A multi-channel nanomaterial synthesis system, jointly developed by our laboratory and Katagiri Engineering Co., Ltd., was successfully delivered on April 23. This original system is equipped with up to four sputtering cathodes and features a substrate stage capable of heating up to 1500 °C.

The system was introduced with support from the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) FOREST Program, in which Hirata participates, under the project titled “Synthesis of Two-Dimensional Nanomaterials and Exploration of Heterostructures via the SAHP Method.”

Leveraging this system, we will further advance our innovative synthesis technique for two-dimensional materials, the SAHP (Sputtering Annealing Hybrid Process), by extending it into a multi-channel configuration—“Multi-Channel SAHP.” This development will enable the flexible combination of materials such as graphene, hBN, and TMDCs (transition metal dichalcogenides), paving the way for the fabrication of vdWHs (van der Waals heterostructures) and the realization of next-generation materials and devices.