Texas Tech University’s Edward E. Whitacre Jr. College of Engineering has received an additional award exceeding $19 million from the Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund. The funding will support semiconductor research and the creation of a next-generation computing cluster in Lubbock, Texas Tech said. The cluster is to run on Nvidia’s newest chip generation.
What it means
Texas Tech plans to use the computing system to bring together artificial intelligence, detailed simulation information and experimental findings. The university said the work is intended to speed the creation of new semiconductor materials and devices.
Research planned under the award includes AI-based materials discovery and modeling, AI-assisted epitaxial growth for ultrawide-bandgap semiconductors, and examination of advanced devices for efficiency and performance. Funding also covers cross-disciplinary research, along with training and professional opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students.
Texas Tech had previously received Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund support for a clean room and research involving wide- and ultrawide-bandgap semiconductors for harsh-environment uses. Roland Faller, dean of the Whitacre College of Engineering, said, “This specific award enables us to do things which we otherwise would not be able to do.”
Key facts
- The additional Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund award exceeds $19 million.
- Texas Tech will locate the planned computing cluster in Lubbock.
- The cluster will use Nvidia’s newest generation of chips.
- The research team includes Roland Faller, Joseph Gauthier, Hongxing Jiang, Ravindra Joshi and Taewoo Kim.
- Changzhi Li, Jingyu Lin and Hieu P. Nguyen are also listed on the research team.
- Li is associate dean of research and graduate programs and a professor in Electrical & Computer Engineering.
Source: Texas Tech University announcement