A versatile superconducting NbTiN platform

Superconducting (SC) electronics is rapidly emerging as a breakthrough technology for high‑performance computing (HPC), AI acceleration, and quantum information systems. Their energy-efficient transport and picosecond‑scale switching enable logic and interconnect technologies that circumvent the thermal and power‑density limits of advanced CMOS nodes. Imec has developed a NbTiN‑based SC platform engineered for high device density, CMOS process compatibility, and operation up to 15 K. The platform integrates superconducting interconnects, Josephson Junctions, MIM capacitors, and dedicated failure‑mitigation structures, each optimized for manufacturability and cross‑platform operations.

All modules were fabricated using 193i lithography on 300 mm wafers within a CMOS BEOL thermal budget of 420 °C, demonstrating scalability and compatibility with industrial semiconductor process flows and provides pathway for future technology scaling. Originally targeted for energy‑efficient digital logic, imec is now advancing this technology further with the vision of scaling up individual modules to demonstrate domain specific superconducting compute system architectures.  

The platform’s versatility also supports technology co‑integration and opens opportunities to collaborate with the broader ecosystem to enable applications such as high‑density SC nanowire single‑photon detectors for space and medical applications, near‑zero‑resistance cryogenic CMOS interfaces for long‑range low‑loss routing, and low‑power control and readout units for quantum processors. Imec’s NbTiN superconducting platform represents a significant advancement towards large‑scale superconducting circuit integration and positions the technology for broader industrial deployment.