Texas Border Business
AUSTIN – Governor Greg Abbott announced that a Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund (TSIF) grant of $4.8 million has been extended to the Texas Quantum Institute (TQI) at The University of Texas (UT) at Austin for the establishment of QLab, a quantum-enhanced semiconductor metrology facility in Austin.
“Texas is the new frontier of innovation and UT Austin is where world-changing discoveries in quantum research and development are being made,” said Governor Abbott. “Through this TSIF grant, QLab will acquire state-of-the-art instrumentation that will be used to advance semiconductor manufacturing in Texas by leveraging new developments in quantum science and technology. Texas will continue to lead the nation with quantum leaps into the future.”
The QLab metrology facility will serve the Texas semiconductor and emerging quantum industries, as well as support academic research. Metrology, the science of measurement and its applications, is critical in semiconductor manufacturing where materials are measured at the level of individual atoms and molecules. QLab will be managed by TQI in collaboration with the Microelectronic Research Center (MRC), Texas Institute for Electronics (TIE), and Texas Materials Institute (TMI) — all part of UT Austin’s world-class research and development infrastructure.
“The Texas Quantum Institute is grateful for the continued support of the State of Texas and UT Austin,” said TQI Co-director Elaine Li. “Metrology has been identified by the U.S. Department of Commerce as the key enabling technology for the semiconductor industry. This investment from the TSIF will empower UT Austin to advance metrology tools that can be applied to address critical challenges in the semiconductor industry.”
“This investment gives us tremendous momentum to advance quantum-enhanced semiconductor metrology, driving breakthroughs that will shape the future of both the semiconductor and quantum industries,” said TQI Co-director Xiuling Li.
“The innovative work of the faculty and researchers at UT Austin has helped make Central Texas a national hub for semiconductor innovation,” said Senator Sarah Eckhardt. “As quantum technologies continues to transform the semiconductor industry, the QLab will play a pivotal role in positioning our region to capitalize on growth in the semiconductor and quantum industries, including the thousands of high-paying advanced manufacturing jobs that will come with it.”
View more information about Texas Quantum Institute.
Governor Abbott signed into law the Texas CHIPS Act in 2023 to establish the Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund (TSIF), a grant program to encourage the continued leadership of Texas in semiconductor research, design, and manufacturing, as well as the Texas Semiconductor Innovation Consortium (TSIC). These programs, administered by the Texas CHIPS Office, a division within the Governor’s Texas Economic Development & Tourism Office, are designed to leverage Texas’ investments in the semiconductor industry, encourage semiconductor-related companies to expand in the state, further develop the expertise and capacity of Texas institutions of higher education, and maintain the state’s position as the nation’s leader in semiconductor manufacturing.
