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Lam Research, Inc., of Fremont, Calif., has merged with San Jose’s OnTrak Systems for $225 million in stock
LAM Research’s corporate campus is located on a 58-acre site and comprises 12 buildings with 1.3 million square feet of space. The firm worked with Glumac on the site design and master planning of the campus. Glumac also provided assistance with the phasing of development to accommodate LAM’s market needs.
merged with OnTrak Systems Inc.
A Fremont manufacturer of semiconductor equipment has announced that it has merged with San Jose’s OnTrak Systems for $225 million in stock. OnTrak chairman James Bagley will become Lam’s new CEO. He previously served as vice chairman of Applied Materials. He moved to OnTrak last year. OnTrak’s stock will be exchanged for 0.83 Lam shares. The merger is subject to shareholder approval. The combined company will operate under the same name.
The merger will create one world-wide semiconductor equipment maker. Both companies specialize in CMP (Clean Manufacturing Process) technology. The combined company must be able to effectively leverage joint sales, marketing, administrative, and facilities capabilities to create a winning combination.
laid off 500 employees in 1996
The company’s early success was due to a talented management team that included industry thinkers. In 1992, David Lam became Lam’s chief scientist. Roger Emerick was recruited as president and helped expand Lam internationally. Dennis Key, who had previously served as Lam’s vice president of domestic sales, assumed the leadership role of global sales in 1992. Way Tu was the head of Lam’s Asian operations and had been with the company since 1983.
Despite its stellar growth, Lam Research San Francisco had a difficult year in 1996. Its personal computer sales slumped severely in 1996, and the semiconductor market collapsed badly. Lam semiconductor had planned to hire 1,500 new workers between December 1995 and July 1997, but sales were down and the company laid off 500 employees in August 1996.
focuses on emerging markets
While Lam Research has long been focused on Taiwan, the company is expanding its product line in other Asian countries. Its early success owes a lot to the huge growth in semiconductor sales in Asia, particularly in Japan. This demand created a boom in the sales of chip manufacturing equipment, which became integrated into a wide variety of products. Lam Research took advantage of this growth by introducing cutting-edge products in these markets.
The company’s growth came during the turbulent 1980s, when Lam Research focused on technological innovation, global expansion, and market penetration. In addition, it put a lot of focus on quality and customer service. Through heavy R&D spending, Lam Research was able to build its technological capabilities. It also expanded its product focus to include deposition equipment, which helped it earn R&D Magazine’s top innovation award.
went public in 1984
Lam Research is a world-class provider of productivity solutions to the semiconductor industry. Founded in 1980 by David Lam, the company went public in 1984 and is now listed on the NASDAQ under the symbol “LRCX.” In 1987, Lam Research signed a partnership agreement with Sumitomo Metal Industries Ltd. and formed the Lam Technology Centre. In 1997, the company acquired OnTrak Systems.
Lam’s early success stemmed in part from its management team. In 1992, David Lam was promoted to chief scientist and Roger Emerick was recruited as president to help the company grow. By 1993, Lam had established customer support centers around the world. In addition, it had begun to expand its business into the rapidly growing Asian markets, including China. The company had also considered establishing production facilities in several markets, including Taiwan and Malaysia.
grew physically to accommodate new ventures
During the early 1980s, Lam Research outperformed many competitors, owing much of its success to the boom in semiconductor sales. This increased demand fueled the rapid growth of chip manufacturing equipment, which was in demand for many applications. The company leveraged this growth by offering cutting-edge products.
In the early 1990s, the company’s sales were centered in Taiwan, but it had begun to expand its operations into smaller markets. By the end of the decade, the company was selling more than half of its systems overseas. In 1987, it formed a partnership with Japan’s Sumitomo Metal Industries, Ltd., to develop and market a product line based on its Rainbow etch technology. The company also sought permission to expand its manufacturing plant in Korea to ten times its current size.
uses electrochemical deposition and chemical vapor deposition technologies to shape conductive and dielectric layers
Electrochemical deposition is a method of creating conductive and dielectric layers by depositing metals or semiconductors on a substrate. This method is highly effective and enables the creation of multiple layers of material with different properties. Electrochemical deposition uses two separate deposition processes, one for each material. The two processes can be conducted at different temperatures and pressures. Moreover, gas distribution between the two processes can be separated and thus prevent cross contamination.
Chemical vapor deposition is another method for creating dielectric and conductive layers. The deposition process is performed by applying a metal-organic precursor vapor on an inorganic surface. This precursor vapor reacts with the host surface and grafts to the inorganic surface. The grafted-on material is then allowed to undergo further organic oligomerization processes.
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