Technology, Science

Rigaku and Tohoku University Team Up on X-Ray Research

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August 31, 2026 by Ivy Delaney

Rigaku Corporation and Tohoku University will launch the Rigaku-Tohoku University Co-Creation Research Institute for X-ray Metrology: Beyond The Limits on August 1, 2026, focusing on advancements in X-ray measurement technology. The new institute addresses limitations in current semiconductor analysis, specifically by prioritizing soft X-rays, X-rays with longer wavelengths and lower energy than conventional methods. This three-year collaboration between the two entities will also cultivate a new generation of researchers, with potential for extension based on demonstrated achievements. The Institute will integrate technological innovation and talent development to push current boundaries.

Advancement of Soft X-Ray Metrology with NanoTerasu

Conventional methods are reaching limitations in evaluating microstructures and performing accurate depth-direction structural analysis, creating a need for innovation in the field. The Institute, formally launched on August 1, 2026, will leverage the capabilities of Tohoku University’s NanoTerasu facility, a synchrotron radiation source, to advance this specialized form of metrology. Researchers plan to integrate Tohoku University’s expertise in information science with Rigaku’s technical knowledge to improve data analysis, establishing a foundation for meeting sophisticated metrology needs.

This collaboration extends beyond technological advancement to include a commitment to cultivating the next generation of experts; the Institute will introduce credit-bearing courses and offer Rigaku Scholarships to graduate students engaged in X-ray research. “The driving force behind Rigaku’s growth has been our ability to provide optimal solutions using X-ray technology whenever new metrology targets have emerged,” says Kazuhiko Omote, General Manager, X-ray Research Laboratory, Rigaku Corporation.

The Institute’s initial three-year term will concentrate on applying soft X-ray metrology to semiconductors and refining data analysis technologies, with plans to expand into electronic and functional materials research. Daichi Chiba, Director, International Center for Synchrotron Radiation Innovation Smart, Tohoku University, explains that “X-ray metrology is a fundamental technology that supports a wide range of fields, including semiconductors, materials, and life sciences.” He adds, “we hope to break free from existing frameworks and, together with the next generation of researchers and engineers, shape the future of X-ray metrology technology.” The Institute aims to foster a cycle of knowledge exchange between industry and academia, establishing a sustainable foundation for continued innovation in the field.

The driving force behind Rigaku’s growth has been our ability to provide optimal solutions using X-ray technology whenever new metrology targets have emerged.

Kazuhiko Omote, General Manager, X-ray Research Laboratory, Rigaku Corporation (Chief Operations Officer and Specially Appointed Professor, the Institute)

Rigaku-Tohoku Institute Fosters Next-Generation Researcher Training

This initiative responds to increasing complexity in semiconductor manufacturing and the limitations of conventional analytical methods, where current technologies struggle with detailed microstructure evaluation and depth-directional analysis. A key component of this training is the Rigaku Scholarship System, which will financially support graduate students engaged in X-ray-related research, linking academic study with practical application in metrology technologies.

This commitment to human capital development is integral to the Institute’s three-year plan, with potential for extension contingent on achieving its research objectives. This collaborative model, linking Rigaku’s technical capabilities with Tohoku University’s research infrastructure, seeks to push beyond existing technological constraints and shape the future of the field.

X-ray metrology is a fundamental technology that supports a wide range of fields, including semiconductors, materials, and life sciences.

Daichi Chiba, Director, International Center for Synchrotron Radiation Innovation Smart, Tohoku University (Operations Support Officer, the Institute)
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Ivy Delaney

Ivy Delaney has been working with neural networks and machine learning since the mid-nineties, back when a couple of hidden layers and a long afternoon of training counted as ambitious. She has watched the field go from academic curiosity to the thing quietly running underneath everything, and she brings that long view to quantum computing. For Quantum Zeitgeist she covers the ground where the two fields meet. That means quantum machine learning and the variational algorithms it leans on, and it also means the less glamorous but more interesting story of classical machine learning already doing real work inside quantum machines, decoding error-correcting codes, calibrating noisy hardware and learning the error models that simulators depend on. She writes about the hardware those algorithms have to run on too, and about the post-quantum cryptography scramble that the same hardware has set off. Her stories typically start with the paper, whether that is peer-reviewed work, conference proceedings or an arXiv preprint, with the source linked so you can hold a claim up against the research it came from. She is unimpressed by benchmarks that will not say what they beat, and by demonstrations that only work in the press release.

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