Texas Tech Awarded $12M for Semiconductor Cleanroom Facility

Texas Tech University will receive $12 million from the Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund (TSIF) to establish a nanotechnology laboratory cleanroom at its Semiconductor Nanofabrication Center in Lubbock, according to a press release from Gov. Greg Abbott’s office.

The funding supports Texas Tech’s efforts to enhance research capabilities and provide hands-on workforce training in semiconductor manufacturing. The new cleanroom facility, located within the Edward E. Whitacre Jr. College of Engineering, will serve as a hub for advanced semiconductor development and education. It will be used for research into solid-state lasers, energy projection and detection components, sensors and lightweight high-power electronics.

Abbott said the investment reflects the state’s commitment to maintaining its competitive edge in emerging technologies through partnerships with higher education institutions.

“With this TSIF grant, Texas Tech University will accelerate advanced research on next-generation semiconductors and provide hands-on training to enhance workforce readiness,” the governor said in the announcement.

The grant is part of a broader initiative under the Texas CHIPS Act, signed into law in 2023 to expand the state’s semiconductor industry. The act created both the Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund and the Texas Semiconductor Innovation Consortium. These programs are administered by the Texas CHIPS Office within the Governor’s Economic Development and Tourism Office.

Texas Tech joins a growing list of higher education institutions receiving state support to bolster Texas’ semiconductor ecosystem. Earlier this month, Texas State Technical College was awarded $3.5 million from the same fund to expand its Accelerated Semiconductor Technician Training Program in Hutto.

Additional grants under the program have supported a range of initiatives across the state. Prairie View A&M University received $1.98 million to develop a training program in advanced 3D microelectronics, in partnership with the Texas A&M Semiconductor Institute. The University of Texas at Austin was awarded $4.8 million to launch QLab, a facility focused on quantum-enhanced metrology techniques to improve chip manufacturing precision. Temple College was selected for a $9.8 million grant to establish the Central Texas Chips Hub in Taylor, a regional training center built in collaboration with Texas A&M University — Central Texas. These efforts reflect the state’s coordinated approach to scaling both its research capacity and its semiconductor workforce pipeline.

In contrast, Texas Tech’s investment targets research infrastructure and advanced manufacturing. University President Lawrence Schovanec said the project enhances Texas Tech’s ability to support state and national priorities.

“This investment strengthens our ability to contribute to the state’s growing semiconductor ecosystem through research, innovation and workforce development,” said Schovanec. “It also affirms the important role that higher education plays in advancing the competitiveness and economic strength of Texas.”