Resonac Dramatically Reduces Materials Development Time Using AI Based on Deep Learning Technology

21 December 2023

Resonac Corporation (President: Hidehito Takahashi) has developed in-house a cheminformatics(*1) application program that utilizes artificial intelligence (AI) based on deep learning technology. It has begun using the application to maximize its vast store of physical property data. This application significantly reduces the time required to calculate physical properties in developing new chemicals through prediction technology based on information science(*2), and its simple user interface allows even engineers without expertise in cheminformatics to use it. Thus, the cheminformatics application enables the development of new materials in a shorter time than before, especially in fields such as semiconductor material development, where rapid development is required.

In the conventional development of new materials, engineers often estimate the physical properties of new materials in the early stages of experimentation based on literature and experience. Then, the experiments and physical property measurements are repeated. In addition, estimating the physical properties of new materials by quantum chemical calculations(*3) or chem-informatics-based simulations usually requires descriptors(*4), which are physical property calculations and data input rules. These tasks require expertise and experience in quantum chemical calculations and cheminformatics.

The newly developed cheminformatics application developed by the Research Center for Computational Science and Informatics, Resonac Corporation, utilizes deep learning of calculation results and experimental data accumulated in past materials development. Thus, it is possible to estimate the physical properties of new materials several thousand times faster than quantum chemical calculations. The cheminformatics application is a web application with a simple and intuitive user interface. Therefore, even experimenters unfamiliar with cheminformatics can input data using their usual molecular drawing methods. Thus, by using this cheminformatics application, the experimenter can estimate the physical properties of new materials in advance and design new materials.

Resonac will continue to utilize information science and technology to shorten the development time of new materials, especially in fields requiring speedy development, such as semiconductor materials.