Bengaluru, June 23, 2023 – The semiconductor industry plays a vital role in driving the global digital economy, but the increasing complexity of devices poses challenges in advancing technology scaling. To address these challenges and accelerate innovation while reducing costs and environmental impact, a new approach is required: a connected semiconductor ecosystem that combines physical and virtual elements to unlock the power of innovation for a better world.
Today, Lam Research Corp. (Nasdaq: LRCX) unveiled several initiatives aimed at fostering collaborative innovation and establishing a virtual nano fabrication environment to expedite breakthroughs in the industry:
As a significant step towards creating a physical-virtual semiconductor ecosystem, Lam introduced the Semiverse Solutions business unit, led by Corporate Vice President David Fried. Semiverse Solutions will leverage Lam’s extensive expertise in software development, simulation and modeling, data systems, and advanced analytics. The focus of this organization is to deliver groundbreaking solutions and services that enable a virtual fabrication environment for the semiconductor industry.
The Semiverse Solutions portfolio comprises advanced software platforms designed to address process modeling, design automation, and integration challenges. It also includes solutions for advanced plasma, fluid, electromagnetic, and particle simulations. These tools act as “building blocks” to foster an interconnected ecosystem of virtual tools and digital twins, empowering researchers to explore innovative ideas and refine new processes more rapidly, cost-effectively, and with reduced material usage.
Lam has also proposed the implementation of the virtual-physical ecosystem to tackle one of the semiconductor industry’s major issues—developing the pipeline of future semiconductor talent. This initiative was included in a joint statement and fact sheet released by the governments of the United States and India at the White House today. Through its Semiverse Solutions and SEMulator3D®, Lam Research will provide a virtual nano fabrication environment to train the next generation of semiconductor engineers in India. This program, complemented by program management and customizable course curriculum, aims to educate up to 60,000 Indian engineers in nanotechnologies over a ten-year period, aligning with India’s semiconductor education and workforce development goals.
“Lam Research recognizes the crucial role that semiconductors play in enabling technologies such as artificial intelligence and electric vehicles, which increases the demand for nanotechnology expertise worldwide. We are excited to collaborate with the government of India to expedite the education and training of the next generation of semiconductor engineers,” stated Tim Archer, President and CEO of Lam Research.
Addressing the Semiconductor Talent Gap in India and Globally The semiconductor industry faces a significant talent shortage to meet future demand. Educating future semiconductor engineers is particularly challenging due to the high cost associated with providing physical access to advanced nanotechnologies. Moreover, working with volatile chemistries in semiconductor manufacturing equipment poses risks for students. Virtual simulation of real-world labs offers greater accessibility to engineering skills training, improved safety, enhanced sustainability, and expanded access to talent pools worldwide. The Semiverse Solutions portfolio’s virtual skills training is already in use by Lam, its customers, and partner academic institutions in the United States.
“The Semiverse Solutions portfolio from Lam is a game-changer that lays the foundation for a virtual semiconductor innovation universe,” said Fried. “As the semiconductor ecosystem races to scale and address the criticality of chips, the virtual-physical fabrication world enabled by Semiverse Solutions opens doors to exciting opportunities for collaboration, workforce development, and breakthroughs in advanced technology.”
