The Austin Chamber of Commerce and the Central Texas Regional Center of Innovation and Commercialization (CenTex RCIC) announce that the state of Texas has chosen Xitronix Corporation, a Central Texas semiconductor company, as a recipient of an award funded through the Texas Emerging Technology Fund (ETF). Austin-based Xitronix, a company specializing in providing breakthrough process control metrology equipment to semiconductor manufacturers, will receive a $500,000 project grant to match raised funds and accelerate the commercialization of its innovative technology development.

“Austin continues to see a diverse range of ground-breaking technologies and a growing support from organizations like the ETF and CenTex RCIC," said Jeff King, Partner Haynes & Boone, LLP and 2008 Chairman of the CenTex RCIC. "Our business leaders and investors commit an enormous amount of time to working with these companies to help them through the process and Central Texas is benefiting significantly from these efforts."   

Xitronix’s technology and products provide manufacturers of advanced semiconductors with the capability to directly, quickly and safely sort through the electronic and optical properties of semiconductor nanostructures during the manufacturing process, which allows for full-volume production. Xitronix provides sales and support to customers worldwide and is a member of the Austin Technology Incubator (ATI), a technology startup incubation and acceleration program through the University of Texas.

“This really confirms the partnership between the ETF and the Austin Technology Incubator that has grown during the life of the Fund,” said Isaac Barchas, Director ATI. “The companies we work with are, like Xitronix, exciting early stage companies. Membership in the Incubator satisfies the requirement that a company must have a university affiliation in order to apply for an ETF grant, which enabled Xitronix to apply and get funded.”

After presenting at the NIST International Conference on Frontiers of Characterization and Metrology for Nanoelectronics in March, Xitronix introduced their innovative technology at the SEMICON West 2007 show. This new technology substantially reduces the time required to receive accurate feedback as well as the costs associated with processing defective wafers to completion before the device performance can be tested.

Xitronix was selected by the Centex RCIC after an extensive due diligence process based on multiple criteria including a stringent analyses of the market and financial opportunity, technology potential, management team and economic impact to Texas.

The CenTex RCIC is a virtual center that operates out of the Austin Chamber of Commerce and serves as a catalyst for emerging technology research, development, commercialization and start-up incubation. In an effort to keep Texas globally competitive, the CenTex RCIC focuses on integrating technology development and commercialization in a 15-county region.

The CenTex RCIC works closely with the Chamber’s AusTech Alliance, a group of technology businesses and organizations working to consolidate efforts that strengthen the regional technology sector and to keep Texas globally competitive. The Central Texas Angel Network (CTAN), which aims to assist local entrepreneurs with investment opportunities, also works with the CenTex RCIC, ETF and the universities to identify capital for start-ups.