Lam Research Corporation, founded in 1980, is one of the leading suppliers of wafer fabrication equipment and services to the world's semiconductor industry. The company provides various types of etch systems, including dielectric etch, conductor etch, resist strip and Synergy cleaning products. Its etch and chemical mechanical planarization products selectively remove portions of various films from the wafer to create semiconductors. The company also develops intellectual property for integrated processing solutions. Its Synergy standalone clean system is used to clean wafers both before and after a range of semiconductor processing steps. Lam Research Corporation is headquartered in Fremont, Calif., and maintains a network of facilities throughout the United States, Japan, Europe, and Asia.