The CUORICINO experiment was an array of 62 TeO$_{ 2}$ single-crystal bolometers with a total $^{ 130}$Te mass of $11.3\,$kg. The experiment finished in 2008 after more than 3 years of active operating time. Searches for both $0\nu$ and $2\nu$ double-beta decay to the first excited $0^{ +}$ state in $^{ 130}$Xe were performed by studying different coincidence scenarios. The analysis was based on data representing a total exposure of N($^{ 130}$Te)$\cdot$t=$9.5\times10^{ 25}\,$y. No evidence for a signal was found. The resulting lower limits on the half lives are $T^{ 2\nu}_{ 1/2}(^{ 130} Te\rightarrow^{ 130} Xe^{ *})>1.3\times10^{ 23}\,$y (90% C.L.), and $T^{ 0\nu}_{ 1/2}(^{ 130} Te\rightarrow^{ 130} Xe^{ *})>9.4\times10^{ 23}\,$y (90% C.L.).
Categories: nucl-ex