| 1939 | Subcommittee No.37, University-industry cooperative research committee on electron microscopy (currently The Japanese Society of Microscopy) formed. |
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| 1941 | First TEM prototype HU-1 successfully took photographs in Hitachi Research Laboratory. |
| 1942 | Delivered Japan's first commercial TEM model HU-21 to Nagoya Imperial University. |
| 1948 | Delivered TEM model HU-4 to Hokkaido University and other institutions. |
| 1952 | Nissei Sangyo Co., Ltd. started selling TEM in Japan. |
| 1956 | Shipped the first TEM model HU-9 to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). |
| 1957 | Exhibited TEM models HU-10 and HS-5 at a commercial exhibition in New York. |
| 1958 | TEM models HS-6 and HM-3, which used permanent magnets, awarded the Grand Prix at the World Exposition 1958 in Brussels. |
| 1961 | Naka Works was established. Delivered Japan's first commercial EPMA2 XMA-4. |
| 1964 | Started research on SEM at Central Research Laboratory. |
| 1966 | TEM reached 1,000 units in total. |
| 1969 | Hitachi's first commercial SEM HSM-2 was launched. |
| 1970 | Introduced FE technology developed by Dr. Albert V. Crewe. |
| 1971 | Developed the first FE-SEM prototype HFS-1. |
| 1972 | Launched HFS-2, the first commercial FE-SEM manufactured in Japan. Delivered 2MV ultrahigh voltage TEM to Osaka University. |
| 1976 | Received the Okochi Memorial Technology Prize for "Development of Field Emission Type High Resolution Scanning Electron Microscope (HFS-2) ." |
| 1978 | Central Research Laboratory successfully developed an FE-TEM with a lattice resolution of 0.062nm and observed magnetic field lines. |
| 1982 | Computer controlled FE-SEM S-800 was launched |
| 1983 | Delivered 100kV FE-TEM H-600FE to Osaka University. |
| 1984 | Launched CD-SEM3 S-6000 for semiconductor devices. |
| 1985 | Delivered the ultrahigh resolution in-lens FE-SEM UHS-T1 to Tottori University. |
| 1986 | Launched the in-lens FE-SEM S-900. Central Research Laboratory fully demonstrated the Aharanov-Bohm effect, providing a sound basis for the experimental findings of 1982. |
| 1988 | Launched CD-SEM S-7000, a wafer process evaluation tool for semiconductor devices. |
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| 1989 | Central Research Laboratory successfully developed a 350kV holography TEM with a lattice resolution of 0.055nm and observed dynamic flux quantum. Delivered the ultrahigh resolution low voltage in-lens FE-SEM S-900LV to Japan Women's University. FE-SEM reached 1,000 units in total. Launched a 200kV FE-TEM HF-2000. |
| 1991 | Launched Hitachi's first low vacuum SEM S-2250N. |
| 1992 | Launched the semi-in-lens FE-SEM S-4500. |
| 1994 | Launched CD-SEM S-8800. |
| 1995 | Delivered a 3MV ultrahigh voltage TEM featuring the world's highest voltage to Osaka University. 200kV FE-SEM Miracle Eye HM-2000 received the R&D 100 Award by R&D Magazine. |
| 1996 | Launched the semi-in-lens FE-SEM S-4700. CD-SEM reached 1,000 units in total. |
| 1998 | Launched the ultra-thin film evaluation system HD-2000. |
| 2000 | Advanced Research Laboratory successfully developed a 1MV ultrahigh voltage FE-TEM with a lattice resolution of 0.0498nm and observed high-temperature superconductors. Launched CD-SEM S-9300. |
| 2001 | Launched Defect Review SEM RS-3000. |
| 2002 | Launched the semi-in-lens FE-SEM S-4800. |
| 2005 | Launched the Tabletop Microscope TM-1000. |
| 2006 | Launched CD-SEM CG4000. Launched the Spherical Aberration Corrected FE-STEM4 HD-2700. Launched the 300 kV FE-TEM HF-3300. |
| 2008 | Received the Okochi Memorial Production Award for the development and application of an advanced CD-SEM for measuring ultra-fine semiconductor patterns. Launched the semi-in-lens FE-SEM SU8000. |
| 2010 | Launched Defect Review SEM RS6000. |
| 2011 | Launched the in-lens FE-SEM SU9000. Launched CD-SEM CG5000. CD-SEM and FE-SEM reached 4,000 units and 5,000 units in total. |
| 2012 | Received the IEEE Milestone for first practical field emission electron microscope. |
1 The HU-2 is on display at the Nagoya University Museum and is registered in the database of materials on the history of industrial technology at the National Museum of Nature and Science, and also received the One Step on Electro-Technology from The Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan.
2 EPMA: Electron Probe Micro Analyzer
3 CD-SEM: Critical Dimension-Scanning Electron Microscope
4 FE-STEM: Field Emission-Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope
