Izindaba Zemboni: Indwangu yokuqala ye-wafer engamasentimitha angu-12 eDenmark isiqediwe

“Ngalesi sikhungo, singahlanganisa ukukhiqizwa kwezinto ngaphakathi, okusenza sikwazi ukwenza ucwaningo nentuthuko ngempumelelo ngaphandle kokuthembela kwezinye izinkampani emhlabeni jikelele ekukhiqizeni,” kusho uPeter Krogstroup, i-CEO ye-NQCP kanye noprofesa e-Niels Bohr Institute. “Ngaphezu kwalokho, kusisiza ukuthi sihumushe ngokuqondile ubuchwepheshe bocwaningo nentuthuko bube ukukhiqizwa okukhulu—okungasizi thina kuphela kodwa neDenmark kanye nayo yonke imboni.”

Wanezela, “Sibona isidingo esikhulu sama-wafer angu-300mm eYurophu. Sizokwazi ukuhlinzeka ngezinto zokwakha ngokushesha ezindaweni ezinkulu zokukhiqiza kanye nezindawo ezincane zokukhiqiza ama-wafer ezinemishini yanamuhla engu-300mm ngoba singasika izingxenye kuma-wafer ethu ukuze zivumelane nosayizi wawo omncane wama-wafer.”

Isikhungo Sobuchwepheshe be-POEM sihlelwe ukuthi sisebenze ngokugcwele phakathi nonyaka, lapho sizokhiqiza khona ama-wafer e-silicon kanye ne-silicon-on-insulator ngobuningi. UKrogstrup kanye nozakwabo bazosebenzisa ubuchwepheshe obuthuthukisiwe be-epitaxial bukaRiber ukuze bakhulise izakhiwo zefilimu ezincane ze-strontium titanate (STO) kanye ne-barium titanate (BTO) kuma-wafer ukuze kwenziwe ama-electro-optic detectors, ama-transmitter, kanye nama-waveguides—izingxenye ezibalulekile zokuhlanganisa amapulatifomu e-photonic kanye nama-circuits e-quantum ayinkimbinkimbi.

UKrogstrom uthe izinto zokuqala zocwaningo nentuthuko zizobe sezilungile ekupheleni konyaka. Njengamanje, yena nozakwabo bakha ingqalasizinda ephelele yokukhiqiza ama-chip, okuhlanganisa ukwenziwa kwama-wafer, ukusika, kanye nemishini yokusika. Isikhungo sizosebenza njengomugqa wokukhiqiza wokuhlola kanye nesikhungo sokubhala ama-chip. "Sizokwazi ukwakha ngokushesha izinto ezincane kuma-wafer bese siletha ama-chip kunoma ubani onentshisekelo," esho. "Ngesikhathi esifanayo, sizophinde senze ucwaningo lokuhlola ukuthuthukisa izakhiwo ezisezingeni eliphezulu."

Wanezela, "Njengamanje, sizoqhubeka esigabeni socwaningo nentuthuko kuze kube yilapho sithola indlela efanele yokwakha izingxenye ezidingekayo kwi-quantum computing, okuwukugxila kwethu okuyinhloko."

UKrogstrup ulindele ukuthi izinto ezintsha e-POEM Technology Centre zizosiza i-NQCP ukufeza imigomo yayo yokubala i-quantum ebekezelela amaphutha ngokushesha: “Kwa-NQCP, sine-suite enkulu yokuchaza ngokuzenzakalelayo engaqinisekisa futhi ichaze isakhiwo se-wafer yonke. Izinto zethu zokwakha kanye namaqembu okuchaza i-qubit athuthukise izindlela ezinganikeza ngokushesha izakhiwo zezinto ezibonakalayo kanye nempendulo yekhwalithi. Ngakho-ke, ngokuhlanganisa lobu buchwepheshe ne-POEM, sizoba nomjikelezo ovaliwe ophelele we-photonics yendawo kanye nokuthuthukiswa kwe-quantum chip.”

Izikhungo eziningana ezibalulekile zaseDenmark, okuhlanganisa iNational University of Denmark's National Centre for Nanofabrication and Characterization (DTU Nanolab) kanye ne-NATO North Atlantic Defense Innovation Accelerator (DIANA), zihlanganyele kulo msebenzi. I-DIANA isekela ubuchwepheshe obujulile obunezinhloso ezimbili, okuhlanganisa ubuchwepheshe be-quantum kanye ne-photonic, kokubili izinhlelo zokusebenza zezentengiselwano nezokuvikela. "Ama-modulators ethu amaningi e-optical kanye nama-circuits ahlanganisiwe e-photonic azoba usizo kuma-sensor (ezentengiselwano) kanye nokucutshungulwa kwedatha," kuphawula uKrogstrop.

Okubaluleke kakhulu, isikhungo sobuchwepheshe be-POEM sihambisana nemizamo ebanzi yaseYurophu yokunciphisa ukuthembela kuma-chip ase-US nase-Asia. Ngokufanayo, eDenmark, i-Novo Nordisk Foundation kanye ne-Danish Export Investment Fund batshale imali engu-€80 million kuphrojekthi ye-QuNorth, behlose ukusungula ikhompyutha ye-quantum yesizukulwane esilandelayo saseDenmark. Besekelwa ngumthetho we-chip we-EU, kuye kwavela ubudlelwano obuningi bomphakathi nobangasese, obuhlose ukuphinda kabili isabelo seYurophu sokukhiqiza ama-semiconductor emhlabeni wonke sibe ngu-20% ngo-2030. NgoJulayi walo nyaka, iKhomishini yaseYurophu yaphakamisa isu le-quantum elihlanganisa ukusungula izikhungo zokuklama i-quantum kanye nemigqa yokukhiqiza yokuhlola ama-chip e-quantum, okuhlose ukusiza iYurophu ukuba ibe ngumholi womhlaba wonke kulo mkhakha ngo-2030.

UKrogstrop uthe, "Kulezi zikhathi ezingaqinisekile, lapho singaqiniseki ngokuthi singathembela kubani, sonke sinesithakazelo ekuzimeleni kwezobuchwepheshe. Ukuba nezindawo eziningi (izikhungo) eYurophu kuyazuzisa, futhi i-POEM ibaluleke kakhulu ngoba insimu ye-photonics ehlanganisiwe iyachuma."

Wanezela, "Njengamanje, azikho imigqa yokukhiqiza eYurophu ekwazi ukuhlangabezana nesidingo sokukhiqizwa kwezinto zethu ze-STO kanye ne-BTO ezizayo. I-Imec eBelgium nayo yandisa imigqa yayo yokukhiqiza. Lo mthamo omusha uzoba usizo kakhulu."

Uma ebheka phambili, uKrogstrom ulindele ukuthi i-POEM Technology Centre izosebenzisana nezindawo zokukhiqiza i-wafer ezingama-300mm kulo lonke elaseYurophu. Unethemba futhi lokubambisana nezindawo zokukhiqiza i-wafer ezingama-300mm ezindaweni ezikude kakhulu, kanye ne-GlobalFoundries e-US kanye ne-TSMC eTaiwan, ezindaweni zokukhiqiza i-photonics ethuthukisiwe kanye nokukhiqizwa kwamadivayisi e-quantum. "Isibonelo, ukuxhumana kwe-quantum kuzodlala indima ebalulekile lapho amakhompyutha e-quantum eqala ukukhiqizwa ngobuningi," esho.

Ngakho-ke, kusukela manje kuze kube ngu-2030, i-CEO ye-NQCP kanye nozakwabo bazozinikela ekuthuthukiseni i-POEM Technology Centre ibe yindawo esezingeni eliphezulu kakhulu ye-quantum kanye ne-photonic chip. “Sizoqhubeka nokusebenza njengengxenye yendawo ezungezile (yamazwe ngamazwe), ngoba akekho ongahamba yedwa… kodwa sithemba ukubambisana kakhulu nababambiqhaza abahlukene kanye nezinkampani zamathuluzi ezibandakanyeka kubuchwepheshe be-300mm,” kusho uKrogstrop. “I-Riber yayiyinkampani yokuqala ukujoyina nathi, kodwa sizokwakha indawo ebanzi (isikhungo) sezinye izinkampani ukuze zize zizothuthukisa imikhiqizo yazo yakamuva kanye nobuchwepheshe obusezingeni eliphezulu.”