March 16, 2011 — Recently, we reported that MEMS manufacturing is experiencing a resurgence in Japan, with companies like Panasonic and Seiko Epson leading the charge. In light of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami that devastated northwestern Japan, and led to power outages and transport disurptions across the nation, we provide here a list of MEMS companies that have issued updates on their facilities. To send us your update, email our editorial team via [email protected].

• Seiko Epson: Epson reports that it has had no employee casualties. Seiko Epson Corporation Sakata Plant and Tohoku Epson Corporation (Sakata, Yamagata Prefecture) operations were suspended due to a power outage caused by the earthquake. Although there was no damage to the buildings, Seiko Epson is still confirming the state of the production facilities, and a date to resume production is not determined.
• Hitachi: Damages mainly at production bases in Ibaraki prefecture, spanning its power systems, urban planning, IT/control systems, appliances, and automotive systems. The Nikkei daily quoted a company source saying that with power blackouts, "we’ve no idea when production will restart."
• Panasonic: The company says it is still assessing the quake’s full impact on its operations, but said it could not enter an optical pickup plant in Sendai nor a digital camera facility in Fukushima. Supply and distribution is also partly disabled.
• Yokogawa Electric Corp.: Manufacturing facilities were not directly impacted by the earthquake or the tsunami as they are distant from the quake epicenter, and sales and service offices and facilities located nearer the epicenter suffered only slight damage. 
• Hosiden Corp.: Hosiden’s Japanese-language website reports that the company did not suffer major damages to its sites. The company is gathering information on suppliers in northern Japan that could have been affected by the quake. 
• Omron: No Omron staff were harmed. Omron reports "limited damage to Omron bases and facilities," expecting operations to be back to 100% once transport and electrical infrastructure issues are resolved. Yasu Facility, which produces MEMS, suffered no adverse effects. Omron cautions that there are a large number of Omron suppliers in the disaster area, and that it is taking steps to ensure a viable supply chain. 
• Sony: Manufacturing operations have been suspended at several manufacturing sites, including Tome Plant, Nakada/Toyosato Sites and Sony Shiroishi Semiconductor Inc., in the Miyagi Prefecture. Sony Corporation Sendai Technology Center (Tagajyo, Miyagi) has ceased operation due to earthquake damage. Undamaged sites have temporarily suspended operations on a voluntary basis, due to widespread power outages.
• Tamagawa seiki (designer and manufacturer of MEMS gyros) has a plant located in Hachinohe city. There is no damage in the plant and production continues. The company’s employees are safe as well. 

Also read:
Letter from Japan: Update on infrastructure, fab status after earthquake
News from Japan on the Impact of Disasters 
Japan earthquake update: List of facilities impacted 
Update: Japan earthquake’s impact on semiconductor community
Japan earthquake raises questions of solar supply and replacing nuclear power
Japan quake hampering package substrate supplies

Follow Small Times on Twitter.com by clicking www.twitter.com/smalltimes. Or join our Facebook group