Academia Sinica Logo

TAIPEI, Taiwan, June 10 — Academia Sinica today announced major scientific progress in quantum computing chip fabrication science, including the successful production of high-quality superconducting qubits using eight-inch wafer processing equipment, and the unveiling of Taiwan’s first Quantum Chip Fabrication Space (QC-Fab) and Quantum Computing Test Space (QC-Test). At the unveiling ceremony, President James C. Liao stated: "The advancement of quantum science requires the joint development of high-end fabrication human resources and state-of-the-art hardware infrastructure. These two major spaces established by Academia Sinica will be open to academic and research communities nationwide. By integrating resources and sharing platforms, Academia Sinica seeks to accelerate Taiwan’s quantum technology development and attract outstanding talent to critical research areas."

Dr. Chii-Dong Chen, Distinguished Research Fellow and Executive Officer of the Thematic Center for Quantum Computer housed in the Research Center for Critical Issues (RCCI) at Academia Sinica, explained that as the number of quantum bits (qubits) increases, increasingly stringent demands on process control and uniformity emerged. Although Taiwan is a global leader in conventional semiconductor fabrication, quantum chip manufacturing involves fundamentally different technical requirements. Making the fabrication process more stable and uniform has become one of the biggest technical challenges in building reliable quantum computers. Over the past three years, Academia Sinica led key research projects, validating cutting-edge superconducting qubit fabrication on a traditional four-inch platform to international standards. In collaboration with the Electronics and Optoelectronics Research Laboratories of the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) and the Taiwan Semiconductor Research Institute (TSRI), the team successfully developed several novel fabrication processes for superconducting qubits using automated eight-inch platforms. The establishment of the two new spaces in the RCCI Building on the South Campus marks a major milestone for Taiwan’s quantum chip R&D efforts.

Taiwan’s First Dedicated Superconducting Quantum Chip Fabrication Research and Testing Spaces

The Quantum Chip Fabrication Space (QC-Fab) is the first eight-inch wafer processing facility constructed dedicatedly for quantum chip fabrication in Taiwan. Equipped with comprehensive process capabilities and real-time inspection tools, QC-Fab supports a range of superconducting qubit fabrication processes, along with research into high-quality quantum chips and parametric amplifiers. The team is also advancing 3D integration technologies to enable multi-layer chip development.

The Quantum Computing Test Space (QC-Test) includes multiple dilution refrigerator-based measurement systems, equipped with high-speed, high-precision instruments and automated control. This setup allows rapid optimization of quantum logic gate operations and lowering training costs. Dr. Chung-Ting Ke, Assistant Research Fellow at RCCI, noted that the team has developed and tested a variety of chip packaging and electromagnetic shielding techniques, thereby   enabling a low-noise and high-accuracy environment for characterization measurement, advancing chip performance and stability. A five-qubit superconducting processor with tunable couplers will also be available to support the development of upper-layer software stacks in the near future.

Advancing Core Technologies to Strengthen Taiwan’s Strategic Role in the Quantum Era

Leading countries around the world are actively developing quantum technologies, committing substantial research talent and resources to stay at the forefront of this critical field. To strengthen the momentum of Taiwan’s “National Quantum Team,” Academia Sinica continues to collaborate with TSRI, ITRI, and leading universities. RCCI Director Chau-Hwang Lee emphasized that RCCI maintains a sharp focus on quantum technology as one of its core strategic research areas. Following the institution’s 2024 milestone of developing Taiwan’s first homegrown five-qubit superconducting quantum computer and completing theoretical validations, today’s unveiling of new research spaces demonstrates further progress toward vertical integration—from basic research to applications. These efforts aim to establish a strong foundation for innovation and breakthroughs in quantum computing, positioning Taiwan as a key contender in the global quantum technology race.