• Lam works with faculty and students to increase speed to solution
• Projects include on-wafer materials, plasma control, and more

Lam Research is investing more heavily in research and development (R&D) in the next few years. Our collaborations with universities support fundamental research and early learning to increase understanding of Lam's current and future technologies.

Academic research projects are sponsored by Lam's product groups and the Office of the Chief Officer of Technology. In 2023, Lam funded faculty at more than 60 universities located in 15 countries worldwide.

Why it matters: Lam can accelerate innovation by leveraging the deep expertise and specialized equipment at universities that are not available within Lam.

Sparking Creativity

Lam's university collaborations fulfill two goals: The research fuels Lam's technology pipeline, while the participating students fuel Lam's talent pipeline and spark creative approaches to industry challenges.

Rishi Narayan, Lam India

"It was very refreshing to see how the university students go about solving a problem," says Rishi Narayan at Lam India LIGHT of his collaboration with researchers to explore new robotic technologies for automating inspection and maintenance in crowded fabs.

"They can take a very theoretical idea to start, and they don't shy away from any approaches," Rishi says. "That kind of thought approach is something I'll utilize in my work here at Lam."

Improving Processes

Lam technical liaison Pylin Sarobol and a team of university researchers studied approaches to make chambers more resistant to harsh semiconductor processing conditions.

Pylin Sarobol, Lam Global Operations

"We picked this particular approach because it can be adopted to improve our products while maintaining low cost of ownership," Pylin says.

"The university understands our needs as a company, which allows us to move faster in our collaboration because the industry always wants a solution yesterday," Pylin says.

• University research results were shared at Lam's 2024 University Collaboration Showcase (UCS) in September so that the learnings could be amplified across multiple Lam business units and regions.
• Research projects were categorized into six areas: On-Wafer Materials and Interfaces, Plasma Characterization and Control, Improving Chamber Sub-Systems, Productivity and Sustainability, Lightening the Human Lift​, and Building More Robust Equipment.

Related Information

• University Programs at Lam Research
• Sustainable Product Innovation at Lam Research

Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Statements made in this article that are not of historical fact are forward-looking statements and are subject to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements relate to but are not limited to: market and industry trends; the potential technology advancements and opportunities related to our investments in research and development; and potential advancements to our products resulting from new approaches. Some factors that may affect these forward-looking statements include: trade regulations, export controls, trade disputes, and other geopolitical tensions may inhibit our ability to sell our products; business, political and/or regulatory conditions in the consumer electronics industry, the semiconductor industry and the overall economy may deteriorate or change; the actions of our customers and competitors may be inconsistent with our expectations; supply chain cost increases and other inflationary pressures have impacted and may continue to impact our profitability; supply chain disruptions or manufacturing capacity constraints may limit our ability to manufacture and sell our products; and natural and human-caused disasters, disease outbreaks, war, terrorism, political or governmental unrest or instability, or other events beyond our control may impact our operations in affected areas; as well as the other risks and uncertainties that are described in the documents filed or furnished by us with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including specifically the Risk Factors described in our annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024 and our quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 29, 2024. These uncertainties and changes could materially affect the forward-looking statements and cause actual results to vary from expectations in a material way. The Company undertakes no obligation to update the information or statements made in this article.

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