Close to mass production! Intel Sets Multiple World Records for Semiconductor Quantum Bits

Intel has reached key milestones in its quantum chip production research. First, the silicon spin (semiconductor) quantum bit chip yield is up to 95 percent; at the same time, a new record for the number of silicon spin quantum bits has been set - 12, surpassing the six quantum bits previously reported in the journal Nature. This means that silicon spin quantum bit chips are very close to mass production, a key step toward the thousands or even millions of quantum bits needed for commercial quantum computers.

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Intel's 300 mm silicon spin quantum bit wafer

The silicon spin quantum bit device was developed at Intel's Transistor R&D Center in Hillsboro, Oregon. This achievement represents a major milestone in the scaling and fabrication of quantum chips on Intel's transistor manufacturing process.

The research was conducted using Intel's second-generation silicon spin test chip. By using Intel's low-temperature probe (a quantum dot test device operating at low temperatures (1.7 K or -271.45 degrees Celsius), the team isolated 12 quantum dots and four sensors. This is the industry's largest silicon electron spin device, with one electron at each location throughout a 300 mm silicon wafer.

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Quantum dots can be formed in all 16 positions (4 sensor and 12 quantum bit positions) and tuned to the last (single) electron without input from an engineer.

While today's silicon spin quantum bits are typically found on a single device, Intel's research shows success on the entire wafer. The chips were fabricated using extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography with remarkable uniformity and a 95% yield across the wafer.

The use of cryogenic probes and robust software automation successfully achieved more than 900 single and 400 double quantum dots on the last electron, which can be characterized in less than 24 hours at about 1 degree above absolute zero.

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Characterization of Quantum Dot Test Results

The improved yield and consistency of devices characterized at low temperatures compared to previous Intel test chips allows Intel to use statistical process control to identify areas of the manufacturing process that need optimization. This accelerates learning and represents a critical step toward the thousands or even millions of quantum bits required for commercial quantum computers. In addition, cross-wafer yields enable Intel to automatically collect data across the wafer in a single-electron mechanism, enabling the largest single- and double-quantum-dot demonstrations to date.

Intel continues to make progress in manufacturing silicon spin quantum bits using its own transistor fabrication technology," said James Clarke, director of quantum hardware at Intel. The high yields and consistency achieved demonstrate that manufacturing quantum chips on Intel's established transistor process nodes is a smart strategy and a strong indicator of success as the technology matures commercially.

"Going forward, we will continue to improve the quality of these devices and develop larger scale systems, and these steps will be the building blocks that will help us move forward quickly," Clarke said.

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