The nationally and federally funded program will combine technical education with hands-on experience to train engineers how to be leaders in semiconductor innovation.

Summary:

Texas Tech University’s Whitacre College of Engineering has secured a $3.75 million grant to establish a master’s program focused on 3D Heterogeneous Integration (3DHI) — a critical semiconductor technology. Backed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the State of Texas, and coordinated through the Texas Institute for Electronics, the program aims to prepare engineers to drive innovation and strengthen U.S. semiconductor leadership.

Why This Matters:

• Workforce Development: It creates a pipeline of highly skilled engineers trained in one of the semiconductor industry’s most critical emerging technologies.
• National Competitiveness: The program supports U.S. efforts to maintain a technological edge and secure semiconductor supply chains in a shifting global landscape.
• Industry Collaboration: It fosters strong ties between academia and industry, ensuring graduates are ready to meet immediate needs in semiconductor manufacturing and innovation.

Texas Tech University’s Edward E. Whitacre Jr. College of Engineering has been awarded a five-year, $3.75 million grant to launch a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering program specializing in 3D Heterogeneous Integration (3DHI), one of the semiconductor industry’s most critical and advanced technology areas. 

This new program will train U.S. students in the design, fabrication and testing of integrated circuits built with multiple semiconductor technologies stacked and interconnected in three dimensions. The funding comes from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the State of Texas, with overall grant administration provided by the University of Texas at Austin through the Texas Institute for Electronics (TIE).

“The goal of this program is to develop a new generation of engineers who are prepared to lead the next wave of semiconductor innovation," said Principal Investigator and Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering Tim Dallas. “By combining strong technical education with hands-on experience and industry collaboration, we are positioning our graduates to immediately impact the design and manufacturing of 3DHI devices.”

3DHI refers to the vertical stacking and integration of diverse semiconductor devices –such as processors, memory, photonics and sensors – into compact, high-performance systems. Unlike traditional two-dimensional chip design, 3DHI enables closer integration of different technologies, significantly boosting system performance while reducing power consumption, size and latency.

This new program is part of Texas Tech’s broader partnership with TIE, a statewide initiative to maintain Texas as a national leader in semiconductor manufacturing, innovation and workforce development. Drawing inspiration from national priorities outlined by TIE and DARPA, the program will feature specialized coursework in semiconductor fabrication, 3D integration technologies, packaging and reliability testing, and emerging materials. Students will also have access to new laboratory facilities, industry internships and mentorships with semiconductor leaders.

Graduates of the program will be uniquely equipped to support U.S. competitiveness in semiconductor innovation, a critical priority as global supply chains shift and technology demands escalate.