From lab to fab: imec’s high NA EUV breakthrough shows how Belgium is making quantum work

The announcement marks an important step toward scaling more reliable quantum hardware and moving quantum computing closer to industrial production.

This is the kind of progress that shows why Belgium has a unique role to play in the global quantum landscape.

Quantum computing holds enormous promise for solving complex problems that are difficult, or even impossible, for today’s classical computers. Think of challenges such as drug discovery, material simulation, optimisation and advanced physical modelling. But to make that promise real, quantum computers will need to scale to millions of connected qubits, with high reliability and precise control. That is where imec’s achievement becomes especially relevant.

Building qubits that can scale

Qubits are the basic computational units of a quantum computer. The more reliable, connected and scalable they become, the closer we move toward useful quantum computing.

Imec’s new device is based on silicon quantum dot spin qubits. These are often considered promising for industrial scaling because their production process is largely compatible with standard silicon chip manufacturing, also known as CMOS. In other words: this approach builds on decades of semiconductor expertise and infrastructure.
One of the biggest challenges in quantum computing is not only proving that a qubit works in the lab. It is proving that qubits can be manufactured reliably, repeatedly and at scale.

By using High NA EUV lithography, imec has shown how extremely precise chipmaking can support the development of smaller, more reliable quantum devices. The team succeeded in creating a functioning network of qubits with gaps of barely 6 nanometers between key structures. At that scale, millions of quantum bits could theoretically be integrated onto a single chip.

From research breakthrough to ecosystem momentum

Quantum technologies will not scale through research alone. They require deep collaboration between science, engineering, manufacturing, business, policy and society. Belgium is strong in many of these domains, and imec’s work demonstrates how advanced semiconductor capabilities can become a strategic advantage in the quantum era.

Belgium’s opportunity in quantum

Quantum computing is often described as a future technology. But milestones like this show that the future is already being shaped today. The shift from individual lab devices to fab-compatible, reproducible quantum bits is essential for industrial progress. Imec’s announcement specifically points to the importance of 300mm fab-compatible processes, which could help move quantum devices beyond isolated experiments and toward manufacturable systems.

That is why Belgium’s quantum community is important.
We have the research excellence. We have semiconductor expertise. We have industrial ambition. And through Quantum Circle, we are building the connections needed to make these strengths work together.