David K. Lam

David K. Lam
Born	Guangdong, China
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, technology executive
Years active	1980–present
Known for	Founder of Lam Research Corporation

David Kitping Lam () is a Chinese-born American entrepreneur specializing in technology and the founder of Lam Research Corporation (established 1980). He currently holds the position of Chairman at Multibeam Corporation based in Santa Clara, California, a company that produces complementary electron beam lithography (CEBL) equipment. Additionally, he leads the David Lam Group, which offers investment and advisory services to rapidly expanding tech enterprises.

Early life and education

Originally from Guangdong, China, Lam spent his childhood in Cholon, Ho Chi Minh City within South Vietnam. His family escaped China during the 1940s and subsequently relocated to Hong Kong in the mid-1950s due to regional unrest. After completing his studies at Pui Ching Middle School in Hong Kong, Lam moved to North America to pursue engineering and physics.

He obtained a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Engineering Physics from the University of Toronto in 1967, where he engaged in nuclear physics research and co-authored a study on electron-positron annihilation. Lam earned his M.S. (1970) and Sc.D. (1973) degrees in Chemical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. During this time, he co-developed a patented plasma-based solid lubricant known as "Fluorine Plasma Synthesis for Carbon Monofluoride." His doctoral thesis included investigations on polymeric thin-film deposition, published in the Journal of Macromolecular Science – Chemistry.

Career

Following his graduation from MIT, Lam focused on research and engineering related to plasma etching at Texas Instruments and Hewlett-Packard. Although plasma etching was widely used in 1970s research settings, it was not yet practical for manufacturing due to technical limitations and operator variability. Lam recognized that analog control systems restricted precision, and manual adjustments by technicians introduced inconsistency. He conceptualized a production-ready plasma etcher characterized by:

• Digital controls to enhance precision and consistency
• Single-wafer processing within a load-locked chamber to minimize contamination and variability
• Complete automation to boost reproducibility while reducing human error

With initial funding provided by his widowed mother, Lam established Lam Research Corporation in 1980 and successfully demonstrated a fully automated etching system within its first year. Under his guidance, the company gained market entry in Japan and endured a double-dip economic downturn. In 1984, Lam became the first Asian American entrepreneur to take his firm public on NASDAQ.

Lam transitioned from full-time management at Lam Research in 1985 but remained on its board for five additional years. He subsequently led the restructuring of Link Technologies, which was acquired by Wyse Technology in 1987. He also oversaw software development and marketing efforts at ExpertEdge before founding the David Lam Group in 1995, providing both strategic consulting and investment support to startups and businesses undergoing transformation.

Throughout his career, Lam has mentored founders across fields such as micro- and nano-electronics, computer hardware and software, medical devices, as well as energy infrastructure.

Presently, Lam serves as Chairman of Multibeam Corporation, an innovator in CEBL (complementary electron beam lithography) and DEW (direct electron writing) technologies. As optical lithography nears its technical limits with increasingly expensive photomasks, CEBL offers integration with existing fabrication lines to lower photomask costs for critical layers.

Via the David Lam Group, he continues advising emerging tech companies and has held board positions at firms including Microprobe (acquired by FormFactor in 2012), Xradia (acquired by ZEISS in 2013), and SSEC (acquired by Veeco in 2014). These companies operate within semiconductor equipment manufacturing, micro- and nano-device production, computer hardware, software development, medical technology, and energy infrastructure sectors.

Pro bono work

Lam has actively supported numerous governmental, educational, and community organizations throughout his career.

• Designated by President George H. W. Bush to serve on the U.S. Commission on Minority Business Development from 1989 to 1991
• Selected as one of twenty business leaders for the Presidential Business Development Mission to China, led by Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown during President Bill Clinton’s administration in 1994
• Appointed by California Chief Justice Malcolm M. Lucas to the Commission on the Future of the Courts, serving from 1991 to 1993
• Co-founded the Committee of 100, a Chinese American advocacy group; held positions as vice chair for six years and director for eight years
• Transformed the Asia America Multitechnology Association from a modest Asian technology organization into an international network connecting technology entrepreneurs and professionals
• Directed the technology export program for Joint Venture Silicon Valley, a public-private partnership focused on advancing California’s economic development and job creation between 1990 and 1993
• Served on the board of the National Conference for Christians and Jews (later renamed National Conference for Community and Justice) from 1995 through 2004
• Participated on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Visiting Committee for the Department of Chemical Engineering, providing guidance on academic initiatives from 1988 to 1996
• Advised Dr. Robert Caret, president of San Jose State University from 1995 to 2000, contributing to financial strengthening efforts and fostering collaboration with the City of San Jose, California that resulted in the joint Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library; this facility opened in 2003 and earned multiple national accolades including the 2004 Library of the Year award

Honors

• 2013: Inducted into the Silicon Valley Engineering Hall of Fame
• 2011: Under Lam’s leadership, Multibeam Corporation received recognition twice by Red Herring as a Top 100 company both in North America and worldwide
• 1999: Acknowledged by the Contra Costa Times as one of the "Century’s Top Movers and Shapers" for his pivotal role in positioning Fremont as a high-tech center via Lam Research
• 1997: Featured in The Tech Museum of Innovation’s "The Revolutionaries" series and profiled in the San Jose Mercury News

External links

• Multibeam Corporation
• David Lam Group
• "Oral History: David K. Lam | SEMI.ORG" semi.org, 2011
• Lam Research 25th Anniversary Interview (short) - 2005
• Lam Research 25th Anniversary Interview (extended) - 2005
• "Mentor Capitalist" shares his technical and business savvy - MIT Technology Review, April 23, 2013