The Short Answer
Lattice Semiconductor stock (LSCC) is generally considered halal by most Islamic scholars and Sharia screening criteria. Lattice is a fabless semiconductor company that designs low-power, small-form-factor field-programmable-gate-array (FPGA) products.
Fabless-semiconductor design and design-software activities are unambiguously permissible at the activity level. Lattice also operates a net-cash balance sheet with high margins, so the financial screen passes comfortably.
Sharia Screening Methodology
Islamic scholars use several criteria to screen stocks:
- Business activity screen: Is the company's primary business halal?
- Debt ratio: Total debt / market cap must be under 33%
- Interest income: Interest income / total revenue must be under 5%
- Haram revenue: Revenue from haram sources must be under 5%
- Receivables ratio: Total receivables / total assets must be under 49–70% (varies by board)
Lattice's Business Activity
Lattice Semiconductor designs and sells:
- FPGA products: Low-power programmable-logic devices on the Nexus and Avant platforms
- Design software & IP: Software stacks and intellectual-property for FPGA development
- Applications: System-control, hardware-security, sensor-bridging, and edge-AI across communications, computing, industrial, automotive, and consumer markets
These are general-purpose technology-hardware businesses — designing programmable-logic chips and the software that configures them. This is permissible at the activity level.
Concerns to Be Aware Of
1. General-Purpose Component Use
Programmable-logic chips are general-purpose components that may be incorporated into a wide range of end-products, including some used in defense, gaming, or other applications that stricter investors screen. Under standard methodology, the chip designer is screened on its own permissible activity rather than the look-through end-product.
2. Semiconductor Cyclicality
Earnings can be sensitive to the semiconductor cycle, channel-inventory dynamics, and end-market demand swings. This is a business-cycle consideration rather than a Sharia screen concern.
3. Minor Interest Income
Lattice operates a net-cash balance sheet, so minor interest income is the principal financial-screen consideration — purification of a small portion of any future dividends may be advisable.
Financial Ratios (2025)
Based on Lattice's most recent financial statements:
- Total Debt / Market Cap: Well below 33% — net-cash balance sheet ✅
- Interest Income / Revenue: Under 5% ✅
- Haram Revenue: Negligible (general-purpose chip design) ✅
- Business Activity: Permissible semiconductor design ✅
Verdict from Major Screening Agencies
Lattice Semiconductor stock is generally screened as compliant (halal) with purification by:
- Zoya App — Compliant with purification ✅
- MSCI Islamic criteria — Generally included ✅
- Most major Sharia advisory boards — Compliant with purification of small interest income ✅
Bottom Line
Lattice Semiconductor (LSCC) is generally halal with purification for Muslim investors. The core business — low-power FPGA design and software — is unambiguously permissible, and the net-cash balance sheet makes for a clean financial screen. The only note is the general-purpose nature of the chips for those who apply strict end-product screens.
For Muslim investors seeking semiconductor exposure, LSCC sits alongside other halal-screened names like Power Integrations (POWI) and Monolithic Power (MPWR).
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