Superconducting TiN for Quantum Manufacturing: Throughput without Compromise
Results speak: 3.87 K. Uniformity up 34%. 75% step coverage at aspect ratio 250:1.
Can superconducting TiN scale to production throughput without losing what makes it work?
At ALD/ALE 2026, we set out to answer that directly, presenting results that sit within a broader inflection point taking shape across ALD — quantum, superconductivity, and what is next. First in a series of results we will share this year, this Insight discusses findings from the Beneq TFS 200, our research tool platform. In the coming months, we will explore how this looks on Beneq Transform®, as the process moves from pilot to volume production.
Last year, we reported a thermal ALD process for superconducting TiN that demonstrated a transition temperature onset at 3.80 K on single wafers, positioning thermal ALD as a cost-efficient alternative to plasma-enhanced methods. This year, we answer that question directly: the process now scales to full batch throughput, with improved performance across every metric that matters.
The throughput problem
Single-wafer processing is inherently inefficient for this kind of film. Batch processing on the TFS 200 changes that: coating up to 16 wafers in a single run represents a 16-fold increase in throughput from the same process cycle.
This is not simply a scheduling improvement. It changes the economics of superconducting TiN deposition from a laboratory exercise to a production-viable process.
Throughput without compromise
The central concern with any scale-up is whether batch processing degrades film quality. In this case, it did not. In several respects, it improved.
Uniformity held through scale-up. Thickness non-uniformity across the batch remained below 5%, with wafer-to-wafer non-uniformity at 1.25%, representing a 34% improvement compared to single-wafer results.
Superconducting performance improved. Critical temperature (Tc) for the batch process reached 3.87 K, a 6% absolute gain over the single-wafer result, achieved despite a thinner film. The transition is sharp and homogeneous, with a transition width (ΔTc/Tc) of approximately 0.5%, indicating consistent quality across the full wafer.
Sharp, homogeneous transition at 3.87 K
Film structure remained dense, columnar, and polycrystalline, with crystallinity established from the very first layers.
Conformality: reaching into the trench
For the first time in this programme of work, conformality was evaluated directly, using an industry-standard high-aspect-ratio test structure designed to be more demanding than real device geometries.
The results: 78.9% step coverage at aspect ratio 100, and 75.3% at aspect ratio 250. Since superconducting through-silicon vias typically operate at aspect ratios of 10:1 to 20:1, the process provides substantial margin.
This is a direct advantage of the thermal approach. Plasma-based ALD loses energy before reaching the bottom of deep features, which limits conformality in high-aspect-ratio structures. A purely thermal process, driven by surface chemistry rather than directional plasma energy, delivers conformal coverage throughout the trench.
Two established routes, different trade-offs
Superconducting TiN can be deposited by thermal ALD or by plasma-enhanced ALD (PEALD). Beneq offers both, and each comes with its own set of trade-offs depending on the application.
Thermal ALD relies on surface chemistry rather than plasma energy. It scales naturally to batch processing, which supports higher throughput for heat-intensive processes. It is gentler on sensitive substrates, with no risk of plasma-induced surface damage. And because there is no directional plasma energy to lose with depth, it tends to deliver strong conformality in high-aspect-ratio structures.
PEALD brings its own strengths, including the ability to tune film properties through plasma parameters and, in some configurations, additional control over film density. The trade-off is that plasma-based processes are typically limited to single-wafer runs, which constrains throughput at scale.
Beneq’s thermal TiN process reached a Tc of 3.87 K in batch configuration, without pre-cleaning or bias table treatment.
What this means for quantum manufacturers
A superconducting TiN process that is conformal, uniform, and batch-scalable, with performance that improves rather than degrades at production scale. For quantum computing companies and research organisations working on QPU fabrication, this offers a viable path from early R&D through to volume production.
If you are evaluating superconducting TiN deposition for your devices, we welcome the opportunity to discuss how this process can support your requirements.
Quantum is one part of a broader shift underway across ALD, and this result is one perspective from within Beneq’s work in the space. In the coming weeks, we will share more from the people building it, starting with a closer conversation with Sanaz on the questions this work raised at ALD/ALE 2026.
About the author
Sanaz Zarabi, PhD, Process Development Engineer, Beneq
Sanaz specialises in ALD technologies and thin-film applications across optics and energy, with a strong background in materials science and applied physics.
