Lam Research and Velo3D Strike Strategic Agreement to Use Metal Additive Manufacturing Applications for Production of Semiconductor Capital Equipment

October 19, 2020

Joint agreement includes proprietary process development and investment in Velo3D

CAMPBELL, Calif., August 4, 2020 – Digital manufacturing innovator Velo3D and Lam Research Corporation (Nasdaq: LRCX) today announced a joint development agreement that includes collaboration on novel materials and designs in metal additive manufacturing (AM) or 3D printing applications for the semiconductor industry. Lam plans to significantly increase the volume of parts produced by AM over the next five years.

Additive manufacturing allows transformation of the supply chain from production of parts typically manufactured by subtractive methods, to higher performance, innovative designs that enable agile supply chains to adopt Industry 4.0 principles. Velo3D will develop new metal alloys on its Sapphire® printer that are critical to Lam designs and technologies. Lam Capital will also invest an undisclosed amount in Velo3D.

“Lam Research is leveraging additive manufacturing as a driver of the innovation that enables our customers to build smaller, faster, more powerful, and power-efficient electronic devices for everyday use,” said Kevin Jennings, senior vice president of Global Operations at Lam Research. “This joint development arrangement aligns well with Lam’s mission to continuously seek new technologies that push the limits of product design and manufacturing. We are excited to lead the semiconductor industry in delivering value to our customers from AM.”

“Semiconductor manufacturing is one of the best examples of high-volume production and Lam requires the highest levels of repeatability and consistency to achieve precision control at atomic scale,” states Benny Buller, CEO and founder of Velo3D. “Velo3D is well positioned to provide confidence in metal 3D printing due to our calibration, metrology, and digital traceability capabilities. This relationship aims to accelerate Lam’s journey of continuous innovation toward producing equipment that creates cutting-edge microprocessors, memory devices, and numerous related product types.”

Metal AM is a promising component of the digital transformation movement that is reducing reliance on analog manufacturing methodologies. Starting with a CAD file, AM builds production metal parts using lasers to fuse fine metal powder, layer by layer. 3D printing enables accelerated timelines, reduction in raw materials, and complex designs that are too difficult or costly to manufacture using conventional methods.

Velo3D recently closed a $40M round of funding, bringing total funding for the company to $150M. This new investment enables the company to expand its technology capabilities and reach profitability by mid-2022.

Lam Capital is Lam Research’s venture group that invests in innovative companies addressing today’s most challenging, high impact problems. From innovative semiconductor and equipment technologies to AI and Industry 4.0 technologies, Lam Capital invests in and partners with startups that are disrupting their respective industries. For more information, visit www.lamcapital.com.


About Lam Research
Lam Research Corp. is a global supplier of innovative wafer fabrication equipment and services to the semiconductor industry. As a trusted, collaborative partner to the world’s leading semiconductor companies, we combine superior systems engineering capability, technology leadership, and unwavering commitment to customer success to accelerate innovation through enhanced device performance. In fact, today, nearly every advanced chip is built with Lam technology. Lam Research (Nasdaq: LRCX) is a FORTUNE 500® company headquartered in Fremont, Calif., with operations around the globe. Learn more at www.lamresearch.com.

About Velo3D

Velo3D empowers companies to manufacture anything. Bringing together an integrated solution of software, hardware, and process-control innovation, Velo3D introduced the first SupportFree capability for 3D metal printing. This enables unlimited design innovation by reducing the need for support structures in metal additive manufacturing. The company’s Sapphire® system is built with a semiconductor mindset on quality assurance, ensuring repeatability and dependability throughout serial manufacturing.

Headquartered in Silicon Valley, California, Velo3D helps companies deliver immediate business impact by making the impossible, possible. To learn more, please visit www.velo3d.com.

Media Contact:

press@velo3d.com

About the Author

Renette Youssef

Chief Marketing Officer

Renette Youssef is the Chief Marketing Officer at Velo3D and joined in October 2020. She is responsible for all aspects of Velo3D's marketing efforts including strategy, customer communication, demand generation, product marketing and corporate communication. Renette has managed marketing organizations in Australia, Europe, and Silicon Valley.