Taiwan’s Academia Sinica announced a major breakthrough in quantum computer chip manufacturing today (June 10), successfully producing high-quality superconducting quantum bits on an 8-inch wafer machine. They also unveiled Taiwan’s first quantum chip manufacturing process research platform and quantum computing test platform.
Academia Sinica President Liao Chun-Chih stated that the development of quantum science requires investment in advanced manufacturing processes and cutting-edge hardware facilities. The two important quantum facilities set up by the institute will be open for collaboration with researchers nationwide. By integrating resources and sharing platforms, Academia Sinica aims to promote the development of quantum technology in Taiwan and attract more talented individuals to engage in research in this critical field.
The Executive Director of the Quantum Computer Special Center at Academia Sinica’s Key Issue Research Center, Chen Chi-Tung, explained that as the number of quantum bits continues to increase, the control and uniformity requirements of the quantum chip manufacturing process are becoming increasingly strict. While Taiwan leads the way in semiconductor chip manufacturing globally, the processes and demands for semiconductor chips and quantum chips are significantly different. Overcoming technological barriers related to process stability and uniformity is a key challenge currently facing quantum computers.
Chen stated that over the past three years, Academia Sinica’s team has led research projects to verify cutting-edge superconducting quantum bit processes on traditional 4-inch machines while working closely with the Industrial Technology Research Institute’s Electronic and Optoelectronic Division and the Semiconductor Center of the National Research Institute to develop new processes for superconducting quantum bits on an automated 8-inch machine. The establishment of a new 8-inch wafer manufacturing and quantum computing facility at the southern campus marks a significant milestone in domestic quantum chip research.
Academia Sinica announced that the “Quantum Chip Fabrication Space” (QC-Fab) unveiled today is the first domestic 8-inch manufacturing platform designed specifically for producing superconducting quantum chips. This facility boasts complete manufacturing capabilities and real-time testing equipment to support the development of various types of superconducting quantum bit processes, as well as the research and development of high-quality superconducting quantum chips and parametric amplifiers. The team is also continuously working on developing and establishing three-dimensional stacking processes to create multi-quantum bit chips.
Furthermore, the “Quantum Computing Test Space” (QC-Test) is equipped with multiple full sets of low-temperature measurement systems, high-speed, high-precision measurement instruments, and automated controls to quickly optimize quantum logic gate operations and reduce training costs.
Research Assistant Ko Chung-Ting from the Key Issue Research Center mentioned that the team has developed and tested various chip packaging and electromagnetic shielding designs to provide a low-noise, high-precision measurement environment, effectively enhancing the performance and stability of quantum chips. In the future, they will also offer a 5-bit superconducting quantum processor with adjustable coupling function for research and development in software stacking.
Academia Sinica highlighted that many advanced countries worldwide are actively investing in quantum technology to stay at the forefront of the latest advancements. To enhance the research potential of the “quantum national team,” Academia Sinica, the National Research Institute, the Industrial Technology Research Institute, and several universities are continuing their collaboration.
Director Li Chao-Huang from the Key Issue Research Center stated that quantum technology is one of the key research areas of the institute. Since the successful development of a 5-bit superconducting quantum computer entirely made in Taiwan in early 2024, with ongoing verification of theories, today’s unveiling of the quantum facilities marks a step towards vertical integration from fundamental research to practical applications. They hope to establish a solid foundation for Taiwan’s innovation and technological breakthroughs in the field of quantum computers, enabling Taiwan to play a crucial role in the global competition of quantum technology.