets for improving energy consumption efficiency, and distribution transformers used in factories and buildings are expected to achieve improvement by 11.4% in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2027 compared to the actual value for the same period ending 2020. The improvement of environmental performance is becoming indispensable, and in 2026, the market is expected to expand by more than 10% from the 2022 level. Hitachi Group expanding its transformer business globally Hitachi Group expands transformer business globally as one of the key products for achieving carbon neutrality Hitachi Group is expanding its transformer business globally as one of the key products for achieving carbon neutrality. As a major manufacturer of distribution transformers in Japan, Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems provides products that achieve superior energy efficiency by using 'amorphous metal' with low power loss in the iron core, and products that achieve high environmental performance and safety by using vegetable oil (ester oil). Furthermore, as part of the Hitachi Group, the global major in transformers, Hitachi Energy, is offering liquid-filled and dry-type transformers, as well as services for complete life-cycle support to utilities, industrial and transport sectors by ensuring high reliability and optimized performance while lowering life-cycle costs and environmental impact. Mitsubishi Electric’s distribution transformer business Mitsubishi Electric’s distribution transformer business based at its Nagoya Works has evolved and inherited technologies cultivated through years of experience. More recently, it has been promoting a rich lineup of Top Runner oil-filled transformers such as the R series, in pursuit of energy-saving performance. Looking forward, to strengthen the business further and ensure a stable supply of products, the company duly decided on the Business Transfer to Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems. Hitachi and Mitsubishi Electric partnership The integration will contribute to the Japanese government’s aim to achieve 'carbon neutrality by 2050' Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems and Mitsubishi Electric shared a common vision that integrating the technologies and assets of the two companies to improve energy efficiency and increase business value through the development and provision of more environmentally friendly products is the best way to achieve the advanced power transmission and distribution network required in Japan. Furthermore, the integration will contribute to the Japanese government’s aim to achieve 'carbon neutrality by 2050'. Accordingly, the top management of the two companies came to the agreement at this time. Industrial equipment supporting social infrastructure Yasuhiro (Charlie) Takeuchi, the President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems, said “The desire to contribute to Japan’s carbon neutrality in 2050 is behind this integration. Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems globally provides industrial equipment that supports social infrastructure and manufacturing, and transformers are indispensable products for building a greener and more intelligent domestic power transmission and distribution network in Japan.” Yasuhiro Takeuchi adds, “We are confident that through a steady integration process, we can contribute to realizing the sustenance of society within ‘Planetary Boundary’ which is the target of the Hitachi Group.” Nagoya Works distribution transformer business Toshie Takeuchi, Executive Officer (Group President, Factory Automation Systems), Mitsubishi Electric, said “Starting in 1952, the Nagoya Works distribution transformer business has over 70 years of production experience. We are pleased that Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems will inherit our technology that has been cultivated over many years, as it can contribute to the development of the distribution transformer industry.” Toshie Takeuchi adds, “We will gradually proceed with the business integration while continuing our supply to the market. In the future, we will focus on expanding the factory automation systems business and our Circular Digital-Engineering business.”

Hitachi High-Tech Corporation (‘Hitachi High-Tech’) has announced the launch of its GT2000 high-precision electron beam metrology system. GT2000 uses Hitachi High-Tech's technology and expertise in CD-SEM, where it holds the top market share. GT2000 is equipped with new detection systems to cutting-edge 3D semiconductor devices. It also utilizes low-damage high-speed multi-point measurement functions for High-NA EUV resist wafers imaging to minimize resist damage and improve yield in mass production. Hitachi High-Tech GT2000 CD-SEM Hitachi High-Tech GT2000 CD-SEM will enable high-precision, high-speed measurements Hitachi High-Tech GT2000 CD-SEM will enable high-precision, high-speed measurements, and inspection in the manufacturing process of advanced semiconductor devices, which are becoming increasingly miniaturized and complex, and contribute to the improvement of customer yields in research-and-development and mass production. Development Background As semiconductor device manufacturing processes evolve, research-and-development of N2 (2-nanometer generation node) and A14 (14-angstrom generation node) is underway. In addition to the application of High-NA EUV lithography in state-of-the-art devices, the complexity of device structures is expected to increase, such as the GAA and CFET structures. Hence, the need for high-speed data acquisition under a wide range of measurement conditions to measure various materials and structures, stable operation and further tool-to-tool matching improvements in the research stages and mass production for cutting-edge semiconductor devices process development is increasing. Key Technologies 1. 100V ultra-low acceleration voltage and ultra-high-speed multi-point measurement functionality for High-NA EUV processes - In the High-NA EUV lithography process, the resists used are thinner and, therefore, in order to measure it with high precision, metrology tool must cause as little damage as possible to the resist. GT2000 achieves low damage and high-precision measurement by combining pioneering ultra-low acceleration voltage of 100V, with our proprietary high-speed scanning functionality. In addition, it is equipped with an ultra-high-speed multi-point measurement mode to quickly determine manufacturing process conditions and detect abnormalities in research and development stage. 2. High-sensitivity detection system for 3D device structures - 3D devices with structures such as GAA, CFET, and 3D memory require measurements of patterns’ depth, hole’ and trenches’ bottoms in addition to conventional CD measurement. GT2000 is equipped with a new highly sensitive detection system that efficiently detects backs-scattered electrons, enabling high-precision imaging of increasingly complex device structures and expanding the possibilities of new measurement applications. 3. New platforms and new electronic optical systems to improve tool-to-tool matching - One of the most important performance requirements for CD-SEM, which is responsible for process monitoring, is that the difference in measurement values between multiple tools is small. GT2000 new platform and electronic optical systems have been redesigned to eliminate any factors that cause differences in measurement values, thus, improving tool-to-tool matching. Hitachi High-Tech’s advanced technology solutions By offering GT2000, as well as their metrology systems using electron beam technology and their optical wafer inspection systems, Hitachi High-Tech is working to meet customers' various needs in processing, measurement, and inspection throughout the semiconductor manufacturing process. They will continue to provide innovative and digitally enhanced solutions to their products for the upcoming technology challenges, and create new value together with their customers, as well as contributing to cutting-edge manufacturing.