EAGER: Quantum Manufacturing: Atomic-layer Etching Manufacturing Processes for High Performance Superconducting Quantum Devices

This EArly-concept Grant for Exploratory Research (EAGER) Quantum Manufacturing award supports research contributing new knowledge to a novel atomic-scale manufacturing process, promoting both the progress of science and advancing national prosperity. Quantum computers, sensors, and other devices harnessing the counter-intuitive effects of quantum mechanics are now of intense interest due to their potential applications in science and technology. However, new atomically precise manufacturing processes beyond those used for semiconductors are needed. Conventional semiconductor processing can result in decreased performance of quantum devices spurring the development of manufacturing approaches compatible with the materials and structures comprising quantum devices. This award supports fundamental research to provide needed knowledge for the development of atomic layer etching for quantum technology. Atomic layer etching has the potential to enable precise manufacturing on the atomic scale with precision beyond existing manufacturing methods. Such new processing techniques could lead to quantum devices that could perform significantly better than present devices, facilitating their eventual applications. Results of this research will benefit the U.S. economy and society through the further development of new technologies. This research involves several disciplines including manufacturing, plasma processing, microwave engineering, and materials science. The multi-disciplinary approach will help broaden participation of underrepresented groups in research and positively impact engineering education. Realizing the revolutionary potential of quantum devices based on superconducting circuits will require orders-of-magnitude improvements in coherence times and stability. The present limiting mechanisms of superconducting quantum hardware arise from surface imperfections introduced from traditional manufacturing methods of microfabricated systems. Atomic layer etching (ALE) is a novel manufacturing process with potential to overcome this long-standing challenge by enabling a subtractive manufacturing process with atomic monolayer precision and in-situ passivation capability. This project will develop ALE processes to engineer the surfaces of dielectric and metallic films used in superconducting quantum devices with potentially greatly improved precision, markedly reducing the negative effects of two-level systems (TLS). The outcome of this research will be a novel manufacturing process to realize superconducting quantum circuits for which surface imperfections are no longer the dominant contributor to decoherence and low frequency fluctuations. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.