株式会社BEAM Technologies

株式会社BEAM Technologies is a Tokyo-based semiconductor company founded as a startup originating from RIKEN (理化学研究所). Its core scientific asset is a proprietary band engineering technology for compound semiconductors, through which the company states it has achieved world-class output performance in AlGaN (aluminium gallium nitride). The company is applying its crystal growth know-how beyond AlGaN to build a platform for producing ultra-high-quality compound semiconductor crystals in the microgravity environment of space, targeting materials that are difficult to manufacture under terrestrial gravity.

The technical premise is that gravity-driven thermal convection during crystal growth on Earth causes compositional non-uniformity and defects. In microgravity, convection, sedimentation and buoyancy effects are substantially reduced, which the company expects to lower crystal defects (dislocations), suppress impurity incorporation and segregation for more homogeneous, high-purity crystals, and thereby allow materials to express their intrinsic performance. The company's stated roadmap is to conduct demonstrations aboard the International Space Station and then to move to an autonomous free-flying manufacturing platform.

Activities span three areas: development of manufacturing processes for space, semiconductor design based on its band engineering technology, and a technology base built through collaboration with research institutions including RIKEN, with a team combining space and semiconductor expertise. The company operates a head office in Nibancho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, and a laboratory at the Wako RIKEN Incubation Plaza in Wako, Saitama.