Overall good company, but work can be tough and in a competitive workplace all the time - Process Engineer Lam Research Employee Review

3.0
Oct 30, 2018
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

One of the leaders in semiconductor manufacturing industry with cutting edge technology Good benefit overall Nice colleagues

Cons

Cyclical business environment, down turn layoff still happens. Long working hours in lab with tough deadline can be expected all the time. There are a lot of reviews and emphasizing on presentation instead of actual work, engineer needs to spend a lot of time in lab doing the work but also needs to be able to do fancy presentation and know how to show the work to upper management. A lots of planing works, communications, documentations and meetings even before starting the work, micromanagement happens very often. There are little room for creativity and no room for mistake. Hard work is not guaranteed will get respect from management, and it’s very competitive environment with a lots of PhDs doing the same work.

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5.0
Jun 14, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Good work life balance and management

Cons

Challenge customer, leans towards Taiwanese colleague

2.0
Jun 11, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Pay is market rate or slightly higher. Smart new fresh grads join every year. They work hard.

Cons

Avoid Dielectric Etch Org as much as you can. Both product and process engineering. Constant Pressure, extreme long work hours, You are working 7/8 AM to 9/10PM, need to work on weekends because of lack of tool times. High level management yelling, screaming in meetings for anything trivial. If CVP wakes up not happy that day, someone will get yelled at in either large or small meetings for small things. THIS IS Dielectric Etch Culture at Lam. This place is a cesspool of nepotism. Even director levels are being yelled at constantly in meetings for various reasons, if he or she is not favored by the CVP. If a mediocre engineer or director who is liked by CVP, he will have much easy time cruising through with minimal effort and knowledge. ... If you are fresh PhD from top or mid tier schools, expect 80hr work weeks, and if you are not lucky, wait for 4 years to be promoted from lvl 3 to 4 level and stuck with no options to move around because you are stuck in Semiconductor equipment industry and other orgs in Lam won't take you. There are many junior engineers with excellent work ethic stuck doing the same things for half a decade without a move in their career. But if you are good at lip service, your life will be easier. Do not trust the general statement of Lam has good culture, it is very very dependent on which Org inside Lam.

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