Lam Research reviews

Specific to the dry etch process group - high workload and low levels of appreciation for it. Everyone works hard so the practice of overworking employees are normalized. A 6 month period of 80 hour weeks ends with a 11.95USD thank you lunch, if the project did not successful. This is 80 hours where I was working on equipments availability and schedule, with food and bathroom breaks as a second thought. 80 hours in front of you desk is NOT the same as 80 hours standing in a cleanroom, emerging only for meetings. The saddest thing about all this, is that the knowledge you gain is actually not very valuable. There are 10 "knobs" you can turn in process for dry etch, the entirety of the role is to come up with combinations of the knobs that etches the substrate to your specification. You do NOT learn about how your work fits in with the entire IC design, how logic chips work etc. You can learn about it on your own time.

The strenuous environment and poor work/life balance can and will outweigh any of the positives listed above. When you make a good paycheck, what does it matter if there's little to no time to actually enjoy the fruits of your labor? What does this mean? Sure, you can enjoy a lazy Sunday, but you will break the unwritten rules of having to respond to and read e-mails, or even go into work. As a result, you will stick out like a sore thumb if you neglect being glued to your computer/phone almost 24/7. This makes it hard to enjoy things outside of work. It is worth mentioning that some, but not all, old timers and ex-military people like to engender fear, thinking they are above everyone or that they are still in the military. This diminishes one's enjoyment of work and defeats the majority of the positive aspects mentioned above. Join at your own risk--there are positives, but consider how these negatives may outweigh them. There are parts of Lam that are UNBELIEVABLY stressful.