La Luce Cristallina Launches Silicon-Based STO Wafer Platform for Cryogenic Devices

Insider Brief

• La Luce Cristallina launched a 0.5-micrometer silicon-based quantum paraelectric strontium titanate on insulator (QP-STOI) wafer platform for quantum, cryogenic and nonlinear device research.
• The highly insulating STO layer is 100 times thicker than conventional STO buffer layers and is designed to support voltage-tunable dielectric behavior at cryogenic temperatures.
• The platform is currently available in 2-inch wafers, with 200-millimeter wafers expected early next year, and is designed for CMOS- and foundry-compatible manufacturing workflows.

PRESS RELEASE — La Luce Cristallina today launched its 0.5-micrometer (µm) silicon-based quantum paraelectric strontium titanate on insulator (QP-STOI) wafer platform, enabling researchers and national laboratories to leverage STO’s low-temperature quantum paraelectric properties for next-generation devices. Built on a thick layer of silicon dioxide (SiO₂), the bulk-like, highly insulating STO layer is 100 times thicker than conventional STO buffer layers used for epitaxial growth on Si, with its highly insulating nature enabling organizations to use STO’s extreme voltage-tunable dielectric behavior at cryogenic temperatures.

At cryogenic temperatures, STO enters a quantum paraelectric state in which its dielectric properties become highly responsive to applied electric fields. This enhanced tunability allows researchers to precisely control electrical behavior, supporting applications such as parametric amplifiers for qubit readout, tunable microwave components and future electro-optic components. The platform also offers tunable piezoelectric properties, providing a foundation for future research into electrically controlled actuators, precision sensors and other advanced electromechanical devices.

La Luce Cristallina’s STO wafer platform is CMOS- and foundry-compatible, allowing for integration into established semiconductor manufacturing workflows. The solution is currently available in 2-inch wafer size for customers and expected to scale to 200 millimeters early next year. The launch comes as governments and research organizations accelerate investment in quantum and cryogenic technologies. The U.S. Department of Commerce recently announced more than $2 billion in planned investments across nine quantum companies to accelerate domestic quantum manufacturing. Additionally, NIST launched a new Quantum Manufacturing Engineering Center to advance scalable quantum components and manufacturing technologies.

“Our new strontium titanate wafer provides a highly tunable materials platform for researchers developing quantum and cryogenic devices, helping to support increased market interest in emerging use cases,” said Alex Demkov, CEO of La Luce Cristallina. “By combining quantum paraelectric behavior with foundry-compatible manufacturing, we’re making it easier for researchers and device developers to explore new architectures for quantum sensing, qubit readout and related applications.”