Leading-edge semiconductor fab
Building quantum computers with leading-edge semiconductor fab
Building quantum computers at scale means treating quantum chips like the state-of-the-art hardware that they are. It means fabricating them to the highest standards of quality—similar to the standards we use to fabricate chips for production-scale classical computers.
Today, IBM has revealed that IBM Quantum Loon and IBM Quantum Nighthawk—plus all future chips on the IBM Quantum Development Roadmap—are being fabricated at NY CREATES' Albany NanoTech Complex using state-of-the-art 300mm semiconductor wafer technology. The Albany NanoTech Complex is one of the world’s most advanced semiconductor fabs and the details of our quantum chip fab processes have been held under wraps to this point. But now, the team is eager to show off the technology, share how they pulled the project off, and deliver their vision for the future.
This story is about more than processing quantum chips on larger wafers. It’s about using the best possible minds, machinery, and processes to realize quantum computing. The fabrication of IBM Quantum chips at the Albany NanoTech Complex—and the close synchronization between semiconductor experts and physicists across Albany and at the IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center in Yorktown—is key to the success of quantum computing at IBM.
Fabricating chips—quantum or classical
The processors at the heart of IBM quantum computers are crafted the same way classical computer chips are: from silicon wafers. The semiconductor fabrication process begins with long cylinders of silicon sliced into thin disks. Engineers and physicists use computer software to design electrical circuits. Then—through a series of process steps—automated machines etch, deposit new metals, and treat the wafers. The result is a rectangular grid of computer chips on the surface of the disk.
In the case of quantum chips, we fabricate multiple wafer types, and then complete additional custom processing steps at Yorktown. Finally, we layer and connect multiple chips in a 3D stack, and hook them up to the control electronics.
Whether quantum or classical, computer chips require the most precise manufacturing and clean-room conditions. Any particles or defects can impact performance, given the microscopic size of classical computer transistors and the ultra-sensitive nature of quantum bits.
What does wafer size mean? At the most general level, the wafer’s width governs how many chips it will yield. Wafer size has increased incrementally during the 20th century, and the early 90s introduced the 200mm wafer—about 8 inches. Smaller-scale semiconductor fabs process wafers measuring 200mm or smaller. However, the turn of the century brought 300mm wafers—around 12 inches.
Each technology comes with a different set of tooling. 300mm features state-of-the-art tools and processes for fabricating more chips, faster. Meanwhile, 200mm allows for more hands-on, custom R&D.
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