Quantum computers are advantageous computing devices that carry out computations using the collective properties of quantum physics states. These computes could help to address many computational problems that are currently not solvable with conventional computers.
Despite their capability, the manufacture of quantum computers on a large-scale is currently very challenging as a full-scale quantum computer combines millions of qubits. The need to manufacture quantum computers using industrial semiconductor production processes has led quantum device engineers to manufacture quantum computers based on silicon quantum dots.
However, existing quantum computers are predominantly manufactured using electron-beam lithography and traditional lift-off processes. This significantly reduces the production rates as both the processes can manufacture only a few properly operational devices at a time.
A study undertaken by researchers at Intel Corporation and Delft University of Technology has successfully fabricated quantum dots at an interface using advanced and alternative processes at an Intel semiconductor production facility.
The paper published in Nature Electronics explains the feasibility of building full-scale quantum devices that rely on current manufacturing infrastructure.
The foundation of the work is twenty years of exploratory studies in semiconductor spin qubits undertaken at QuTech, and several decades of advanced semiconductor manufacturing development at Intel. The primary aim of the study is to unite the two worlds in a joint research project to realize semiconductor qubits at advanced manufacturing facility of Intel.
The silicon quantum dots of researchers were manufactured at an Intel facility using all-optical lithography and completely industrial processing procedures. Optical lithography aka photolithography is a manufacturing method used to transmit a pattern onto a substrate using a photosensitive matter.
The transistor manufacturing expertise was leveraged to create a customized research and development line for qubits, stated one of the engineers at Intel.