Paris-based startup C12 has unveiled its proprietary Pick & Place technology for the precise manufacturing of quantum processors using carbon nanotubes.
The method enables the transfer of individual nanotubes onto silicon chips with micrometer precision in vacuum or inert atmospheres. A key feature of this approach is the ability to pre-test and select nanotubes before integrating them into the crystal, addressing one of the main challenges of quantum equipment—the variability of qubit characteristics.
According to the company, by optimizing and partially automating the process, engineers assembled 50 devices over the past four weeks. For comparison, in 2025, it took an entire year to assemble a similar number of components.
The Pick & Place technology also facilitates the creation of multi-qubit structures. As evidence, C12 demonstrated the High-Density chip, which integrates 17 quantum devices on a single substrate.
“We have adapted advanced semiconductor packaging principles to the nanoscale. This opens up possibilities for mass production of quantum chips,” said C12’s Chief Technology Officer Mathieu Desjardins.
The development is part of the company’s roadmap, published in April 2026. The strategy envisions transitioning from the first logical qubit to systems with 100,000 physical qubits by 2033. C12 emphasized that establishing a reproducible manufacturing base is critical to achieving these goals.
On June 1, D-Wave Quantum revealed plans to develop a fault-tolerant quantum computer with 100 logical qubits by 2032.