New Tantalum Process Could Ease Manufacturing of Superconducting Quantum Chips

Insider Brief

• Cornell researchers developed a krypton-based sputtering process that deposits high-quality superconducting tantalum films on silicon at 200 degrees Celsius, potentially making the material easier to integrate into commercial quantum-chip fabrication.
• The method cuts the typical tantalum deposition temperature by about half while producing thin films with substantially higher electronic conductivity and high-quality qubits.
• The researchers said the lower-temperature process provides a wider manufacturing window for semiconductor fabrication and could help address materials and nanofabrication challenges facing superconducting quantum computing.
• Image: A team led by Valla Fatemi, assistant professor in the School of Applied and Engineering Physics in Duffield Engineering, developed a method that uses krypton gas to slash the deposition temperature of the corrosion-resistant metal tantalum, resulting in thin films that have substantially higher electronic conductivity. (Bridget Reinsko/Provided)

PRESS RELEASE — To commercialize quantum computing, manufacturers need high-quality superconducting materials for microchips, but they also require a reliable, sustainable nanofabrication process.