For Lam Research, Oregon isn’t just a place to work–it’s home. For over three decades, we’ve been proud to put down roots in the Silicon Forest.
How it started: It all began with a secret. In the late 1990s, a small team from Novellus Systems moved from the Bay Area, California to a garage in Tualatin, Oregon for a Skunk Works project. That gamble paid off.
- Their work led to the development of the first copper plating product, SABRE®, which transformed chip production, replacing aluminum wiring in semiconductors to enable faster, smaller, and more-energy efficient chips.
How it’s going: What started as a small, secret project in a garage has grown into one of the Portland metro area’s largest employers, earning recognition as one of Oregon’s Most Admired Technology Companies by the Portland Business Journal and being honored as this year’s Business Leader of the Year by the Tualatin Chamber of Commerce.
The big picture: Next-generation semiconductors are more difficult to fabricate than ever before. Our team in Oregon is developing deposition and etch tools that are pushing the limits of what’s possible to create chips needed for tomorrow’s computing era.
- In February, we unveiled another technological breakthrough–ALTUS® Halo, the world’s first atomic layer deposition (ALD) tool that harnesses the capabilities of the metal molybdenum in the production of leading-edge semiconductors.
By the numbers1:
- 18,300 global employees
- Three locations in Oregon, including Hillsboro, Sherwood, and Tualatin
- Two manufacturing sites
- One research and development lab
- 11 buildings in Oregon
Zoom in: The global demand for computing devices–and the semiconductors that power them–is driving an ever-increasing need for skilled manufacturers across our operations. To help broaden the pool of trained workers, we have established an apprenticeship program with Portland Community College and Clackamas Community College in Oregon.
- This partnership provides students in the microelectronics technology program with the opportunity to gain industry experience over an 18-month training period while applying the information they learned in the classroom on the manufacturing floor.
- After apprentices have successfully completed the program, the intent is to hire them into our manufacturing team as apprentice assemblers, fast tracking them into the role of fully qualified test technicians.
Giving back to Oregon: The Lam Foundation, our charitable giving foundation, is committed to our guiding principle: Act with purpose for a better world. In 2024, we invested $550,000 in Oregon community partners.
- Since 2003, our foundation has awarded $10,000 scholarships to students in communities near our operations, including Hillsboro, Tigard and Tualatin. Students are selected for their exceptional academic achievement, leadership, community involvement, and commitment to Lam’s Core Values. To date, the program has awarded more than $1.7 million in scholarships to more than 170 students across our U.S. operations.
- Since 2016, we have been proud supporters of the Girls Inc.’s Eureka initiative, which aims to nurture innovative thinking and educational and career interests for local youth. The program provides hands-on STEM activities and leadership development opportunities to more than 150 students in grades eight through 12 in the Portland, Oregon, and Vancouver, Washington, areas.
- Our employees help further our community impact, and in 2024, Oregon employees contributed nearly $250,000, matched by the company, to support a diverse range of non-profits in the state.
What’s next: We take pride in our legacy and will remain committed to shaping the future right here in the Silicon Forest.
Vartan Djihanian, director of Global Government Affairs, accepted the Tualatin Chamber of Commerce’s Business Leader of the Year award on behalf of Lam.
Footnote:
1 as of December 29, 2024
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