Applied Materials vs Lam Research: Deposition, etch & metrology compared

November 2026 edition · assessment by Frontier Tech Intelligence

Applied Materials ranks 11 on the AI Infra 100 with a score of 98; Lam Research ranks 32 with 93. Applied Materials is ahead on technology and positioning. Lam Research is ahead on production. Level on deployment, commercials, progress, firepower and leverage. Applied Materials is based in Santa Clara, United States, Lam Research in Fremont, United States. Applied Materials is named in 57 signals and Lam Research in 38.

Applied Materials →

Santa Clara, California, United States · AI Core · Semiconductor equipment, materials & critical inputs / Deposition, etch & metrology · appliedmaterials.com

Applied Materials supplies semiconductor manufacturing equipment, including wafer-processing systems, eBeam metrology and panel-scale tools used to make AI chips.

AI Infra 100 · rank 11 · score 98

Scores, AI Core (of 10)

Deployment10
Production8
Commercials10
Progress10
Technology10
Positioning10
Firepower10
Leverage10

Darker bar: ahead of the other company on that measure.

Positioning

The largest semiconductor equipment maker by revenue and the process leader in deposition, etch and materials engineering for gate-all-around logic, HBM and advanced packaging; supplies every leading fab.

Latest signals

  • AI infrastructure stocks rallied after Anthropic’s SEC filing.Caixin
  • Applied Materials unveiled its EPIC Center as a $5 billion investment.EE Times
  • Applied Materials will invest $5 billion in India over the next decade.Nikkei xTech

57 signals name Applied Materials.

Facts, with sources

  • >500mwww.datacenterdynamics.com — 2026-09-18
  • Record Q3 FY2026 revenue of $9.115 billionSemiconductor Engineering
  • FQ3 2026 record revenue of $9.12 billionApplied Materials 8-K, 10-Q

19 facts on file.

Lam Research →

Fremont, California, United States · AI Core · Semiconductor equipment, materials & critical inputs / Deposition, etch & metrology · lamresearch.com

Lam Research develops and supplies semiconductor manufacturing equipment, including atomic layer deposition, plasma processing, wafer recovery, and related process-control technologies used in high-volume fabs.

AI Infra 100 · rank 32 · score 93

Scores, AI Core (of 10)

Deployment10
Production10
Commercials10
Progress10
Technology8
Positioning8
Firepower10
Leverage10

Darker bar: ahead of the other company on that measure.

Positioning

The etch and deposition leader for memory (NAND, DRAM, HBM) and gate-all-around logic; the equipment name most exposed to the memory capacity cycle that AI has restarted.

Latest signals

  • Lam and imec collaborate on 3D integration for advanced packaging and memoryElectronics Weekly
  • Lam Research is pursuing patent and design disputes against three South Korean semiconductor-parts companies.ZDNet Korea
  • U.S. semiconductor stocks sold off sharply on October 22, 2026.Yicai

38 signals name Lam Research.

Facts, with sources

  • >500mwww.irobotnews.com — 2026-09-18
  • USD 6720000000Semiconductor Engineering
  • September revenue guidanceLam Research 8-K, call

16 facts on file.

More comparisons

Questions this page answers

Applied Materials or Lam Research: which is ahead in ai core?

Applied Materials ranks 11 on the AI Infra 100 with a score of 98; Lam Research ranks 32 with 93. Applied Materials is ahead on technology and positioning. Lam Research is ahead on production. Level on deployment, commercials, progress, firepower and leverage. Applied Materials is based in Santa Clara, United States, Lam Research in Fremont, United States. Applied Materials is named in 57 signals and Lam Research in 38.

How do Applied Materials and Lam Research compare?

Applied Materials ranks 11 on the AI Infra 100 with a score of 98; Lam Research ranks 32 with 93. Applied Materials is ahead on technology and positioning. Lam Research is ahead on production. Level on deployment, commercials, progress, firepower and leverage. Applied Materials is based in Santa Clara, United States, Lam Research in Fremont, United States. Applied Materials is named in 57 signals and Lam Research in 38. Both company files carry the scores on eight measures, the facts with sources and the latest signals.

Every comparison here comes from the same files members use every day.

Members see every signal and fact behind both companies, the live ranking, the questions the signals answer and the week explained. $99 a month, 7-day trial. What Frontier Tech Intelligence is →

Subscribe · $99 a month