Xanadu and DISCO Corporation announced a collaboration to develop advanced wafer processing techniques for ultra-low-loss photonic integrated circuits. The partnership focuses on optimizing wafer dicing, specialized preparation for heterogeneous integration, and ultra-smooth surface polishing. These improvements aim to enhance photonic chip performance and support scalable packaging for quantum and other high-end photonic applications. DISCO’s precision dicing technology is designed to enable high-quality chip singulation while reducing optical losses. The advanced dicing process also seeks to remove the need for manual polishing, streamlining production. Xanadu is leveraging DISCO’s Kiru (cutting), Kezuru (grinding) and Migaku (polishing) technologies for stringent photonic chip performance standards. Ultra-smooth polishing is critical for minimizing optical loss in photonic devices. CEO Christian Weedbrook said DISCO has been a vital partner in pushing photonic packaging capabilities towards utility-scale quantum computing. DISCO’s Steve Latina said Xanadu’s work drives industry-wide advancements in equipment, processes and materials. He noted their shared philosophy that “every photon counts” challenges partners to achieve unprecedented manufacturing precision.