Texas Tech University (TTU) will spend $24 million to build a multipurpose nanotechnology cleanroom facility at the Semiconductor Nanofabrication Center in Lubbock. The university recently matched a $12 million Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund (TSIF) award for the project. The facility is expected to be operational by 2027.
The cleanroom will provide both TTU and the Edward E. Whitacre Jr. College of Engineering with the tools needed to conduct semiconductor research and workforce training in semiconductor manufacturing.
Going forward, researchers will be able to drive innovation across several cutting-edge technologies, including solid-state lasers, energy projection and detection components, sensors and ultra-light high-power electronics.
These facilities provide an ultra-sterile environment to facilitate research, ensuring that researchers can work while mitigating contamination. Due to the innate fragility of semiconductor chips, even microscopic particle contamination can destroy their functionality. Cleanrooms block particles ranging from 0.1 to 1 micrometer in size, mitigating exposure from all but the smallest contaminants.
University officials anticipate that the cleanroom will provide new opportunities for multidisciplinary work beyond the scope of the College of Engineering alone. Students from other disciplines will be able to participate, including electrical and computer engineering, mechanical engineering, physics, chemistry and environmental science.
The project alongside various other awards paints TTU as a prospective leader within the semiconductor industry, leading the charge for development and innovation. The university is the latest recipient on the front lines of Texas’ semiconductor industry ambitions, lining up alongside 16 other public and private entities that have benefited from the TSIF program.
In 2023, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed the Texas CHIPS Act into law, establishing the TSIF grant program along with it. Since its establishment, the program has distributed more than $355.5 million to support semiconductor research, design and manufacturing.
Photo by Texas Tech University Student Housing, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, from Wikimedia Commons
This story is a part of the weekly Texas Government Insider digital news publication. See more of the latest Texas government news here. For more national government news, check Government Market News daily for new stories, insights and profiles from public sector professionals.
