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Lam Research Expands Boise Investment to Support U.S. Chip Growth
February 18, 2026 | PRNewswireEstimated reading time: 3 minutes
In a ribbon-cutting ceremony, Lam Research Corp. commemorated the opening of its new office in Boise, Idaho, joined by U.S. Senator Jim Risch, representatives of Micron Technology, Inc. and other distinguished local government, community, and academic leaders. The new office will initially support approximately 150 Lam personnel from the greater Boise area focused on collaborative research, development and high-volume manufacturing of Micron's leading-edge memory technology, with room for future growth.
Neil Fernandes, senior vice president of Global Customer Operations for Lam Research, is joined by U.S. Senator Jim Risch; John Whitman, corporate vice president of central engineering and procurement at Micron; and local government, community, and academic leaders at a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Lam's new Boise office.
"Lam's expansion in Idaho provides critical infrastructure near one of our largest customers and enables us to accelerate our operations in America's leading hub for world-class memory chip manufacturing," said Neil Fernandes, senior vice president of Global Customer Operations for Lam Research, who cut the ribbon at today's ceremony. "As we celebrate our new office, we also demonstrate our commitment to our talented employees, the City of Trees community, and Micron to drive breakthroughs to enable the next generation of advanced memory chips."
Found in state-of-the-art fabs across the U.S. and around the globe, Lam's innovative manufacturing equipment and processes are used to create nearly every advanced chip in the world. Building on Lam's more than 30 years in Boise, the new 9,200 sq. ft. office is the company's latest U.S. expansion and part of a multi-year strategy to increase the company's operational and innovation velocity to support chipmakers enabling the artificial intelligence (AI) era.
Among Lam's customers is Boise-headquartered Micron, who recently awarded Lam as Outstanding Front End Equipment Supplier of the Year in 2025.
"Micron's memory manufacturing operations in Boise—along with our planned expansions—are essential to strengthening America's technology leadership," said John Whitman, corporate vice president of central engineering and procurement at Micron. "The advanced deposition and etch tools from Lam Research installed in our state-of-the-art fabs allow us to produce high performance, high-capacity memory chips with extraordinary precision at the atomic scale. We are grateful for Lam's longstanding partnership and congratulate them on their new office. We look forward to continuing to grow together as we drive U.S. semiconductor manufacturing."
"A strong supply of American-made semiconductors is critical to strengthening our economy and bolstering U.S. national security. Lam Research's new Boise office and fabrication equipment further solidify Idaho's strong leadership in semiconductor manufacturing. Continued investment in the Treasure Valley will not only support job creation but also benefit the Gem State's economy and cutting-edge work in technological advancement," said Senator Jim Risch.
Craig Quarterman, district director for U.S. Congressman Mike Simpson, was also in attendance at the event. Additional speakers included Sandy Anderson of the Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce, Dr. Nancy Glenn, vice president of research and economic development at Boise State University, and Laura Honn, director of revenue and outreach for Women's and Children's Alliance, representing two of the many academic institutions, associations, and organizations with whom Lam works closely to foster future talent and support community resilience in Idaho.
Lam's state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment brings together diverse disciplines such as plasma physics, materials science, advanced robotics, and artificial intelligence to create semiconductor fabrication solutions that deliver both nanoscale-level precision and excellent production economics. These solutions are used to create smaller, taller, higher performance chips for smartphones, automotive, AI and data centers. Lam also provides a growing portfolio of advanced services and solutions to lead the industry's transition to the autonomous fab of the future, including Semiverse® Solutions virtualization software, Equipment Intelligence® technology and Dextro™ collaborative robots.
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Ventec Evaluates US Manufacturing Facility to Support North American Growth
04/28/2026 | Ventec International GroupVentec International Group today announced that it is evaluating the potential establishment of a manufacturing facility in the United States to support its growing North American customer base with high-performance laminate and prepreg materials.
Roundtable: Advanced Materials
04/27/2026 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamDriven largely by the need for advanced chip technology for super compute ability and AI applications, low Dk, low-loss resin systems, and heavy copper laminate are attracting significant attention and global resources. There are numerous unavoidable challenges in this market that will impact manufacturers and the supply chain, and they may be hitting critical mass sooner than OEMs and fabricators think. In this roundtable discussion, moderator Marcy LaRont speaks with topic experts: Mark Goodwin, John Fix, and Ed Kelley.
Fresh PCB Concepts: Designing PCBs for Harsh Environments—Reliability Is Engineered Upstream
04/23/2026 | Team NCAB -- Column: Fresh PCB ConceptsWhen engineers hear the phrase “harsh environment,” they usually think of the extreme temperature swings, vibration and shock, pressure changes, or radiation in aerospace. However, aerospace is not the only harsh environment where electronic assemblies must survive. Automotive power electronics, downhole oil and gas tools, marine controls, rail systems, defense platforms, and industrial automation equipment all expose PCBs to environments that are equally unforgiving. The stress mechanisms may differ, but the physics does not.
Volatile Metals Market Creates PCB Pricing Headache
04/20/2026 | Nolan Johnson, I-Connect007Market volatility for precious metals is very real. Financial organizations have reported elevated volatility, with record highs and steep corrections; in 2025 alone, gold has increased by over 60%, silver over 120%, and copper over 35%. Each is a critical raw material used in electronics manufacturing, where pricing is already fraught for business owners and their customers due to tariff uncertainty and a critical supply chain that resides mostly in China. The volatility of precious metals markets adds yet another layer of complexity for manufacturers, pushing up raw material costs.
I-Connect007 Releases Episode 4 of ‘PCB Materials: The Backbone and Future of Electronics’ Podcast Series
04/09/2026 | I-Connect007I-Connect007 is excited to announce the release of Episode 4 in its six-part podcast series with Isola experts, PCB Materials: The Backbone and Future of Electronics. Titled “Reliability Under Pressure—PCBs in Harsh Environments,” this episode explores the challenges of maintaining long-term performance in demanding applications like aerospace, automotive, and defense. Host Marcy LaRont speaks with Laura Martin, director of strategic markets at Isola, about what reliability truly means when printed circuit boards are pushed to their limits.