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Q-One Ion ColumnIonoptika

New funding boosts the UK’s future in Quantum manufacturing

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Q-One single ion implantation

Ionoptika Ltd and the University of Surrey have been awarded project grants worth a total of £425,000.00 from Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency, to expand their research into new manufacturing technologies for quantum devices.

Quantum technologies are expected to create impact across multiple sectors from more secure online communications to personalised medicine. However, to date only a handful of companies, such as IBM and Google, have successfully built a basic quantum computer because of the extreme challenges to manufacture and operate these devices. This new Innovate grant will open up new scalable manufacturing methods to researchers in the UK and around the world.

The project, entitled “Rapid and Scalable Single Colour-Centre Implantation for Single Photon Sources”, was recommended for funding by a panel of independent assessors, who concluded that “This is an innovative project by two expert partners. If it is successful, it will lead to a unique product that may possibly revolutionise quantum computing.”

Ionoptika Ltd, together with the University of Surrey, will use beams of ionised atoms to create quantum devices one at a time using rare earth elements such as erbium and ytterbium. Ion beams are used widely in the scientific and manufacturing sectors, from the production of computer chips to medical diagnostic instrumentation and cancer treatment.

The technique, known as ion implantation, has been used for decades to make modern computer chips and benefits from being much quicker than other manufacturing methods. The main limitation of the technique for quantum applications has been the inability to precisely control the location and numbers of implanted ions at the single-ion level. The new tool from Ionoptika, called Q-One, solves this problem yet is still fast enough to implant one thousand quantum bits (qubits) every second.

Q-One Single Ion Implantation

The funding comes on the back of $1.3bn in UK government funding allocated for quantum technologies research.1 It is expected to help Ionoptika expand, creating 20+ highly skilled STEM jobs in the Southampton area over the next 5-10 years, and injecting £6m+ into the UK engineering supply chain.

Paul Blenkinsopp, Managing Director at Ionoptika, commented, “Quantum technologies are set to drive the next generation of innovation and technologies. Ionoptika is delighted to be working with the University of Surrey on developing the tools and infrastructure that will be needed to realise many of these exciting quantum applications.”

Dr David Cox, from the University of Surrey, added, “The University of Surrey through the National Ion Beam Centre is delighted to work on this project with Ionoptika. The ability to precisely control the implantation of ions at the single-atom level offers enormous potential to the newly emerging quantum technologies that are set to revolutionise the world.”

Press release: pressat.co.uk/releases/new-funding-boosts-the-uks-future-in-quantum-manufacturing-766391c0ab7bf7129d63a0993739e010/

Ionoptika, a UK SME based in Chandler’s Ford, Hampshire, has driven innovation in scientific instrumentation for 27 years. Manufacturing state-of-the-art ion beam systems for labs around the world, they have contributed to research from fields as diverse as cancer research to quantum computers. For more information visit www.ionoptika.com.

1https://www.qureca.com/overview-on-quantum-initiatives-worldwide-update-mid-2021/

IOG C60-20S ion beamIonoptika 2021

C60-20S

IOG C60-20S Ion Beam
IOG C60-20S Ion Beam

C60-20S

Sputtering and depth profiling ion beam


The C60-20S is a high-performance ion beam designed for sputtering surfaces with minimal damage, and reduced preferential sputtering effects.

Operating at voltages up to 20kV, the C60-20S effectively sputters material with minimal damage without re-deposition of carbon.

Ideal as an upgrade component for XPS, AES, and SIMS, C60 provides uniform sputtering across a wide range of materials.



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Key Features:

  • High current density for faster etching
  • Reduced chemical damage over monatomic beams
  • Uniform sputter rates across different materials and crystal orientations
  • Gate valve for quick and easy servicing
  • Long lifetime source

DetailsKey Features

High-resolution ion column

Pioneer features a mass-filtered ion column, with a 20nm spot size, and operates at up to 30kV. This enables incredibly accurate placement of ions within the substrate, subject to scatter.

Two versions of the ion source are available: a liquid metal source and a duoplasmatron, giving you access to a large number of dopant ions.



Deterministic ion implantation

Detection of implant events is critical to deterministic ion implantation. Up to four high-gain, low-noise detectors enable high-efficiency detection of secondary particles (both ions and electrons), offering detection efficiency of better than 85%.



Nanometer precision stage

The stage is a piezo-driven precision stage, with optical encoders with 1nm precision, and is capable of handling up to a 6-inch wafer. There is also a load lock for fast sample insertion and optical cameras for precision alignment.



Proprietary software

Pioneer is completely software driven, and includes implantation UI, SED imaging, vacuum control and monitoring, stage control, and sample transfer. The software is designed to enable fully automated, overnight operation (for high-noise environments). It also offers alignment to pre-defined sample marks, with better than 20nm accuracy.



High-vacuum system

A 6-inch wafer carrying load-lock enables fast sample insertion while maintaining a consistent high-vacuum in the chamber (< 1x10-8 mbar), while a gate valve on the ion column protects the chamber vacuum and allows sources to be swapped quickly.



High-resolution electron column

A 20nm electron beam is available for high resolution imaging.



Applications of Pioneer

In addition to precision ion implantation at the nanoscale, pioneer can also achieve deterministic single-ion implantation. This means that the instrument provides a versatile platform for doping and implantation with both multiple- and single-ion species. The versatility of pioneer is expected to create an invaluable resource in application areas such as:

  • Quantum Technologies
  • Quantum Device Fabrication
  • Nano-material Doping
  • Photonic systems
  • Memory Devices


Installations

SIMPLE

Ionoptika Ltd installed the first two instrument of its kind at the Surrey Ion Beam Centre in 2018, as part of the Single Ion Multi-species Positioning at Low Energy (SIMPLE) project. Read more about this exciting project here.

P-NAME

Ionoptika Ltd is delighted that our Pioneer system features at the heart of the new PLATFORM FOR NANOSCALE ADVANCED MATERIALS ENGINEERING (P-NAME) at the Henry Royce Institute, Manchester.

High-resolution, low-current ion column for precise placement of ions
Liquid metal or duoplasmatron ion source
Wide range of available dopant ions
Nano-precision stage with up to 6-inch wafer handling capability
Deterministic ion implantation detection system
High-resolution electron column available for non-destructive imaging

A New Single Ion Implantation Tool

A New Tool for Quantum Device Fabrication

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July 10th 2018 — A new single ion implantation tool is launched at the UK National Ion Beam Centre. Part of a 3 year project between Ionoptika and the University of Surrey and funded by the EPSRC, the new instrument will enable researchers to create new quantum devices faster than ever before.

The instrument, named SIMPLE (Single Ion Multi-species Positioning at Low Energy), was launched during the 16th International Conference on Nuclear Microprobe Technology and Applications (ICNMTA2018) held at the University of Surrey (click here to read the press release).

SIMPLE Instrument

SIMPLE instrument installed at Surrey Ion Beam Centre | Photo courtesy Nathan Cassidy.

Quantum Technology

Quantum mechanics – that fascinating and sometimes bizarre theory governing the world of the very small – has enormous potential to revolutionize many aspects of modern technology. More secure digital communication, “quantum safe” cryptography methods, more accurate time measurements, and faster, more powerful computers are all thought possible.

Quantum computers in particular are an exciting prospect — it’s expected that they will be capable of solving problems not currently feasible even by our most powerful super computers. Actually building a quantum computer, however, remains an hugely ambitious challenge.

One design for a quantum bit, or qubit – the basic building block of a quantum computer – was put forward by Bruce Kane in 1998. It involves embedding pairs of donor atoms, such as phosphorous, very close to one another (~ 20 nm) within a silicon lattice. Known as electron-mediated nuclear spin coupling, the idea has been successfully utilized by researchers to fabricate individual qubits.

Qubit device schematic

Schematic of Kane’s proposed electron-mediated nuclear spin coupling qubit device.

Using a scanning tunneling microscope, researchers carefully placed individual P atoms using an atomically sharp tip and by stimulating chemical reactions on an atom-by-atom basis. An incredibly intricate technique, it can take several days of meticulous preparation to create just a single qubit. A remarkable feat, however a faster, more scalable method is clearly required.

Single Ion Implantation

The SIMPLE project was established with this objective – to develop an instrument platform for the reliable fabrication of arrays of qubits, with high speed and high precision, using single-ion implantation.

A well established technique in the semiconductor industry, the principles of large-scale ion implantation can be applied to implant individual ions when the parameters are very carefully controlled. Leveraging Ionoptika’s expertise in ion beam design and detection, an instrument platform was designed that is capable of producing an array of millions of implanted ions in just a fraction of a second.

The need for new quantum fabrication technologies

The need for new quantum fabrication technologies

 

The instrument comprises a highly focused, sub-20 nm mass-filtered ion column, a nano-precision stage, and high-sensitivity single ion implantation detection system. While detecting single ion events with high enough consistency for wide scale production remains a challenge, progress in this area has been encouraging, and confidence is high that this goal will be met. And when it is, it will mark a world first, and will usher in a new era of quantum computing.

 

PacSurf 2018

PacSurf 2018

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The AVS Pacific Rim Symposium on Surfaces, Coatings and Interfaces (PacSurf 2018) will be held on the Big Island of Hawaii from December 2 – 6, 2018. This conference is being organized by AVS (United States) with a Steering Committee composed of representatives from Australia, Canada, China, Japan, Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, and the United States. Symposium attendees will interact during morning and evening sessions that will include plenary, invited, and contributed presentations.The main topics for PacSurf 2018 will be focused on the latest advances in Biomaterial Surfaces & Interfaces, Energy Harvesting & Storage,  Nanomaterials, Plasma Processing, and Thin Films. We will have morning and evening technical sessions with the afternoons free for other activities and discussions.

 

The conference will be held in the Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort and Spa on the Big Island of Hawaii.  We are confident you will benefit by attending PacSurf 2018 and networking with the other attendees.

 

Abstract submission deadline is August 3rd 2018!

 

Ionoptika will be sponsoring the event, and are delighted to once again provide our support to the AVS Community.

 

For more details visit the event website.

SIMS-China 2018

The 7th Chinese National Conference on Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS-China VII)

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Ionoptika are delighted to announce we are sponsoring the 7th Chinese National Conference on Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS-China VII), which will be held from 9-12th October, 2018, at the Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics (SINANO), Chinese Academy of Sciences in Suzhou, China. The conference aims to bring together researchers and practitioners from academia and industry to focus on recent advances in SIMS. We look forward to seeing you there!

Conference website 

Ionoptika’s New Website!

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We are delighted to announce the launch of our new website! The new site brings a fresh new look, a more intuitive layout, and a lot more content. We’re very pleased with it, and we hope you like it too!

Why not tell us what you think in the comments section below, or like and share this post!