For decades, the quantum computer has remained more of a promise than a product—a delicate assembly of superconducting loops or trapped ions that lived exclusively in the ultra-cold isolation of the physics lab. The challenge was never just about making a qubit work; it was about making millions of them work at once. Until recently, the manufacturing processes required for these machines were fundamentally incompatible with the high-volume lithography that defines modern computing.
This industrial impasse broke in early 2024, when Intel and the QuTech research institute successfully produced qubits using standard semiconductor manufacturing techniques. By repurposing the existing silicon infrastructure, they demonstrated that the quantum chip could be treated as an evolution of the transistor rather than a total departure from it. This shift from bespoke craftsmanship to industrial fabrication represents a critical inflection point for the field.
The momentum is now spreading. GlobalFoundries has begun adopting similar strategies, betting that the path to a universal quantum computer lies in the refinement of existing silicon processes. By leveraging the trillions of dollars already invested in semiconductor fabrication, the industry is attempting to bypass the scaling bottlenecks that have long kept quantum advantage just out of reach.
With reporting from Xataka.
Source · Xataka
