MANHATTAN (KSNT) – A semiconductor manufacturer has announced plans for multi-million dollar expansion to it’s Manhattan facility.

In a news release, Radiation Detection Technologies, Inc. (RDT) says it plans to invest $4 million into the construction for an expansion of its current facility and new semiconductor processing equipment. The company expects the expansion will create 30 new jobs over the next five years.

“With the support from the greater Manhattan area and the State of Kansas, we are happy and proud to be expanding semiconductor manufacturing in the state,” said RDT CEO Dr. Steven Bellinger. “This industry is growing around the world, and being able to conduct innovative R&D for the DoD, DOE, NIH, and NASA is exciting. We are confident that with the great veterans, university graduates, and the hard-working, results-driven workforce in Kansas, we have the talent pool we need to grow in the state.”

RDT was founded in 2011 by the Kansas State University Semiconductor Materials and Radiological Technologies (SMART) Lab in Manhattan. The company focuses on the manufacturing of high-quality semiconductor devices, semiconductor materials, radiation detectors and electronic circuit technologies. These are used in industries such as healthcare, defense, energy and agriculture.

The expansion of RDT is one piece of a growing manufacturing industry in Kansas, according to a release from the Office of the Governor. The company has experienced recent growth in semiconductor device sales. It anticipates continued growth in the following years.

“The Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce is very excited to support the expansion of Radiation Detection Technologies,” said Jason Smith, President and CEO of the Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce. “We appreciate the investment this innovative entrepreneurial company, which started at Kansas State University, is making in our region. RDT has gone from one employee to 22 and has supported Manhattan, K-State, and the state of Kansas since its founding in 2011. We look forward to partnering with RDT to expand semiconductor production capacity in the Greater Manhattan area.”

To help meet the increasing demand for new and improved semiconductors, RDT is investing in better production capabilities, more square footage, an expanded workforce and additional equipment to manufacture semiconductor devices that range from radiation detection to electric vehicle semiconductor power chips.

RDT will continue its use of a state-of-the-art dry room, which was donated to K-State, to manufacture radiation detectors for a new type of soil-moisture monitoring technology. This has applications with agriculture and weather prediction.

“On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Pottawatomie County Economic Development Corporation, I wish to congratulate Radiation Detection Technologies for their expansion and investment in our county as well as the creation of new jobs in the greater Manhattan area,” said Jack Allston, Executive Director of the Pottawatomie County Economic Development Corporation. “We also express our gratitude to Steve Bellinger, his team, and his family, who have a long history of development and commitment in western Pottawatomie County.”

RDT says it is dedicated to working with private and public-sector customers and plans to participate in the new CHIPS and Science Act of 2022.

According to the company website, RDT CEO Dr. Steven Bellinger has over 15 years of experience in the fields of semiconductor device theory and fabrication. The company has won over 24 SBIR/STTR awards from the U.S. government across a range of agencies. To learn more about RDT, click here.