Rich Carter's innovation leadership at Oregon State University is making waves far beyond campus, and his efforts have earned notable recognition. Fresh off receiving the 2025 OSU Faculty Innovator Award, Carter and his company, Valliscor, have broken ground on a new manufacturing campus in Albany that will expand the domestic supply chain for critical semiconductor materials.
Carter, a professor of chemistry and faculty lead for Innovation Excellence, has long championed the power of university research to drive economic and societal impact. He co-founded Valliscor, a company focused on producing high-value fluorine-containing compounds used in pharmaceuticals and advanced manufacturing. It's now stepping into the semiconductor market. Valliscor carried out early process development at OSU's Advanced Technology and Manufacturing Institute, an applied research and development facility that supports university-industry collaboration.
That entrepreneurial vision is now being honored at Oregon State. Carter is the recipient of the 2025 Faculty Innovator Award, recognized for his leadership in fostering innovation across the university, from strengthening support for faculty entrepreneurs to helping reform how academic promotion and tenure evaluate innovation. As chair of the Promotion and Tenure — Innovation and Entrepreneurship (PTIE) coalition, Carter has worked with more than 65 institutions worldwide to elevate the role of innovation in higher education. He is also collaborating with 18 universities on NSF-funded efforts to advance OSU intellectual property.
Expanding Oregon's semiconductor supply chain
This spirit of innovation extends directly into Valiscor's next chapter. In late August, the company held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new, 12-acre production campus in Albany, Oregon. Supported by more than $3 million in state and local investment, the expansion will add a 16,000-square-foot manufacturing building and 15,000 square feet of chemical storage.
The Albany site will scale production of hexafluoro-1,3-butadiene (C4F6) — a critical etchant gas used in semiconductor manufacturing. Increasing domestic availability of C4F6 is a strategic priority for U.S. chip production, and Valliscor's expansion positions the Willamette Valley as an emerging hub for advanced-materials manufacturing.
"None of this would be possible without the amazing team at Valliscor that I have the honor to work with everyday," Carter said. "We are excited about this future direction of the company and look forward to growing our business in the Willamette Valley."
