ROHM Completes Demonstration of Manufacturing Process Optimization by Applying Quanmatic's Quantum Technology

Marks the world’s first implementation in a large-scale semiconductor manufacturing plant, with full-scale introduction in the EDS process planned for April 2024

Santa Clara, CA and Kyoto, Japan, Dec. 14, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ROHM Semiconductor and Quanmatic have been collaborating since January 2023 to introduce quantum technology into the EDS[1] (Electrical Die Sorting) process, conducting demonstrations aimed at optimizing combinations during manufacturing. Today, ROHM and Quanmatic announce that, as certain benchmarks have been met regarding production efficiency, both companies plan on carrying out full-scale implementation in April 2024. This represents the world's first demonstration of manufacturing process optimization using quantum technology in a large-scale mass production line at a semiconductor manufacturing plant.

In recent years, the use of quantum technology has been explored in various fields, in particular quantum annealing methods[2] being introduced in the area of combinatorial optimization, such as for delivery route optimization in the logistics industry. At the same time, in the semiconductor industry, as the manufacturing process becomes more extensive the possible combinations increase exponentially. In addition, the large number of constraints makes it hard to obtain an optimal solution. Therefore, the application of quantum technology was limited to processes on a scale that could be approximated by classical computers.

For example, in the EDS process, the number of combinations involving manufacturing devices, test equipment/conditions, and other factors is so large despite being only a part of the entire system. This made it extremely difficult to derive a solution that optimizes the manufacturing process. As a result, in the past it was common to perform operations (process allocation) based on basic calculation rules, utilizing accumulated knowledge and expertise.

In this context, in January 2023 ROHM and Quanmatic began exploring an operating system using quantum solutions that take into account various constraints in the EDS process. In September 2023, both companies succeeded in building a prototype by combining Quanmatic’s product that improves quantum computing efficiency based on research conducted at Waseda University and Keio University, together with a computational framework. The specialized formulation technology involved leverages quantum and classical computation techniques, as well as the vast knowledge, expertise, and data accumulated by ROHM to date.