- Lam's newest tool VECTOR® TEOS 3D is made in Oregon by a highly skilled local workforce
- Lam manufacturing prizes worker safety and satisfaction, with high retention in Tualatin
The recently launched VECTOR® TEOS 3D, a new deposition tool designed for advanced packaging, is made at the Lam Tualatin, Oregon, campus.
- The tool is built by a highly skilled local workforce in the greater Portland area who are drawn to the company’s culture and reputation for continuous innovation, with the opportunity to solve some of the semiconductor industry’s biggest problems.
- Lam manufacturing teams and their solutions help customers accelerate the pace of innovation in the AI era.
One of several Lam tools produced in the United States, VECTOR TEOS 3D addresses critical production challenges for 3D chips used in AI, high-performance computing, and gaming. Other U.S.-made tools include Flex®, Kiyo®, and SABRE® 3D.
The manufacturing floor where TEOS 3D and other tools are built in Tualatin is anything but an assembly-line process. The Pilot Engineering team works on the left, while the Manufacturing/Assembly team works on the right. Both teams collaborate with ease due to their proximity. Credit: Jerry Davis.
Diverse Talent Across Lam Manufacturing
Tualatin manufacturing workers represent a wide variety of experiences, backgrounds, cultures, and nationalities, says senior director of manufacturing Michael Leonard.
Workers (mostly technicians and engineers) typically are hired after graduating from local colleges and universities like Portland Community College, Clackamas Community College, Mount Hood Community College, Oregon State University, Oregon Institute of Technology, and Portland State University.
- Engineers include those who’ve studied manufacturing engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, industrial engineering, and software engineering.
- Technicians include prototype assemblers, advanced troubleshooting technicians, and test engineers.
Many employees learn multidisciplinary skills on the job, enhancing both their adaptability on the factory floor and their potential for career advancement.
As a new product line like TEOS 3D is designed, tested, and built to customer specifications, it passes through two teams who work together at several stages: the Pilot Engineering team and the Manufacturing/Assembly team.
Lam Pilot Engineering Team Designs Process, Flow
The Pilot Engineering team, led by Mike Longwill, engineering director in Tualatin, performs the process design. This team also designs how the tool is assembled as it flows through the factory.
The Pilot Engineering team includes electrical engineers, mechanical engineers, software engineers, and engineering technicians (prototype assemblers).
“The process allows us to optimize designs with the Product Group [the Lam engineers who design a tool] to prepare it for customers,” Longwill says.
Longwill's team also determines how the tool is tested after it’s assembled to validate the product meets specifications and is ready to function at the customer site.
Manufacturing/Assembly Team Works Closely with Engineering
Having highly skilled technicians and engineers who are agile across different disciplines helps tremendously. “We have people on our teams who are able to do the work well and also have the flexibility to develop new products,” says Jon Brown, senior engineering director of the Tualatin pilot group.
For assembly, the tool goes to the Manufacturing team. But it doesn’t need to travel far. “We work literally across the aisle from the Pilot team in Tualatin,” says Michael Leonard, senior director of manufacturing.
“The goal is to ‘strike plasma’ (power up the tool) to make sure we have a working tool before it goes out to the customers,” Leonard says.
Team Collaboration Fosters Cooperation and Innovation
The pilot and manufacturing teams’ physical proximity allows them to work closely together, troubleshooting and collaborating on solutions in real time.
“The Pilot Engineering group comes across the aisle if we have an issue,” Leonard explains. “And we can also get the Product Group to come on the floor to help us out.”
The result is a highly cooperative environment, with an emphasis on continuous improvement, innovation, and workforce development.
Opportunities and Safety Enhance Employee Retention
The Manufacturing/Assembly workplace is where employees can thrive, with an exceptionally low turnover rate. Manufacturing employees can receive promotion opportunities and career development for higher pay and acquire new and diverse skills that are key to staying agile. For instance, assemblers can train to become test technicians.
Safety is equally central to Lam’s manufacturing culture.
- Lam Tualatin is the largest employer in Oregon awarded for its Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) by OSHA for safety, and placed second nationally.
- The Engineering team is also dedicated to minimizing hazards on the factory floor by deploying fixtures and optimal work practices.
- An ergonomist and physical training team are onsite to provide physical therapy for employees, free of charge.
It all makes a difference for workers. “We have a broad cross-discipline team that allows Lam Tualatin to do this kind of advanced manufacturing work safely, day in and day out,“ Jon says.