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Glenn Hegar, TAMU System Chancellor, said during his remarks that the \u201cflexible labs\u201d would reflect \u201creal-world production environments.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The labs will focus on process and tooling development, metrology, packaging, radio frequency, photonics, testing and evaluation. Additionally, the facility will include a skilled-trade lab as part of efforts to develop the state\u2019s semiconductor workforce training.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The clean room would also feature purity ratings of 100 and 1000 classes, and 300mm equipment.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt is designed to connect research, industry and workforce at scale,\u201d Hegar said. \u201cThis facility delivers on that mission. Students and individuals have opportunities in training in our clean rooms, work alongside industry and move directly into high-demand, high-paying careers. That is how you build a workforce and strengthen an industry.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The TSI facility will also have support spaces such as loading docks, hazardous materials handling, and storage and distribution, according to TAMU\u2019s board of regents <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Feb. 5 agenda<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The board allocated $205.5 million in school funds that will support a capital improvement project and related equipment,\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Steve Putna, TAMU\u2019s associate vice chancellor for research and TSI director, said in an email on Monday. The funding includes $161.8 million dedicated solely to the building, Putna added.<\/p>\n \u201cThis project is about building the physical foundation needed to keep Texas competitive in semiconductor research, manufacturing and workforce development,\u201d <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Hegar said in a Feb. 5 statement<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a>. \u201cThe scale of this investment reflects both the urgency of the moment and Texas A&M\u2019s responsibility to deliver solutions that serve the state and the country.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The facility is also the university\u2019s most expensive project per square foot in its history, Hegar said in his remarks on Thursday.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAnd why? Because we are working on cutting-edge technologies that are going to impact this state, the nation and the world, and we’re proud to be here today,\u201d Hegar said.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The school invested <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>about $1.5 billion in the 3,300-acre site<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a>\u00a0of the Rellis campus,\u00a0located about eight miles from TAMU\u2019s main campus in College Station, according to a fact sheet.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n In addition to workforce development, the Rellis campus facilities focus on transportation innovation, national security and defense, energy production and reliability and artificial intelligence hypercomputing.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The university has been forming partnerships with some of the major semiconductor companies with operations in Texas, including <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Samsung<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a>, <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Tokyo Electron America<\/a>\u00a0and <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Cadence<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The school also entered into a memorandum of understanding <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>with San Francisco-based Substrate<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a>, according to the company\u2019s application to the Texas\u00a0<\/strong>Comptroller\u00a0<\/strong>of Public Accounts.\u00a0Substrate is planning to establish its first semiconductor fab facility and has been assessing possible locations for its multibillion-dollar site across the United States.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n