Pure-play quantum foundry operator Anderon has announced the availability of its first Superconducting Quantum Process Design Kit (PDK). The release provides quantum hardware developers with standardized design rules, component models, and verified building blocks for manufacturing superconducting quantum devices on Anderon’s 300mm wafer fabrication line at the Albany NanoTech Complex. The newly released PDK provides electromagnetic parameters, structural shielding models, and baseline reference designs to bridge the gap between custom device design and industrial-scale fabrication. This initial PDK is based upon IBM’s superconducting qubit process which Anderson has licensed. Over the past few years, the Albany NanoTech complex has processed over 10,000 of these 300 mm superconducting wafers.
| [ Scope of Anderon 300mm Superconducting Wafer Offerings ] | ||
|---|---|---|
| Wafer Offering | Layer Architecture & Integration | Functional Hardware Role |
| • Superconducting Qubit Wafers | • Silicon device and handler layers, Josephson junctions, through-silicon vias (TSVs), under-bump metallization (UBM), and electromagnetic shielding. | • Supports multi-qubit arrays, quantum couplers, buses, and high-coherence linear resonators. |
| • Quantum I/O Signal Wafers | • 5-layer multi-level wiring (MLW) with low-loss dielectric, superconducting bumps, and dual independent stripline waveguides. | • Manages classical signal ingress and egress, crossover routing, and high-density control interconnects. |
| • Amplifier & Filter Wafers | • Niobium trilayer process with low-loss dielectric, 2-layer superconducting routing, and tailored critical current densities. | • Fabricates high-precision microwave components, parametric amplifiers, isolators, and frequency converters. |
In the future, Anderon will be adding to its process portfolio by working with customers to implement potential variants of this initial superconducting qubit process to optimize it for the customer’s specific architecture. Also, they will want to support additional modalities such as semiconductor-based spin qubits. Like pure-play commercial semiconductor foundries Anderon will observe absolute customer trust and neutrality and provide open collaboration and protected innovation.
For those wondering where Anderon got its name, it is a take-off of the word andiron which is a device used in a fireplace that provide support underneath the fire, so it burns steadily. Anderon views its role as providing the support underneath the quantum industry for building the manufacturing foundation.
The company was formed as a standalone for profit quantum manufacturing enterprise backed by $2 billion in funding and support from the U.S. Department of Commerce, Anderon operates a 150,000-square-foot 300mm operational cleanroom delivering 24/7 wafer processing. In addition to the cash, IBM has provided equipment and people to enable Anderon to get started. Their arrangement is that Albany Nanotech will supply the buildings, but Anderon will be the owner and operator of all the equipment. With the new cash provided by the U.S. Department of Commerce and IBM, Anderon will be purchasing additional equipment, both to obtain new processing capabilities that were not previously available as well as additional tools for certain process steps to increase throughput, capability, and redundancy.
As the business grows, it could be possible in a few years that Anderon will need additional capacity beyond their current facility and may need to establish a second wafer fab. At that point, Anderon will likely require additional financing to fund this expansion.
Although other quantum hardware companies do have their own wafer processing capabilities, these should be regarded as low volume development facilities that would likely not be suitable for high volume wafer production. This is where Anderon believes it can fit in and both Rigetti and Google have made indications that they might consider working with dedicated production foundries like Anderon for future high-volume needs.
High volume production has many advantages as long as there are uses for what is produced. First, there are cost advantages due to economies of scale as well as the use of 300mm wafers instead of 200mm wafers. But also, there are also quality and cycle time advantages because it is easier to keep a fabrication process under tight control when you are running high volumes of wafers on a daily basis.
The PDK is accessible via licensing agreements through Anderon’s commercial team. Review the announcement on the Anderon Blog here.
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