The Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) has inaugurated the Quantum Nanofabrication Area within the Micro and Nanofabrication Clean Room at the Institute of Microelectronics of Barcelona (IMB-CNM). Representing Spain’s largest cleanroom research infrastructure for quantum device prototyping, the upgraded facility integrates nanoscale fabrication and metrology toolsets designed to transition pre-production quantum hardware into industrial pilot lines.
The facility upgrade was funded through an investment exceeding €6 million ($6.88M USD) sourced from Spain’s PERTE Chip program (funded via NextGenerationEU) and the Complementary Plan for Quantum Communications under CSIC’s Interdisciplinary Thematic Platform on Quantum Technologies (QTEP+). Technological capabilities added to the cleanroom include an EBPG 5150Plus electron-beam lithography system, combined scanning electron microscopy and electron-beam lithography (SEM/EBL) instruments, and atomic force microscopy (AFM) systems. The suite supports nanometer-scale patterning and characterization for quantum processing units (QPUs), photonic integrated circuits, and quantum key distribution (QKD) components.
| [ IMB-CNM Quantum Nanofabrication Infrastructure Profile ] | ||
|---|---|---|
| Capital Allocation & Governance | Cleanroom Toolset & Equipment | Strategic R&D Deliverables |
| • >€6 Million Total Investment • PERTE Chip / NextGenEU Funding • Governed by CSIC & MICIU | • EBPG 5150Plus E-Beam Lithography • High-Resolution SEM/EBL Systems • Nanoscale AFM Metrology Station | • Quantum Processor (QPU) Prototyping • Secure QKD Photonics & Nanodevices • National ICTS Cleanroom Access (Micronanofabs) |
The cleanroom expansion forms part of CSIC’s broader national strategy, anchored by the newly established QuARC-CSIC (Quantum Advanced Research Center) to consolidate 36 research groups across 21 institutes. QuARC-CSIC advances research across four pillars: quantum computing/simulation, communications, sensing/metrology, and information theory. To complement hardware fabrication, QuARC’s algorithmic initiatives include hardware-algorithm co-design for fermionic quantum simulation, recently backed by a €1.5 million ($1.7 million USD) European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant to build co-designed atomic quantum simulators for many-body physics.
Review the official press release via IMB-CNM CSIC here, explore national research programs at the QuARC-CSIC Portal here, and examine our prior coverage of Spain’s €9.75 Million PERTE Chip Investment in Nu Quantum here.
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