Lam Research Breaks Ground on Oregon Lab for AI Semiconductor R&D

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In a ceremony at its world-class research and development (R&D) center in Tualatin, Oregon, Lam Research Corp. commemorated the start of construction on its new, state-of-the-art Oregon lab, part of a more than $3 billion planned investment in its global lab network over the next five years to accelerate breakthroughs for the creation of advanced AI chips. Located in the Silicon Forest, in close proximity to key customers, the new 120,000-square-foot facility is expected to increase cleanroom lab space at the Lam Tualatin R&D center by more than 50% when completed, enabling expanded experimentation and accelerated solution development. Lam plans to make the new facility one of its most advanced labs in the world, increasing capacity and capabilities for side-by-side innovation with customers and compressing product development cycles across its global lab network.

Lam Research President and CEO Tim Archer, U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon, U.S. Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici of Oregon, Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read, senior leaders from Intel Corporation and Micron Technology, and other distinguished government, community and nonprofit leaders join together to break ground on Lam’s new Oregon lab in a ceremony.

President and Chief Executive Officer Tim Archer and Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Sesha Varadarajan of Lam Research were joined at the groundbreaking event by U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon; U.S. Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici of Oregon; Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read; senior leaders from Intel Corporation and Micron Technology; and other distinguished government, community and nonprofit leaders.

"Delivering next-generation semiconductors at the speed of AI requires relentless innovation and a strategic focus on the technology breakthroughs that matter most to our customers. Our new advanced Oregon lab is expected to deepen our specialized capabilities and add tens of thousands of square feet of valuable cleanroom space, enabling even closer collaboration with customers while strengthening the expertise and reach of our global lab network," said Varadarajan. "This expansion reflects our continuing commitment to advancing the Silicon Forest as a leader in U.S. semiconductor innovation. We thank the State of Oregon, Washington County, and the City of Tualatin for their long-standing partnership and look forward to continuing our work together to advance economic opportunities in a community we've been proud to be part of for more than 30 years."

Expanding the Power of Lam's Global Lab Network

The new Oregon lab will build on Lam's strengths as a leader in atomic-scale semiconductor manufacturing, adding specialized capabilities to support advanced deposition and etch process development, materials science, and hardware validation. Just like in Lam's existing labs, customers can work closely on-site in the new facility with Lam engineers through each phase of product development, from idea to deployment in their fabs. The lab will also join Lam's integrated network of specialized labs around the world, which operate together to drive innovation 24/7, in parallel and at scale.

Advancing Lam's Leadership in the Silicon Forest

Projected to open in 2028, the new state-of-the-art Oregon lab is part of a planned multi-building expansion at Lam's Tualatin campus. According to a third-party assessment, over the three-year construction period, the expansion project is expected to create approximately 900 jobs and $500 million in economic output .

Once completed, the expansion is expected to represent the company's biggest investment in Oregon to date, with a projected economic impact that includes creating more than 400 new Lam jobs and bolstering the number of jobs that Lam supports statewide to more than 11,000. In addition, the completed expansion is projected to increase Lam's annual economic contribution in Oregon to more than $1.8 billion.