<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0306</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4/A</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2014-11-03</periodOfReport>

    <dateOfOriginalSubmission>2014-11-05</dateOfOriginalSubmission>

    <notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000707549</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>LAM RESEARCH CORP</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>LRCX</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001518578</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>Heckart Christine</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O LAM RESEARCH CORPORATION</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>4650 CUSHING PARKWAY</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>FREMONT</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>CA</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>94538</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2014-11-03</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>S</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>383</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>77.74</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>11846</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Shares sold pursuant to 10b5-1 Trading Plan.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">The sale reported in a Form 4 filed on November 5, 2014 (the &quot;Form 4&quot;) of 1,436 shares pursuant to a 10b5-1 Trading Plan, which the broker acknowledged was erroneously initiated without the reporting person's involvement due to the broker's error, was undone prior to settlement through the broker's error account and therefore did not occur for the reporting person's account.  After nullifying the erroneous transaction, and following the sale of 383 shares also reported in the Form 4, the reporting person owned 11,846 shares of common stock, including shares subject to unvested Restricted Stock Units.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Aaron Beckman by Power of Attorney</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2014-11-12</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
