First 28Si FD-SOI wafers begin cycling in ST’s Crolles facility
Quobly says that it has reached a key milestone in its roadmap toward industrial-scale quantum processors, with the first custom 28Si FD-SOI wafers from Soitec now cycling in STMicroelectronics’ 300 mm manufacturing facility in Crolles.
The collaboration between Quobly, Soitec, and ST aims to establish a fully integrated European supply chain for quantum integrated circuits, from advanced materials to functional quantum processor units (QPUs).
According to Quobly, the 28Si FD-SOI wafers are engineered to eliminate isotopic impurities, reducing quantum noise and enabling single-qubit gate fidelities approaching 99.999%, a crucial step toward reliable and scalable silicon-based quantum processors.
“The industrial availability of purified isotope 28 FD-SOI wafers is a game changer for quantum technologies. It allows us to anchor our developments in a solid and proven supply chain from purified gas to quantum chip delivery – a key enabler for achieving our quantum performance targets,” said Nicolas Daval, Chief Engineering Officer of Quobly in a press release.
Soitec’s Chief Technology Officer, Christophe Maleville, highlighted the role of the substrates in supporting Europe’s quantum ecosystem.
“We are proud to see Soitec’s advanced substrates contributing to the emergence of Europe’s quantum ecosystem. This milestone illustrates how our expertise in engineering semiconductor materials can enable the next generation of quantum technologies.”
The integration of the FD-SOI platform, a low-noise and CMOS-compatible architecture, with the 28Si-enriched silicon channel provides a scalable path toward large-scale quantum processors. Quobly expects the first performance metrics from prototype devices to be available in the first quarter of 2026, with the first wafer lots being processed in Crolles and ongoing process development and industrialisation building from ST’s 28nm FD-SOI process.
