Can semiconductor manufacturing unlock large-scale quantum computing without redesigning fabrication lines? A demonstration suggests that possibility is closer.
Imec and Diraq have demonstrated the coherent operation and readout of an eight-qubit silicon MOS spin-qubit array fabricated on a 300mm CMOS-compatible manufacturing platform. The achievement, detailed in a paper published in Nature Communications, marks a step towards manufacturing larger silicon quantum processors using the same industrial fabrication technologies employed for advanced semiconductor chips.
The result addresses one of the key challenges in quantum computing: scaling beyond individual and two-qubit devices while maintaining reliable operation. Silicon spin qubits are considered a promising candidate for large-scale quantum systems because they can leverage existing semiconductor manufacturing infrastructure, supply chains and fabrication expertise. Demonstrating larger qubit arrays through an industrial process could help bridge the gap between laboratory research and commercially manufacturable quantum hardware.
The eight-qubit linear array was designed and fabricated on imec’s 300mm silicon spin-qubit technology platform using a CMOS-compatible process refined over nearly a decade. According to the researchers, the array maintained the coherence and controllability required for future quantum processors. The work also showed that expanding the readout architecture did not require a proportional increase in sensor count, wiring density or thermal load, indicating that larger arrays could remain compact while simplifying system integration. The demonstration builds on the organisations’ 2025 Nature publication, which established that silicon spin qubits produced through industrial manufacturing could achieve fidelity levels suitable for quantum error correction.
“The future of quantum computing depends not only on qubit quality but also on the ability to manufacture increasingly complex quantum processors with the reproducibility, yield and scale of the semiconductor industry,” says Kristiaan De Greve, Fellow and Program Director, Quantum Computing at imec. “By combining imec’s advanced semiconductor process technology with quantum device engineering, we are taking important steps toward realizing scalable silicon-based quantum processors.”
