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2002 News Release
November 6 
November 6, 2002
Hitachi Metals Develops Long Magnetic Shield Sheet Composed of Nanocrystalline Material, Begins Mass Production
Tokyo, Japan, November 6, 2002-Hitachi Metals, Ltd. announced today that it has developed and will commence mass production of a new roll-type Finemet™ magnetic shield sheet. The new product, MS-FR, features vastly improved applicability and is intended for use in the burgeoning field of low-magnetic field shield rooms.
Long Magnetic Shield Sheet Composed of Nanocrystalline Material
1. The Development Process
Recent years have seen growth in demand for low-magnetic field shielded rooms for the housing of such equipment as electron beam lithography apparatus, scanning electron microscopes, nuclear magnetic resonance (MRI) apparatus, and apparatus that incorporate superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs*). Traditionally, such shielding materials have used Permalloy, which, while possessing good magnetic shielding properties, often poses problems in terms of application.Because Permalloy not only requires post-processing heat treatment (at 1,100°C in a hydrogen environment) but also is heavy, distortion often occurs during application, which significantly reduces shielding efficiency.
Hitachi Metals already offers MS-F Finemet™ magnetic shield sheet, which provides a solution to the shortcomings of Permalloy. Being a mere 0.12mm thick and weighing only 0.2 kg/m2, MS-F is extremely thin and lightweight and requires no post-processing heat treatment. These features, combined with superb applicability-no distortion-related shielding loss-have earned the product a high-profile position in the market. Its one major drawback, however, is its size-each piece being only 0.46 mm x 0.61 mm-a limitation that hinders work efficiency during application.
In response to the resulting demand for increased size, Hitachi Metals has now developed MS-FR, a roll-type Finemet™ magnetic shield sheet available in lengths up to 100 m, and has commenced mass production and sample distribution.
In addition to the vast improvement in applicability that increased length provides, MS-FR also delivers a substantial reduction in cost.
2. Product Overview and Special Features
MS-FR is an elongated roll-type magnetic shielding sheet composed of a nanocrystalline soft magnetic Finemet(tm) sheet inserted between two layers of PET** film.| (1) | Because of its elongated roll-type status (standard dimensions: 0.12 mm x 0.47 m x 100 m), MS-FR represents a vast improvement in applicability compared with conventional products (standard dimensions: 0.12 mm x 0.46 m x 0.61 m). |
| (2) | MS-FR features excellent applicability. While possessing properties on par with those of previous products ( µ rmax = 70,000 at DC), it is also lightweight, requires no post-processing heat treatment, and displays only minimal reduction in magnetic properties due to distortion during application. |
Example: An approximately 1 mm thick shield sheet composed of nine layers of MS-FR can shield against an alternating current magnetic field of 50Hz, 10µ T equal to that of 1 mm thick Permalloy (approximately 30 dB on a box with a volume of 300 mm using the ASTM method***). Weight per unit area in this instance is approximately 1.8 kg/m2.
3. Patents
15 patents applied for (1 registered)4. Sales Projections
Fiscal 2002: ¥100 millionFiscal 2003: ¥500 million
Fiscal 2005: ¥1 billion
5. Manufacture and Sales
Manufacture: Finemet Business Promotion Division, Finemet Plant (City of Tottori)Sales: Finemet Business Promotion Division
Inquiries:
| Product Inquiries: | Finemet Business Promotion Division Mr. Meguro Tel: +81-3-5765-4055 |
|
| Press Inquiries: | Public Relations Office Mr. Kobayashi Tel:+81-3-5765-4079 |
* SQUID
(Superconducting Quantum Interference Device): a highly sensitive magnetic sensor capable of detecting magnetic fields of less than 1/50,000,000 of terrestrial magnetism. SQUIDs utilize the quantum effect of superconductivity and are thousands of times more sensitive than conventional magnetic sensors. The development of SQUIDs that use high-temperature superconducting thin membranes has enabled operation at liquid nitrogen temperatures (77.3 K).
** PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate)
The plastic most often used to make beverage bottles (hence, "PET bottle").
*** ASTM Method
This is a method of measuring magnet shield materials as stipulated by the American Society for Testing Materials. A 30cm box is created using the magnetic shield material, and a gaussmeter (a magnetic field measuring sensor) placed inside. The box is then subjected to external magnetic field for assessment.
