CMOS transistor fully optimised for cryogenic conditions

These devices will play a crucial role in addressing the critical challenge of scaling today’s quantum computers to fault-tolerant levels, and unlocking the full potential of quantum for corporate users, governments and other key stakeholders.

Until now, traditional electronic components have typically been used in ultra-low temperatures, equipment which chronically underperforms in such conditions. This represents a major roadblock on the path to reaching fault-tolerance. Through a drastic reduction of heat dissipation of 1,000x, SemiQon’s new transistor allows for control and readout electronics to be placed directly inside a cryostat, alongside the processors. This simplifies the growing complexity around control and read-out of quantum processors as they continue to scale up, which is a serious challenge with few other viable solutions.

“It was clear to us and others in the scientific community, that a transistor which can operate efficiently at ultra-low temperatures would offer substantial value to users in the advanced computing sector and wherever these devices are required to function in cryogenic conditions.” said Himadri Majumdar, CEO and Co-Founder of SemiQon. “Our company is just 2 years old, and already we’ve delivered something which the world has never seen before. Our cryo-CMOS transistor will provide considerable advantages to users both in terms of CapEx and OpEx, as well as by enhancing the functionality of their hardware. This could potentially accelerate the development of quantum technologies, or even enable a new era of cryogenic electronics.”

Specifically engineered to perform optimally at temperatures of 1 Kelvin and lower, the range in which most quantum computers operate, the new cryo-CMOS transistor offers extensive advantages. These include consuming 0.1% of the power and delivering heat dissipation levels 1,000 times lower than traditional room-temperature transistors. This may make a compelling business case for those spending a lot on computing operations and cooling, by slashing their energy costs.

Beyond quantum computing, these devices also have the potential to improve energy efficiency in high performance computing (HPC) and spaceborne applications as well, providing important cost savings in those industries.

For quantum, the cost of cooling required for these cryogenic CMOS transistors can be more than fully recovered through their 1,000x more efficient power consumption. SemiQon’s cryo-optimised CMOS transistor is therefore a game-changer because it has the potential to make operating both traditional HPC and quantum computing far less costly, while also cutting emissions. As an example, the costs of cooling huge datacentres can be highly prohibitive, with global costs estimated to grow from $16 billion this year to more than $42 billion by 2032. These new transistors therefore offer a rather persuasive value proposition.

“Quantum technology is set to revolutionise industries, but scalability and price are current challenges. SemiQon’s optimised transistor capable of functioning efficiently in cryogenic conditions is an important milestone in the development of future quantum computers. Its pioneering work aims to make deep-tech innovation profitable,” added Erja Turunen, Executive Vice President at VTT in Finland.

In the near term, these cryo-CMOS transistors will reduce the amount of expensive control electronics infrastructure required for quantum computers, making these machines significantly less cumbersome to build and more efficient to operate. The company anticipates these benefits will be popular among makers of quantum computers and their investors, as these machines continue to grow in complexity on their journey toward fault-tolerance.

SemiQon expects to deliver its first cryo-optimised CMOS transistors to customers in 2025.