Quantum Hardware Imec and Diraq Demonstrate Eight-Qubit Array from Industrial Silicon Manufacturing

Related Vendors

Taiwan Machine Tool & Accessory Builders' Association (TMBA)

SIMTOS (Seoul International Machine Tool Show)

Imec and the quantum computing semiconductor startup Diraq have demonstrated for the first time the coherent operation of an array of eight silicon-MOS spin qubits manufactured in a 300-mm (11.8 in.) CMOS process. The Belgian research institute has thus shown that scalable and cost-effective production for quantum computers using conventional, existing foundry processes is feasible.

The devices were created on Imec's 300-mm spin qubit technology platform in a CMOS-compatible foundry process. The results, published in "Nature Communications," show that silicon quantum processors can be scaled beyond single- and two-qubit structures using industrial semiconductor processes.

The manufacturing approach is particularly crucial for the demonstrator. It has been shown that the production of silicon spin qubits can fundamentally rely on existing process infrastructures, supply chains, and the expertise of industrial semiconductor manufacturing, according to a statement from the Belgian research institute. Imec has been developing its platform for almost ten years with the aim of bridging the gap between specialized lab demonstrators and reproducibly manufacturable quantum components.

The current work builds on results from 2025. At that time, Imec and Diraq demonstrated that industrially manufactured silicon-MOS qubits could achieve accuracy values required for quantum error correction procedures. With the eight-qubit array, the team is now applying this approach to a larger structure without sacrificing the coherence and controllability needed for future quantum processors.

Readout Architecture Does Not Scale Proportionally With

A crucial point is the scaling of the readout architecture. According to the partners, the larger array does not require a significant increase in the number of sensors, wiring density, or thermal load. As a result, the structures could remain relatively compact even as the number of qubits increases. This is an important prerequisite, especially for highly integrated quantum processors, since additional wiring, sensors, and power loss can quickly limit the system architecture.

3D Chip Integration

Imec and Sony Develop a New Isolation Process for Backside Contacts

Integration Process

Industrial-Scale 12 Inches Process for 2D Transistors

"The future of quantum computing depends not only on the quality of the qubits but also on the ability to manufacture increasingly complex quantum processors with the reproducibility, yield, and scalability of the semiconductor industry," explains Kristiaan De Greve, Fellow and Program Director for Quantum Computing at Imec. The demonstration shows that a CMOS-compatible 300-mm manufacturing process can support quantum systems that go beyond isolated qubit pairs.

Diraq also considers the result as evidence of an industrially viable development path. Within nine months, the same manufacturing process was first used for reliable silicon-MOS qubits and then for a larger array without compromising coherence. While the step to eight qubits is only an interim stage for the practical application of quantum computers, it demonstrates that established foundry technologies could play a central role in the reproducible and scalable production of future quantum processors.