IIT Bombay has partnered with the country's largest IT services company TCS to build India's first 'Quantum Diamond Microchip Imager'. According to the official statement, the Quantum Diamond Microchip Imager can image magnetic fields. It enables 'non-invasive' (without entering any organism/object) and 'non-destructive' (without causing damage) mapping of a semiconductor chip, similar to an MRI in a hospital.

According to a report in The Hindu, this will be an advanced sensing tool. It will be able to examine semiconductor chips in great detail. This will reduce the failure of chips and increase the energy efficiency of electronic devices. TCS experts will work with Kasturi Saha, Associate Professor of the premier technology institute, to develop a quantum imaging platform in the PQuest lab over the next 2 years.

Saha said that both partners will work on a quantum imaging platform for 'non-destructive' testing of chips, leveraging their expertise in quantum sensing to promote innovation. TCS Chief Technology Officer Harik Win said that the 'second quantum revolution' is progressing at an unprecedented pace, making it imperative to pool resources and expertise to build cutting-edge capabilities in sensing, computing, and communication technologies.

Why are semiconductor chips important?

Semiconductor chips are essential to all modern electronic devices, making them smart and efficient. With the ability to process data and carry out tasks, these chips serve as the brains of devices in industries such as communications, computing, healthcare, military systems, transportation, and clean energy.