ARCTIC intends to establish a complete and comprehensive European supply chain for cryogenic photonics, microelectronics, and, in general, cryo-microsystems around the emerging quantum computing industry and different cryo-enabled ICT applications.
High-level Objectives
- Enabling the joint development of participating European RTOs, material and tool providers, suppliers, and leading (application) companies to identify and advance the most promising emerging semiconductor technologies, which can integrate the best materials for cryogenic applications ranging from quantum computing to cryogenic electronics and photonics. Such an ecosystem will play a role in generating further innovations in this growing technology area.
- Extending the materials and technology roadmap by evaluating and demonstrating the applicability of emerging technologies that can provide scalable solutions for classical cryo-electronics and photonics and quantum technologies. The roadmap will help the stakeholders to take educated decisions with knowledge about technology and component availability.
- Broadening the applicability of microelectronic devices and circuits for cryogenic operation by (i) developing low-loss high-quality substrates and thin-films, (ii) by fabricating microelectronic devices and circuits tailored for cryogenic operation in collaboration with European foundries and in European cleanrooms, and (iii) by benchmarking them in terms of performance, noise, fidelity, and applicability for use in cryogenic ICT systems such as quantum computers. The development will open European technology to this new market opportunity and secure resilient component supply for application development supporting digitalization and the green deal in Europe.
- Enabling the European industry to maintain and expand its leading edge in components and processes for quantum computer development and strengthen world-leading and sustainable semiconductor manufacturing equipment and technologies.
- Training the next generation of workforce in state-of-the-art technologies. Universities working in ARCTIC will lead the education and outreach activities to the younger generation in collaboration with RTOs and industries, promoting skills supply to industry and society.
Application and technology driven objectives
- Development of semiconductor materials and technologies tailored for quantum technology requirements and cryogenic applications filling technology gaps to fully capture the benefits of quantum and associated technologies.
- Development of multi-scale physics and data driven models to support the development of cryo-technologies providing tools for further technology users for application driven development.
- Design and characterization of microelectronic devices and circuits customized for cryogenic operation including the effects of self-heating and thermalization deepening our understanding and limiting design overheads to save power.
- Customized semiconductor qubit and quantum processor platforms for quantum computation to improve technology scalability.
- Development of semiconductor packaging processes and heterogeneous-integration assembly technologies tailored for large-scale quantum technology and cryogenic applications with focus on system integration providing technology to combine components whenever needed.
- Development of cryogenics and cryogenic infrastructure with help of cryo-electronics and electric coolers to avoid limitations in cooling power and to accurately predict the total power budgets of future cryogenic systems.
- High-throughput cryogenic metrology systems for efficient wafer-level screening of devices to speed-up device testing with application specific specifications.
