Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTSPre-development for precise reliability testing of materials and systems in quantum technology (VorZuQ) is part of the “Quantum Systems Research Program”
Project goals
Most quantum computer approaches work on the basis of qubits, which have to be cooled down to a few milli-Kelvin (approx. -273 degrees Celsius) in order to be used. This places special demands on the microchips used to control the qubits. Their reliability in the cryogenic temperature range is to be investigated in the project. The focus is on thermo-mechanical stresses that arise due to the large temperature differences during production and operation and can damage the semiconductor components. To characterize this damage, setups need to be realized that maintain the required low temperatures during the investigation. At Fraunhofer IKTS, a vacuum chamber and a scanning electron microscope (SEM) are being adapted so that damage scenarios can be experimentally determined using a so-called cryo-stage (holder in which the sample is cooled with liquid nitrogen).
With the technical setups and workflows developed in VorZuQ, it will in future be possible to assess the thermo-mechanical stresses in microelectronic components in the cryogenic temperature range, thus paving the way for a greater reliability of quantum computers.
Funding: Federal Ministry of Education and Research
Project timeframe: October 2023 – September 2026
