KLA INSTRUMENTS CORP
10-K, 1996-09-27
OPTICAL INSTRUMENTS & LENSES
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<PAGE>   1
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM 10-K
(Mark One)
[X]   ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE 
      ACT OF 1934 [FEE REQUIRED]
      FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 1996
                                       OR
[ ]   TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES 
      EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 [NO FEE REQUIRED]

          FOR THE TRANSITION PERIOD FROM       TO     COMMISSION FILE NO. 0-9992

                           KLA INSTRUMENTS CORPORATION
             (EXACT NAME OF REGISTRANT AS SPECIFIED IN ITS CHARTER)

                     DELAWARE                         04-2564110
           (STATE OR OTHER JURISDICTION OF          (I.R.S. EMPLOYER
           INCORPORATION OR ORGANIZATION)           IDENTIFICATION NO.)

                       160 RIO ROBLES                      95134
                    SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA                 (ZIP CODE)
          (ADDRESS OF PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICES)

     REGISTRANT'S TELEPHONE NUMBER, INCLUDING AREA CODE: (408) 468-4200

     SECURITIES REGISTERED PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(b) OF THE ACT:

      TITLE OF EACH CLASS             NAME OF EACH EXCHANGE ON WHICH REGISTERED
            NONE                                      NONE

     SECURITIES REGISTERED PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(g) OF THE ACT:

                         COMMON STOCK, $0.001 PAR VALUE
                          COMMON STOCK PURCHASE RIGHTS
                                (TITLE OF CLASS)

     Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant: (1) has filed all reports
required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the
Registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such
filing requirements for the past 90 days.   Yes X   No
                                               ---    ---

     Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item
405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the
best of registrant's knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements
incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this
Form 10-K. [ ]

     The aggregate market value of the voting stock held by non-affiliates of
the Registrant based upon the average bid and asked prices of the registrant's
stock, as of August 31, 1996, was $761,763,320. Shares of common stock held by
each officer and director and by each person or group who owns 5% or more of the
outstanding common stock have been excluded in that such persons or groups may
be deemed to be affiliates. This determination of affiliate status is not
necessarily a conclusive determination for other purposes.

     The registrant had 51,050,005 shares of Common Stock outstanding as of
August 31, 1996.
<PAGE>   2
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

     Portions of the Annual Report to Stockholders for the fiscal year ended
June 30, 1996 ("1996 Annual Report to Stockholders" ) are incorporated by
reference into Parts I, II and IV of this Report.

     Portions of the Proxy Statement for the Annual Meeting of Stockholders
("Proxy Statement" ) to be held on November 18, 1996, and to be filed pursuant
to Regulation 14A within 120 days after registrant's fiscal year ended June 30,
1996, are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Report.


PART I

ITEM 1.    DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS

THE COMPANY AND ITS PRODUCTS

     KLA Instruments Corporation was incorporated in Delaware in July 1975. The
Company's headquarters are located at 160 Rio Robles, San Jose, California,
95134, telephone (408) 468-4200. Unless the text requires otherwise, the
"Company" or "KLA" refers to KLA Instruments Corporation and its subsidiaries.

     KLA is the leader in the design, manufacture, marketing and service of
yield management and process monitoring systems for the semiconductor industry.
KLA believes that it is the world's largest supplier to the wafer and reticle
inspection and optical metrology equipment markets. KLA's systems are used to
analyze product and process quality at critical steps in the manufacture of
integrated circuits and to provide feedback so that fabrication problems can be
identified, addressed and contained. This understanding of defect sources and
how to contain them enables semiconductor manufacturers to increase yields.
Quickly attaining and then maintaining high yields is one of the most important
determinants of profitability in the semiconductor industry. The Company
believes that its customers typically experience rapid paybacks on their
investments in the Company's systems. The Company sells to virtually all of the
world's semiconductor manufacturers and has achieved very high market shares in
its principal businesses.

     The Company's technological strength has enabled it to develop and
introduce major new product families in the past four years for the following
three business units: WISARD, which addresses semiconductor wafer inspection;
RAPID, which addresses reticle inspection; and Metrology, which addresses
overlay registration and linewidth measurement. The Company believes that its
WISARD and RAPID product families incorporate proprietary technologies which
provide greater sensitivity to defects than any competing systems.

YIELD MANAGEMENT

     Maximizing yields, or the number of good die per wafer, is a key goal of
modern semiconductor manufacturing. Higher yields increase the revenue a
manufacturer can obtain for each semiconductor wafer processed. As geometry
linewidths decrease, yields become more sensitive to the size and density of
defects. Semiconductor manufacturers use yield management and process monitoring
systems to improve yields by identifying defects, by analyzing them to determine
process problems, and, after corrective action has been taken, by monitoring
subsequent results to ensure that the problem has been contained. Monitoring and
analysis often takes place at various points in the fabrication process as
wafers move through a production cycle consisting of hundreds of separate
process steps.

     Semiconductor factories are increasingly expensive to build and equip.
Yield management and process monitoring systems, which typically represent a
small percentage of the total investment required to build and equip a
fabrication facility, enable integrated circuit manufacturers to leverage these
expensive facilities and improve their returns on investment.

     The most significant opportunities for yield improvement generally occur
when production is started at new factories and when new products are first
built. Equipment that helps a manufacturer quickly increase new product yields
enables the manufacturer to offer these new products in volume at a time when
they are likely to generate the greatest profits.

                                       2
<PAGE>   3
     The following are some of the methods used to manage yield, all of which
require the capture and analysis of data gathered through many measurements:

- -     Engineering analysis is performed off the manufacturing line to identify
      and analyze defect sources. Engineering analysis equipment operates with
      very high sensitivity to enable comprehensive analysis of wafers. Because
      they operate off-line, engineering analysis systems do not require high
      speeds of operation.

- -     In-line monitoring is used to review the status of circuits during
      production steps. Information generated is used to determine whether the
      fabrication process steps are within required tolerances and to make any
      necessary process adjustments in real-time before wafer lots move to
      subsequent process stations. Because the information is needed quickly to
      be of greatest value, in-line monitoring requires both high throughput and
      high sensitivity.

- -     Pass/fail tests are used at several steps in the manufacturing process to
      evaluate products. For example, a pass/fail test is used to determine
      whether reticles used in photolithography are defect-free; electrical
      pass/fail testing is performed at the end of the manufacturing process to
      determine whether products meet performance specifications.


YIELD MANAGEMENT AND PROCESS MONITORING SYSTEMS

     KLA's systems are developed to offer customers integrated yield management
solutions. KLA offers inspection systems for key steps in the semiconductor
manufacturing process and analysis systems comprised of database management
hardware and software to translate raw inspection data into patterns which
reveal process problems. The Company's wafer inspection and metrology systems
are used for engineering analysis and in-line monitoring, and its reticle
inspection systems are used for pass/fail tests. The Company's software
productivity and analysis systems collect, store and analyze data collected by
test equipment manufactured by both the Company and others to provide
semiconductor manufacturers with an integrated yield management application. The
Company's principal business units are: Wafer Inspection Systems (WISARD);
Reticle Inspection Systems (RAPID); Metrology, including Optical Metrology and
E-Beam Metrology; Software Productivity and Analysis Systems (PRISM); Scanning
Electron Microscope Inspection Systems (SEMSpec); and ATS Watcher Division
(ATS).

WISARD-WAFER INSPECTION SYSTEMS

      KLA's WISARD business unit created the market for automated inspection of
semiconductor wafers with the introduction of the KLA 2000 series over eleven
years ago. KLA continues to have a predominant market share with its current
generation of wafer inspection systems, the 2100 series.

     The 2100 series of inspection systems offers an increase in inspection
speed of up to 2,000 times over that of KLA's original wafer inspection system.
This marked increase in speed and sensitivity allows customers to obtain very
prompt feedback on process status by placing wafer inspection systems on the
production line. The selection of the technology architecture for the 2100
series was made to allow the base unit to support a family of products capable
of performance enhancements through upgrades of various subsystems. The first
model, the KLA 2110, was introduced in 1991 with sufficient speed and
sensitivity to enable in-line inspection of repeating arrays typical in memory
devices. Since then, KLA has introduced three new repeating array models in
succession, the 2111, 2112 and 2115. Each new model has had greater sensitivity
and greater maximum speed compared to its predecessor. The 2115 was introduced
in 1996 with twice the throughput and higher sensitivity compared to the 2112.

     In 1992, KLA introduced the KLA 2130 which is capable of "all pattern"
inspection required for microprocessors and other logic devices as well as both
the logic and repeating array portions of memory devices. Since then, KLA has
introduced three new all pattern inspection models in succession, the 2131, 2132
and 2135. Each new model has had greater sensitivity and greater maximum speed
compared to its predecessor. The 2135 was introduced in 1996 with twice the
throughput and higher sensitivity compared to the 2132. The Company believes
that there are further opportunities to expand the 2100 series and has several
new models under development.

                                       3
<PAGE>   4
RAPID-RETICLE INSPECTION SYSTEMS

     RAPID, KLA's first business unit, created the market for automated
inspection of reticles and photomasks for the semiconductor manufacturing
industry over 18 years ago and continues to have a predominant market share. KLA
has delivered over 750 reticle and photomask inspection systems worldwide.

     During photolithography, a stepper projects a circuit pattern from a
reticle onto a wafer. Error-free reticles are the first step in ensuring high
yields in the manufacturing process because defects in reticles can translate
into millions of ruined die.

     In 1992, KLA introduced a new generation of reticle inspection systems, the
300 series. The KLA 301 Reticle Inspection System and the KLA 50 Reference Data
Computer together form the KLA 351 Inspection System, which represents a major
advance in speed, sensitivity and flexibility. The KLA 351 offers the highest
inspection sensitivity available in the marketplace, which the Company believes
is vital to meet reticle inspection requirements for today's more complex
microprocessors and larger DRAMs. This dedicated image processor employs a
flexible system architecture which permits future upgrades and enhancements
through software, rather than hardware changes. Furthermore, the KLA 351's
optics include a rotating telescope turret to provide three sensitivities in one
system. The KLA 351 offers flexibility for users who need a versatile inspection
system to address the inspection needs of both the most demanding and the more
routine semiconductor manufacturing processes. Users may obtain higher
throughput by selecting lower sensitivity inspections.

     The KLA 351 incorporates a reference database generator and data
preparation system which gives full die-to-database functionality to the
inspection, permitting inspection against the ideal reticle pattern as specified
by the user's CAD program. The Company is continuing to develop enhancements to
the KLA 351 inspection system to improve performance, serviceability and
reliability.

     In 1995, the Company introduced a new reticle inspection product,
STARlight, which uses reflected and transmitted light detection techniques
simultaneously to identify reticle contaminants, including particles. STARlight
permits users to identify defects which previously had not been detectable. The
Company believes STARlight will be applied by mask manufacturers and
semiconductor manufacturers. STARlight is offered as an option on the KLA 351
inspection system and as a stand-alone unit.

METROLOGY GROUP

     Optical Metrology Business Unit. Lithography for sub-micron semiconductor
fabrication requires increasingly stringent overlay and critical dimension
tolerances. In particular, decreasing linewidths, larger die sizes, and
additional layers have made overlay mis-registration errors a crucial cause of
yield loss. To address these challenges, KLA offers the KLA 5000 series
metrology systems: the 5100 for overlay; and the 5105 for both overlay and
critical dimension measurement. In June 1996, KLA introduced the 5200 overlay
system, which has performance and usability enhancements compared to the 5100.
KLA estimates that during fiscal 1994, 1995 and 1996, it had the leading share
in the worldwide market for overlay registration systems.

     The KLA 5000 series uses a patented coherence probe microscopy technology
which permits fast autofocus and precision critical dimension measurements.
Applying its expertise in digital image processing, KLA has developed
sophisticated measurement algorithms that are more tolerant of process
variations. With coherence probe microscopy, the system scans the image-forming
coherence region through the wafer plane, only gathering information from
in-focus surfaces. As a result, measurements are more tolerant of process and
substrate reflectivity variations than those from ordinary optical systems.

     The precision measurements from the KLA 5000 series identify the magnitude
and direction of overlay mis-registration errors arising from the stepping
process and from optical distortion inherent in the stepper lens. Based upon
these measurements, users can fine-tune the stepper program to compensate for
these errors, and improve process yield.

     The disk drive manufacturing industry is an emerging market for KLA's
metrology systems. Disk drive manufacturers use a semiconductor photolithography
process to produce thin film heads. The Company's coherence probe technology is
particularly well-suited to handle the complex topography characteristics
encountered in the thin film head process. The Company believes that its
solution to these requirements has allowed it to achieve the major share of the
thin film head metrology market.


                                       4
<PAGE>   5
     E-Beam Metrology Business Unit. KLA broadened its portfolio of metrology
products in December 1994 with the acquisition of Metrologix, Inc., a
manufacturer of advanced electron beam measurement equipment. With this
acquisition, KLA's E-Beam Metrology business gained an established position in
the CD SEM inspection market, a market which KLA believes is larger than the
optical overlay market, and one which it believes will grow as semiconductor
manufacturers continue to produce more complex semiconductor devices.

     KLA's first generation E-Beam metrology system features high throughput and
automated setup. One major U.S. memory manufacturer and two major U.S.
microprocessor manufacturers have purchased multiple systems for use in both
production and research and development. The Company has made substantial
investments in engineering and manufacturing to bring to market the
next-generation tool, the KLA 8100. Production shipments of this product began
in June 1996.

PRISM-SOFTWARE PRODUCTIVITY AND ANALYSIS SYSTEMS

     The PRISM division was formed in April 1994 to address the market for
software products that can be utilized in semiconductor fabrication applications
for yield management and productivity improvement. The PRISM division is
developing and marketing two software product lines, Discovery and CIMA.
Discovery is an enterprise-wide yield management system that collects, stores
and correlates yield information from multiple data sources in a fabrication
facility. This product was the result of a cooperative development project with
Motorola. The Company released production versions of Discovery in early fiscal
1996. CIMA is a test floor automation product that was developed by the Company
and introduced in August 1994. CIMA collects test data from, and automates the
operation of, the wafer floor. CIMA is currently in production and is installed
in several modern fabrication facilities. PRISM has formed a client services
organization to provide system integration and consulting services to assist its
customers in the integration of its software products into the facility's
information systems.

SEMSPEC-SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPE INSPECTION SYSTEMS

     As feature sizes of semiconductor circuits continue to decrease for leading
edge semiconductor products, the Company believes that conventional optical
technologies ultimately will begin to reach physical limits imposed by the
wavelength of light and fail to provide the necessary inspection resolution.
Working closely with those customers with the most advanced inspection
requirements, KLA has developed the world's only fully automatic electron beam
inspection systems. These systems, comprised of the world's fastest scanning
electron-optical column and a high speed image computer, are used for wafer and
x-ray mask inspection. The development of these systems was funded in part by
customer-sponsored research and development programs. KLA expects the market for
these inspection systems to emerge slowly.

ATS WATCHER DIVISION-IMAGE PROCESSING SUBSYSTEMS

     The ATS Watcher division develops and manufactures the image processing
electronics and optical subsystems sold to Tokyo Electron, Limited ("TEL") for
inclusion in TEL's wafer probers. TEL manufactures the prober's mechanical
chassis and incorporates the KLA electronics and subsystems.

     On April 30, 1996, TEL and KLA reached agreement to transfer all of KLA's
prober distribution operations to TEL. Under the agreement, KLA transferred all
prober related assets to TEL, and KLA is no longer selling or servicing prober
systems.

CUSTOMERS AND APPLICATIONS

     The Company believes that it is one of the few suppliers which sells its
systems to virtually all of the world's semiconductor manufacturers. In fiscal
1994, 1995 and 1996, no single customer accounted for more than 10% of the
Company's revenues.

                                       5
<PAGE>   6
SALES, SERVICE AND MARKETING

     The Company believes that the size and location of its field sales, service
and applications engineering organization represents a competitive advantage
in its served markets. In the United States, Europe, Asia Pacific and Japan the
Company has a direct sales force located in major geographical markets. The
Company's sales, service and applications facilities throughout the world
employ over 600 sales, service and applications engineers.

     In fiscal 1996, the Company sold its systems in Japan, Singapore and Taiwan
through local sales representatives. Starting in July 1996, KLA began selling
direct in these countries and no longer uses a local sales representative,
except in Japan. In Japan, the Company took over the majority of the sales
duties in July 1996, but will be phasing out its distributor (TEL) through
December 1996.

     KLA maintains an export compliance program that fully meets the
requirements of the U.S. Department of Commerce. KLA has never been denied
approval to ship against a purchase order.

     For information regarding the Company's revenues from foreign operations
for the Company's last three fiscal years, see Note 10 on page 22 of the 1996
Annual Report to Stockholders, incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNOLOGY

     The Company's inspection and metrology systems precisely capture trillions
of features on wafers and reticles that are as small as 10 millionths of an inch
on a side and analyze each of these features for possible defects through the
use of the following technologies:

     Image Acquisition. The Company's systems acquire images of sub-micron
features on wafers and reticles. The quality and brightness of the images
greatly influence the speed and sensitivity of the final inspection system. The
Company has developed a wide range of optical imaging systems, such as laser
scanners, interference microscope systems, and conventional white light and deep
UV optical systems. To satisfy the future sensitivity requirements of advanced
lithography, the Company has developed an electron beam system which
incorporates the world's fastest scanning electron-optical column.

     Image Conversion. The Company's equipment converts the photon or electron
image to an electronic digital format. The Company has been a pioneer in the use
of time-delay-integration sensors. The Company also utilizes other image
conversion technologies such as avalanche diode detectors, photo multiplier
systems and fixed frame pickups.

     Precision Mechanics. In the most common configuration of an inspection
system, the reticle or the wafer is moved at a constant speed through the field
of the imaging system. Since areas of interest are as small as 5 millionths of
an inch, and vibrations in the scanning system of one-tenth of the area of
interest can degrade system performance, the mechanical stage must be extremely
smooth and precise. To address these requirements, the Company has ten years of
experience in the design and manufacture of air-bearing linear drive stages.

     Proprietary Algorithms. To perform the inspection or measurement task, the
Company's equipment examines the properties of the digitized images using a set
of logical steps (algorithms) which measure the desired image property. The
Company's engineers develop sets of algorithms that are specifically tailored to
obtain optimum performance for its wafer, reticle and metrology systems. These
algorithms are largely responsible for the state-of-the-art performance of the
Company's systems.

     Image Computers. The combination of proprietary algorithms and special
purpose computers allows the Company's equipment to have a high performance to
cost ratio. While general purpose computers are capable of executing the
Company's algorithms, very few computer architectures can sustain the computing
speed that is required in the Company's systems. To address this requirement,
the Company develops and builds special purpose image computers designed to
execute its algorithms.

     Database Analysis. Many of the inspections that the Company's reticle
inspection systems perform require a digital image representation of the ideal
pattern obtained from the data used to manufacture the reticle. This capability
allows inspection systems to compare the actual circuit with its design
specifications. The Company has been developing database systems for over 16
years to satisfy this objective. Its present generation of special purpose
database computers is capable of generating simulated images at the same high
speeds at which the Company's image conversion systems generate the digital
image from the actual reticle.

                                       6
<PAGE>   7
     Statistical Process Control. Integrated circuit yield management and
process monitoring systems generate hundreds of thousands of data items each
day. To enhance the utility of this data, the Company has a team of software
engineers who build systems containing statistical process control software to
simplify data and present this data in a useful manner. The Company is
continuing to work on new software to enhance its statistical process control
systems.

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

     The market for yield management and process monitoring systems is
characterized by rapid technological development and product innovation. The
Company believes that continued and timely development of new products and
enhancements to existing products are necessary to maintain its competitive
position. Accordingly, the Company devotes a significant portion of its
personnel and financial resources to research and development programs and seeks
to maintain close relationships with customers to remain responsive to their
needs. In order to meet continuing developments in the semiconductor industry
and to broaden the applications for its image processing technology, the Company
is committed to significant engineering efforts for product improvement and new
product development. The Company reports engineering, research and development
expense net of this funding.

     KLA typically receives some external funding from customers, industry
groups, and government sources to augment its engineering, research and
development efforts. The Company reports engineering, research and development
expense net of this funding. Thus, recorded amounts for engineering, research
and development expense were 9%, 10% and 11% of sales in fiscal 1994, 1995 and
1996, respectively. For information regarding the Company's research and
development expense during the last three fiscal years, see Notes 1 and 8 on
pages 18 and 22, respectively, of the 1996 Annual Report to Stockholders
incorporated herein by reference.


MANUFACTURING

     The Company's principal manufacturing activities take place in San Jose,
California, and Migdal Ha'Emek, Israel, and consist primarily of manufacturing,
assembling and testing components and subassemblies which are acquired from
third party vendors and then integrated into the Company's finished products.
Due to the discontinuation of the Wafer Probing Systems agreement with TEL, the
Company discontinued manufacturing operations in Bevaix, Switzerland in
April 1996. The Company is also cross-training personnel, so that it can respond
to changes in product mix by reallocating personnel in addition to hiring.

     The Company has been working with key vendors to improve inventory
management. Volume purchase agreements and just-in-time delivery schedules have
helped control both inventory levels and costs. The Company's manufacturing
engineers, in conjunction with key vendors, are improving the manufacturability
and reliability of the new wafer and reticle inspection systems and metrology
systems.

     Many of the components and subassemblies are standard products, although
certain items are made to Company specifications. Certain of the components and
subassemblies included in the Company's systems are obtained from a single
source or a limited group of suppliers. Those parts subject to single or limited
source supply are routinely monitored by management and the Company endeavors to
ensure that adequate supplies are available to maintain manufacturing schedules,
should supply for any part be interrupted. Although the Company seeks to reduce
its dependence on sole and limited source suppliers, in some cases the partial
or complete loss of certain of these sources could have at least a temporary
adverse effect on the Company's results of operations and damage customer
relationships.

COMPETITION

     The market for yield management and process control systems is highly
competitive. In each of the markets it serves, the Company faces competition
from established and potential competitors, some of which may have greater
financial, engineering, manufacturing and marketing resources than the Company.
Significant competitive factors in the market for yield management and process
control systems include system performance, ease of use, reliability, installed
base and technical service and support.

     The Company believes that, while price and delivery are important
competitive factors, the customers' overriding requirement is for systems which
easily and effectively incorporate automated, highly accurate inspection
capabilities into their existing manufacturing processes, thereby enhancing
productivity. The Company's yield management and process control systems for the
semiconductor industry are generally higher priced than those of its present
competitors and are intended to compete based upon performance and technical
capabilities. These systems also compete with less expensive, more
labor-intensive manual inspection devices.

     The Company's wafer and reticle inspection systems have a predominant share
of their respective markets. The Company believes that it is the leading
provider of overlay registration systems.

                                       7
<PAGE>   8
     Many of the Company's competitors are investing in the development of new
products aimed at applications currently served by the Company. The Company's
competitors can be expected to continue to improve the design and performance of
their products in each product area and to introduce new products with
competitive price/performance characteristics. Competitive pressures often
necessitate price reductions which can adversely affect operating results.
Although the Company believes that it has certain technical and other advantages
over its competitors, maintaining such advantages will require a continued high
level of investment by the Company in research and development and sales and
marketing. There can be no assurance that the Company will have sufficient
resources to continue to make such investments or that the Company will be able
to make the technological advances necessary to maintain these competitive
advantages.

     The yield management and process control industry is characterized by
rapidly changing technology and a high rate of technological obsolescence.
Development of new technologies that have price/performance characteristics
superior to the Company's technologies could adversely affect the Company's
results of operations. In order to remain competitive, the Company believes that
it will be necessary to expend substantial effort on continuing product
improvement and new product development. There can be no assurance that the
Company will be able to develop and market new products successfully or that the
products introduced by others will not render the Company's products or
technologies non-competitive or obsolete.

PATENTS AND OTHER PROPRIETARY RIGHTS

     The Company believes that, due to the rapid pace of innovation within the
yield management and process control systems industry, its protection of patent
and other intellectual property rights is less important than factors such as
its technological expertise, continuing development of new systems, market
penetration and installed base and the ability to provide comprehensive support
and service to customers.

     The Company protects its proprietary technology through a variety of
intellectual property laws including patents, copyrights and trade secrets. The
Company's source code is protected as a trade secret and as an unpublished
copyright work. The Company has a number of United States and foreign patents
and patent applications. The Company's effort to protect its intellectual
property rights through trade secret and copyright protection may be impaired if
third parties are able to copy or otherwise obtain and use the Company's
technology without authorization. Effective intellectual property protection may
be unavailable or limited in certain foreign countries. In addition, the
semiconductor industry is characterized by frequent litigation regarding patent
and other intellectual property rights. No assurance can be given that any
patent held by the Company will provide sufficient protection.

BACKLOG

     Backlog orders for systems were $250 and $385 million at June 30, 1995 and
1996, respectively. In general, systems ship within six months to a year after
receipt of a customer's purchase order.

EMPLOYEES

     As of August 31, 1996, the Company employed a total of approximately 2,500
persons. None of the Company's employees are represented by a labor union. The
Company has experienced no work stoppages and believes that its employee
relations are good.

     Competition in the recruiting of personnel in the semiconductor and
semiconductor equipment industry is intense. The Company believes that its
future success will depend in part on its continued ability to hire and retain
qualified management, marketing and technical employees.


                                       8
<PAGE>   9
ITEM 2.    PROPERTIES

     The Company owns a corporate facility which houses engineering,
manufacturing and administrative functions in San Jose, California, occupying
approximately 232,000 square feet. The Company purchased this facility in 1990
at a total cost of approximately $30 million, including improvements. The
Company leases additional office space for manufacturing, engineering, sales and
service activities, including seven locations in the U.S., eleven in Japan,
eight in Europe, two each in Korea and Israel, and one each in Malaysia and
Taiwan. The Company leases three buildings adjacent to its campus facility,
consisting of an aggregate of approximately 87,000 square feet. Two of these
leases have been extended to fiscal 2000 (73,000 square feet).

     In June 1995, the Company entered into a five-year operating lease for a 
105,000 square-foot building constructed on land owned by the Company in San 
Jose, California. Monthly rent payments for the building commenced on July 1, 
1996, and will vary based on the London interbank offering rate (LIBOR). The 
Company may, at its option, purchase the building during the term of the lease 
for $12.5 million. In August 1995, the Company entered into a five-year 
operating lease agreement for an additional 120,000 square feet in two 
buildings in San Jose, California. Monthly rent payments for the buildings 
commenced on May 1, 1996, and will vary based on the LIBOR rate. The Company 
may, at its option, purchase the buildings during the term of the lease for 
$18.7 million. If the Company does not purchase any or all of the buildings at 
the end of their respective leases, the Company will guarantee the lessor 85% 
of the aforementioned purchase prices of the building or buildings not 
purchased. In addition, the lease agreements require the Company to maintain, 
among other items, minimum quick ratio, tangible net worth and profitability. 
As of June 30, 1996, the Company was in compliance with all of these covenants.

ITEM 3.    LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

     Not Applicable.

Item 4.    SUBMISSION OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITY HOLDERS

     Not Applicable.


PART II

ITEM 5. MARKET FOR THE REGISTRANT'S COMMON STOCK AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS

         "Common Stock" on page 24 of the 1996 Annual Report to Stockholders is
incorporated herein by reference.

ITEM 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

         "Selected Financial Data" on page 14 of the 1996 Annual Report to
Stockholders is incorporated herein by reference.

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF RESULTS OF OPERATIONS AND 
        FINANCIAL   CONDITION

         "Management's Financial Commentary" on pages 12 and 13 of the 1996
Annual Report to Stockholders is incorporated herein by reference.

ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA

     The consolidated financial statements, together with the report thereon of
Price Waterhouse LLP dated August 7, 1996, appearing on pages 14 through 24 of
the 1996 Annual Report to Stockholders are incorporated herein by reference.
With the exception of the aforementioned information and the information
incorporated in Items 5, 6, 7 and 8, the 1996 Annual Report to Stockholders is
not to be deemed filed as part of this Form 10-K Annual Report.

ITEM 9. DISAGREEMENTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE

     Not Applicable.

                                       9
<PAGE>   10
PART III

ITEM 10. DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF THE REGISTRANT

DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF THE REGISTRANT
     Set forth below are the names of the present executive officers of the
Company, their ages and positions held with the Company.

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Name                                 Age                                   Position
- ----                                 ---                                   --------
<S>                                 <C>            <C>
Kenneth Levy                          53           Chairman of the Board of Directors and
                                                      Chief Executive Officer
Kenneth L. Schroeder                  50           President, Chief Operating Officer and Director
Robert J. Boehlke                     55           Vice President of Finance and Administration,
                                                      Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Secretary
Frank L. Brienzo                      45           Vice President, Asia Operations
Virginia J. DeMars                    54           Vice President, Human Resources
Gary E. Dickerson                     38           Group Vice President, Wafer Inspection
Samuel A. Harrell                     56           Senior Vice President, Strategic Business Development
Michael W. Morrissey                  51           Group Vice President, Customer Group
Neil Richardson                       41           Vice President, Metrology
Magnus O. W. Ryde                     40           Vice President, U.S. and European Sales Organizations
Arthur P. Schnitzer                   53           Group Vice President
Christopher Stoddart                  40           Treasurer
Bin-Ming Ben Tsai                     38           Vice President, Chief Technical Officer
William Turner                        40           Vice President, Corporate Finance
Edward W. Barnholt                    53           Director
Leo J. Chamberlain                    66           Director
Robert E. Lorenzini                   59           Director
Yoshio Nishi                          56           Director
Samuel Rubinovitz                     66           Director
Dag Tellefsen                         54           Director
</TABLE>


     Mr. Levy co-founded the Company in July 1975 and served as President and
Chief Executive Officer and a Director of the Company until November 1991, when
he became Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer. Since
May 1993, Mr. Levy has been a Director of Ultratech Stepper, Inc., a
manufacturer of photolithography equipment; since April 1993, a Director of
Network Peripherals, Inc., a supplier of high-performance client-server
networking solutions; and since August 1995, a Director of Integrated Process
Equipment Corporation, a manufacturer of chemical, mechanical, polishing and
cleaning equipment which is used in the manufacturing of advanced semiconductor
devices.

     Mr. Schroeder rejoined the Company in November 1991 as President, Chief
Operating Officer and Director. Mr. Schroeder had worked previously at KLA from
1979 through 1987, during which time he held the positions of Vice President of
Operations (1979); Vice President and General Manager, RAPID (1982); Vice
President and General Manager, WISARD (1983); and Senior Vice President (1985).
In July 1988, he became President and Chief Executive Officer of Photon
Dynamics, Inc., a manufacturer of electro-optic test equipment. In mid-1990, he
was appointed President, Chief Operating Officer and Director of Genus, Inc., a
manufacturer of CVD chemical vapor deposition and ion implant equipment. He left
Genus in October 1991, to rejoin KLA. Since July, 1993, Mr. Schroeder has been a
director of SEMI/SEMATECH, an organization of American equipment companies
supporting SEMATECH and its mission; since August, 1995, Mr. Schroeder has been
a director of GaSonics, International, a supplier of resist stripping, cleaning,
etching and deposition equipment.

     Mr. Boehlke joined the Company in April 1983 as Vice President and General
Manager of the RAPID Division. Subsequently, he was General Manager of several
divisions and groups of divisions at KLA. In June 1985, Mr. Boehlke was elected
to Senior Vice President and to Executive Vice President in January 1989, and to
Chief Operating Officer in August 1989 until July 1990, when he became Chief
Financial Officer. From 1988 until 1993 he served on the Board of Directors of 
SEMI/SEMATECH, where he was a member of the executive committee.

     Mr. Brienzo joined the Company in March 1986 as Director of Quality
Assurance and Customer Acceptance, WISARD Division. In Sept. 1986, he became
Vice President of Operations, WISARD Division. In October 1990, he was named
President of KLA Acrotec. He served there until September 1994, when he took the
position of Vice 

                                       10
<PAGE>   11
President Operations, KLA Japan. In July 1995, he was promoted to Vice
President, Asia Operations and General Manager, KLA Japan.

     Ms. DeMars joined KLA in 1988 as Director of Human Resources after a 13
year career in Employee Relations at Monolithic Memories, Inc. and Advanced
Micro Devices. In November 1991, KLA promoted Ms. DeMars to Vice President of
Human Resources, worldwide.

     Mr. Dickerson joined KLA in January 1986 as a Senior Applications Engineer
in the Wafer Inspection Division. In July 1987 he was promoted to Manager of
Applications Engineering for the Wafer Inspection Division, followed by Manager
of Product Planning in July 1989, Director of Marketing in July 1990, and Vice
President of Marketing in July 1992. In July 1993, he was promoted to Vice
President and Director of the Wafer Inspection Business Unit. In July 1994, he
was elected Vice President of the Company and promoted to Group Vice President
in January, 1996.

     Dr. Harrell joined the Company in September 1995 as Senior Vice President
and Chief Strategy Officer. Dr. Harrell is responsible for strategic corporate
development. Dr. Harrell served from October 1992 to December 1995 as the Senior
Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer of SEMATECH. From August 1987 to
September 1992 he served as President of SEMI/SEMATECH.

     Mr. Morrissey joined KLA in April 1996 as Group Vice President for the
Customer Group, after a 26 year career with NCR and AT&T. He was Vice President
of NCR's Workstation Product Division from July 1993 to April 1996 and Vice
President of the Microelectronics Division from March 1991 to June 1993. Mr.
Morrissey has also served on the Board of Directors for SEMATECH.

     Dr. Richardson joined KLA in June 1993 as Vice President and General
Manager of the Metrology Division, and was elected Vice President of the Company
in July 1994. He served as Vice President and General Manager of the Diagnostic
Systems Group of Schlumberger Technologies from September 1985 to November 1991,
and was the Corporate Technology Adviser for Schlumberger Ltd., a manufacturer
of electronic test equipment, from November 1991 to May 1993.

     Mr. Ryde joined KLA in June 1980 as Production Control Manager. In May 1981
he was promoted to Materials Manager, followed by Production Manager in January
1982 and Manager, Advance Manufacturing - KLA208 in May 1984. In March 1985, he
became Product Marketing Manager for the RAPID Division. In December 1988, after
leaving KLA for 6 months to pursue other interests, he returned as Director of
EMMI Business within the ATS Division. In January 1989, he was promoted to
Director of Operations - Europe, and in January 1991 became Vice President of
Operations for the ATS Division. He was promoted to Vice President and General
Manager of the Customer Support Division in July 1992 and was elected to Vice
President of the Company in July 1994. In July 1995, he became Vice President of
the U.S. and European Sales Organizations.

     Mr. Schnitzer joined the Company in July 1978 as Software Engineering
Manager, was promoted to Director of Engineering of the RAPID Division in July
1982, and was promoted to Vice President in July 1983. He became Vice President
of Technology and Marketing of RAPID in May 1987, and Vice President of Advanced
Inspection in January 1989. In October 1989, he was promoted to General Manager
of the WISARD Division and, additionally, was elected to Vice President of the
Company in July 1990. In July 1993, he became Group Vice President and is
presently responsible for RAPID, SEMSpec and PRISM.

     Mr. Stoddart joined the Company in December 1991 as Treasurer. Prior to
joining the Company, Mr. Stoddart was Treasurer of General Cellular Corporation,
a cellular telephone service provider, from October 1989 to September 1991 and
previously with The Cooper Companies, Inc., a manufacturer of pharmaceuticals
and medical and implant equipment, as Assistant Treasurer from August 1986 to
July 1988, and then Treasurer from July 1988 to September 1989.

     Dr. Tsai joined the Company in June 1984 as a member of the WISARD
Technical Staff and was promoted to Manager of Algorithm Development for the
WISARD Division. From August 1989 until September 1990 he served as Director of
Engineering for WISARD. In October 1990, he was promoted to Vice President of
Engineering for KLA Acrotec, and in July 1994 he was elected Vice President of
the Company and promoted to Chief Technical Officer.

     Mr. Turner joined the Company in September 1983 as a Financial Analyst.
After serving as Controller for the Rapid, ATS and International divisions, he
was named Corporate Controller in December 1989 and was elected Vice President
of the Company in July 1990. In August 1996, he was named Vice President of
Corporate Finance.

                                       11
<PAGE>   12
     Mr. Barnholt has served as a Director of the Company since September 1995.
From October 1990 to October 1993 he served as Vice President and General
Manager of the Test and Measurement Organization for Hewlett-Packard. In
November 1993 he was promoted to Senior Vice President and General Manager of
the Test and Measurement Organization.

      Mr. Chamberlain has served as a Director of the Company since 1982. He has
also served as a Director of Octel Communications Corporation, a manufacturer of
high performance voice processing systems since March 1989.

     Mr. Lorenzini has served as a Director of the Company since 1976. He has
served since January 1993 as Chairman of SunPower Corporation, a manufacturer of
optoelectronic devices, and from October 1988 to January 1993, he served as
President and Chief Executive Officer. Since July 1993, he has also been a
Principal in Dalton Partners, a turn-around management company. He was a founder
and, until December 1986, Chairman of the Board of Siltec Corporation, a
manufacturer of semiconductor materials and manufacturing equipment. Since
October 1986, Mr. Lorenzini has also served as a Director of FSI International,
a semiconductor process equipment manufacturer.

     Dr. Nishi has served as a Director of the Company since 1989. He has served
as Senior Vice President and Director of Research and Development for the
Semiconductor Group of Texas Instruments since May 1995. Mr. Nishi served as a
Director of numerous research laboratories at Hewlett-Packard from January 1986
to April 1995. He is a consulting professor in the Stanford University
Department of Electrical Engineering and teaches at Waseda University in Japan
as a visiting Professor of the Materials Science and Engineering Department and
the Electronic Communication Engineering Department.

     Mr. Rubinovitz previously served as a Director of the Company from October
1979 to January 1989, and rejoined the Company as a Director in 1990. From April
1989 through January 1994, he served as Executive Vice President of EG&G, Inc.,
a diversified manufacturer of scientific instruments and electronic, optical and
mechanical equipment, and previously as Senior Vice President of EG&G, Inc.
between April 1986 and April 1989. From April 1989 to April 1996, Mr. Rubinovitz
served as a Director of EG&G. Since October 1984, he has served as Director of
Richardson Electronics, Inc., a manufacturer and distributor of electron tubes
and semiconductors and, since October 1986, Director of Kronos, Inc., a
manufacturer of electronic time keeping systems. Since December 1994, he has
served as a Director of LTX Corporation, a manufacturer of Semiconductor Test
Equipment.

     Mr. Tellefsen has served as a Director of the Company since 1978. He is
Managing Partner of Glenwood Management, a venture capital firm. Since January
1983, he has served as a Director of Iwerks Entertainment, a producer of
movie-based specialty theaters, and since 1982, as a director of Octel
Communications Corporation.


ITEM 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

     The information regarding Executive Compensation as it appears in the Proxy
Statement is incorporated herein by reference.

ITEM 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT

     The information regarding Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners
and Management as it appears in the Proxy Statement is incorporated herein by
reference.

ITEM 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS

     The information regarding Certain Relationships and Related Transactions as
it appears in the Proxy Statement is incorporated herein by reference.

PART IV

ITEM 14. EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, SCHEDULES, AND REPORT ON FORM 8-K

     (a)  (1) Financial Statements: See Index to Financial Statements, page 14.
          (2) Financial Statement Schedules: See Index to Financial Statement 
              Schedules, page 14.
          (3) Exhibits: See Index to Exhibits, pages 15 and 16.

     (b) No reports on Form 8-K were filed during the quarter ended June 30,
         1996.

                                       12
<PAGE>   13
                                   SIGNATURES

     Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on
its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized in the City of San
Jose, State of California, on the 26th day of September 1996.


                                    KLA INSTRUMENTS CORPORATION



                                       By    /s/   WILLIAM TURNER
                                          ------------------------------------
                                                William Turner
                                       Vice President of Corporate Finance

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this
report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of this
registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
           Signature                                 Title                                        Date
<S>                                            <C>                                             <C>
  /s/  KENNETH LEVY                            Director, Chairman of the Board, and            September 26, 1996
- ------------------------------------             Chief Executive Officer
     Kenneth Levy                                


  /s/  KENNETH L. SCHROEDER                    Director, President                             September 26, 1996
- ------------------------------------             and Chief Operating Officer
     Kenneth L. Schroeder               


  /s/  ROBERT J. BOEHLKE                       Vice President of Finance                       September 26, 1996
- ------------------------------------             and Administration,     
     Robert J. Boehlke                           Chief Financial Officer,
                                                 and Assistant Secretary 
                                                 

  /s/  EDWARD W. BARNHOLT                      Director                                        September 26, 1996
- ------------------------------------
     Edward W. Barnholt


  /s/  LEO J. CHAMBERLAIN                      Director                                        September 26, 1996
- ------------------------------------
     Leo J. Chamberlain


  /s/  ROBERT E. LORENZINI                     Director                                        September 26, 1996
- ------------------------------------
     Robert E. Lorenzini


  /s/  DR. YOSHIO NISHI                        Director                                        September 26, 1996
- ------------------------------------
     Dr. Yoshio Nishi


  /s/  SAMUEL RUBINOVITZ                       Director                                        September 26, 1996
- ------------------------------------
     Samuel Rubinovitz


  /s/  DAG TELLEFSEN                           Director                                        September 26, 1996
- ------------------------------------
     Dag Tellefsen
</TABLE>

                                       13
<PAGE>   14
                  KLA INSTRUMENTS CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

                          INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                                                        Page(s) in
                                                                                                       1996 Annual
                                                                                                          Report*
                                                                                                       ------------
<S>                                                                                                   <C>   
Consolidated Statement of Operations for the three years ended June 30, 1996 ..........................      14

Consolidated Balance Sheet at June 30, 1995 and 1996 ..................................................      15

Consolidated Statement of Stockholders' Equity for the three years ended  June 30, 1996 ...............      16

Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows for the three years ended June 30, 1996 ..........................      17

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements ........................................................   18-23

Report of Independent Accountants .....................................................................      24
</TABLE>


*Incorporated by reference from the indicated pages of the 1996 Annual Report to
Stockholders.


                     INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES


      Financial Statement Schedules not included in this Form 10-K Annual Report
have been omitted because they are not applicable or the required information is
shown in the consolidated financial statements or notes thereto.

                                       14
<PAGE>   15
                                INDEX TO EXHIBITS


(i)      EXHIBITS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE:

 3.1     Certificate of Incorporation as amended(7)

 3.2     Bylaws, as amended(7)

 4.1     Amended and Restated Rights Agreement dated as of August 26, 1995,
             between the Company and First National Bank of Boston, as Rights
             Agent. The Rights Agreement includes as Exhibit A, the form of
             Right Certificate and as Exhibit B, the summary of transactions of
             Rights.(1)

10.15    Statement of Partnership to Triangle Partners dated April 12, 1983(2) 

10.16    Lease Agreement and Addendum thereto dated January 10, 1983, between 
             BB&K Partnership and the Company(2)

10.18    Purchase and Sale Agreement dated January 10, 1983, between BB&K
             Partnership, Triangle Partners and the Company(2)

10.35    Research and Development Agreement, Cross License and Technology 
             Transfer Agreement and Agreement for Option to License and Purchase
             Resulting Technology, all dated October 1, 1986, by and between KLA
             Development No. 4, Ltd., and the Company(3)

10.45    Distribution Agreement dated July 1990, by and between Tokyo Electron 
             Limited, a Japanese Corporation, and the Company(4)

10.46    Principal facility Purchase Agreement dated July 1990, including
             all exhibits and amendments; Lease Agreement, Termination of Lease,
             Lot line adjustment, rights of first refusal, Deeds of Trust(4)

10.47    Joint Venture Agreement between the Company and Nippon Mining Company,
             Limited, dated September 18, 1990(5)

10.49    Exercise of Option to Purchase Technology made effective as of January
             1, 1990, by and between KLA Development No. 4, and the Company(5)

10.54    Micrion Corporation Series E Preferred Stock Purchase Agreement, dated
             September 13, 1991(6) 

10.67    Amendment of Credit Agreement between Bank of America NT & SA and the 
             Company, dated April 30, 1994(9)

10.68    Credit Agreement between Bank of America NT & SA and the Company as
             amended, on February 7, 1996(9) 

10.71    1990 Outside Directors Stock Option Plan(8) 

10.73    Amendment of Credit Agreement between Bank of America NT & SA and the 
             Company dated December 31, 1994(10)

10.74    1981 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, as amended by the Board of Directors
             on October 7, 1994(10)

10.75    1982 Stock Option Plan, as amended on November 15, 1995(10) 

10.76    Amendment of Credit Agreement between Bank of America NT & SA and the 
             Company dated February 15, 1995(10)

10.77    Lease Agreement, Ground Lease Agreement and Purchase Agreement dated 
             June 5, 1995, between BNP Leasing Corporation and the Company(10)

10.78    Lease Agreement and Purchase Agreement dated August 10, 1995, between 
             BNP Leasing Corporation and the Company(10)

10.79    Amendment of Credit Agreement between Bank of America NT & SA and the 
             Company dated December 29, 1995(11)

(ii)     EXHIBITS INCLUDED HEREWITH:

10.80    Mortgage Loan Supplement Program between Bank of the West and the 
             Company dated May 8, 1996.

13.1     1996 Annual  Report to  Stockholders.  This Annual  Report shall not be
             deemed to be filed except to the extent that the information is
             specifically incorporated by reference.

21       List of Subsidiaries of KLA Instruments Corporation

23.1     Consent of Independent Accountants

27       Financial Data Schedule


(1)Filed  as  exhibit  number 1 to  Registrant's  Form  8-A/A  Amendment  number
2 to  Registration  Statement,  filed on September 24, 1996

                                       15
<PAGE>   16
(2)Filed as the same exhibit number as set forth herein to Registrant's Form
10-K for the year ended June 30, 1983

(3)Filed as the same exhibit number as set forth herein to Registrant's Form
10-K for the year ended June 30, 1987

(4)Filed as the same exhibit number as set forth herein to Registrant's Form
10-K for the year ended June 30, 1990

(5)Filed as the same exhibit number as set forth herein to Registrant's Form
10-K for the year ended June 30, 1991

(6)Filed as the same exhibit number as set forth herein to Registrant's Form
10-K for the year ended June 30, 1992

(7)Filed as the same exhibit number to Registrant's registration statement
no.33-51819 on Form S-3, dated February 2, 1994

(8)Filed as exhibit number 4.6 as set forth herein to Registrant's Form 10-K for
the year ended June 30, 1991

(9)Filed as the same exhibit number as set forth herein to Registrant's Form
10-K for the year ended June 30, 1994

(10)Filed as the same exhibit number as set forth herein to Registrant's Form
10-K for the year ended June 30, 1995

(11)Filed as the same exhibit number as set forth herein to Registrant's Form
10-Q for the quarter ended December 31, 1995

                                       16

<PAGE>   1
                                                                   EXHIBIT 10.80

May 2, 1996




Mr. Christopher Stoddart
Mr. Douglas Reed
KLA Corporation
160 Rio Robles
P.O. Box 49055
San Jose, California  95161-9055

Dear Chris and Doug:

We are pleased to confirm our extension of a Three Million Dollar ($3,000,000)
loan facility (the "Facility") to KLA Instruments Corporation ("KLA") to make
second mortgage loans to your eligible present and future employees and other
eligible co-borrowers on the terms and conditions set forth in this commitment
facility letter. The credit extended under this Facility is to be used by
approved eligible employees (the "Borrowers") to assist them in purchasing their
primary residence (the "Mortgage Loan Supplement Program" or the "Program").

1.       All Borrowers under the Mortgage Loan Supplement Program will be
         eligible KLA employees. Eligibility for participation in the Program
         will be determined by KLA.

2.       The loans made under the Mortgage Loan Supplement Program (the "Loans")
         will be for the purpose of assisting eligible employees in purchasing
         their primary residence.

3.       The minimum amount of each Loan will be Fifteen Thousand and No/100
         Dollars ($15,000.00). The maximum amount of each Loan will be One
         Hundred Thousand and No/100 Dollars ($100,000.00), or greater, if
         specifically requested in writing by KLA, and approved by Bank of the
         West which approval the Bank of the West may withhold in sole and
         absolute discretion. In no event shall the amount of any Loan, when
         added to all senior indebtedness secured by the property, exceed
         ninety-five percent (95%) of the lower the purchase price or the
         appraised value of the property.



                                       1
<PAGE>   2
4.       The interest rate on the Loans will be the published The Wall Street
         Journal, Western Edition, prime rate (the "Index Rate") plus one
         percent (1%) per annum and will be computed on a 360-day year, twelve
         30-day months' basis. The maximum interest rate shall not exceed five
         percentage points (5%) above the initial loan rate. The interest rate
         will be fixed each month as of the first day of each month ("Change
         Date"). If the Change Date occurs on a weekend or holiday and no Index
         Rate is published on that day, then the Index Rate published on the
         next succeeding business day shall be utilized to determine the
         interest applicable to the Change Date.

5.       The term of each Loan will be three to seven years from the making of
         the Loan, as determined by Bank of the West in consultation with KLA.
         Principal will be paid in equal annual installments. Interest will
         accrue monthly and be paid annually along with each yearly principal
         payment.

6.       KLA employees who are residents of California will provide a second
         deed of trust on the residence purchased as collateral for Loans
         extended under the Program. Loans to employees in other states will be
         secured by second mortgages on the residences purchased. The closing of
         the Loan will occur simultaneously with the closing of the first deed
         of trust/mortgage.

7.       KLA will pay all escrow fees, title insurance fees (including
         endorsements), appraisal fees (Lender will use senior deed of trust
         lender's appraisal if it's current and meets regulatory standards) and
         all other similar closing costs and loan costs in connection with the
         loans. Bank of the West will not charge any "points" or up front fees
         in connection with the Loans.

8.       Documentation for these transactions will be a variable rate promissory
         note, Bank of the West's second deed of trust or mortgage documentation
         in effect from time to time (which will be modified, as appropriate to
         accommodate the special features of this Facility), appraisals,
         casualty insurance (naming Bank of the West as additional loss payee),
         lender title insurance, and other traditional closing documentation.
         The currently effective Bank of the West second deed of trust is
         attached here to. Second mortgage documentation, if applicable, will be
         subject to prior review and approval by KLA.



                                       2
<PAGE>   3
9.       If a Borrower's employment with KLA is terminated as a result of a lay
         off or reduction in force, permanent disability, or death prior to
         maturity, the Loan will continue until maturity; if a Borrower's
         employment with KLA is terminated by the employee voluntarily or by KLA
         other than as a result of a layoff or reduction in force, then the Loan
         will mature sixty days thereafter. The Guaranty (as defined below) will
         continue until the Loan is paid in full. At maturity or upon earlier
         termination as described above, the Borrower will be required to repay
         the Loan. Upon default or upon maturity, Bank of the West will have the
         right to either (i) foreclose on the deed of trust or (ii) call on the
         Guaranty. If KLA pays on the Guaranty, Bank of The West will assign the
         Note, Deed of Trust and other loan documents and all of their rights
         thereunder to KLA.

10.      Bank of the West will provide KLA with a copy of each annual payment
         request sent to each Borrower.

11.      KLA agrees to:

           (a) Provide Bank of the West with a master continuing guaranty
           substantially in the form attached (the "Guaranty"), guaranteeing the
           Borrowers' obligations and performance on the indebtedness (including
           indebtedness arising out of actions taken by Bank of the West to
           protect its security under any Loan made pursuant to this Facility).
           KLA agrees and acknowledges that because the loan-to-value ratio
           permitted under this Facility will be high, Bank of the West is
           relying on the Guaranty as its assurance against any loss in
           connection with the Loans to be made to the Borrowers,

           (b) Provide Bank of the West with a letter (in the form attached
           hereto) as part of each loan application by an eligible Borrower(s),
           confirming such Borrowers' eligibility to apply under the Program
           (the "Eligibility Letter").

           (c) Provide Bank of the West with 10-Qs and 10-Ks and such other KLA
           financial data as reasonably requested from time to time. Such data
           shall include, without limitation, an annual audited balance sheet
           and income statement substantially in the form previously submitted
           to Banque Nationale de Paris.

           (d) Provide Bank of the West with adequate documentation to
           substantiate KLA's authorization and authority, to enter into this
           transaction, including, without limitation, an opinion of counsel for
           KLA regarding the due execution and enforceability of the Guaranty,
           certified copy of the Board of Directors Resolution Certificate
           approving the transaction and an Incumbency Certificate.

           (e) Inform Bank of the West if a Borrower's employment is terminated
           for any reason, and whether the termination is the result of a
           reduction in force, lay off, permanent disability or death prior to
           maturity of the loan.

                                       3
<PAGE>   4
         (f) Provide Bank of the West a list of persons authorized to execute
         Eligibility Letters.

12.      Termination of Facility

         This Facility may be terminated at any time by either Bank of the West
         or KLA by written notice given to the other party. Notwithstanding any
         such termination, (i) all Loans outstanding under this Facility at the
         time of termination shall remain in effect in accordance with their
         terms and (ii) all rights of Bank of the West under loan documentation,
         including the Guaranty, shall continue in effect until all outstanding
         indebtedness under this Facility has been repaid in full and all
         related obligations have been performed.


Dated: May 2, 1996

Bank of the West



James M. Griffith
Vice President and Manager



Accepted:

KLA Instruments Corporation



By: /s/ Chris Stoddart
    --------------------------
Date: May 8, 1996
      ------------------------


                                       4
<PAGE>   5
                             UNCONDITIONAL GUARANTY

         This Guaranty (the "Guaranty") is made as of May 8, 1996 by KLA
Instruments Corporation ("KLA"), a Delaware corporation (the "Guarantor"), in
favor of Bank of the West, a California corporation (the "Lender").

         1.       This Guaranty is made in order to induce the Lender to make
loans to certain of Guarantor's employees and their spouses (the "Borrowers")
identified by the Guarantor as eligible to participate in the Mortgage Loan
Supplement Program (as defined in the Mortgage Loan Supplement Program
Commitment dated May 2, 1996 ) (the "Loans"). The Guarantor understands that the
proceeds of each Loan will be used by each of the Borrowers to purchase their,
his, or her primary residence or to pay off existing loans made by KLA to
certain Borrowers. The amount of each Loan shall not be less than Fifteen
Thousand and No/100 Dollars ($15,000.00) nor more than One Hundred Thousand and
No/100 Dollars ($100,000.00), provided, however, the Lender may in its sole and
absolute discretion loan an amount in excess of One Hundred Thousand and No/100
Dollars ($100,000.00) to a Borrower if the Guarantor specifically requests in
writing that such loan be made. The total original, principal amount of all
Loans shall not in the aggregate exceed Three Million and No/100 Dollars
($3,000,000.00). Each Loan will be evidenced by an adjustable rate promissory
note in substantially the form attached to this Guaranty executed by the
respective Borrowers (the "Notes"). All Loans will be secured by a second lien
priority deed of trust or mortgage, depending on the state in which the
purchased residence is located, (the "Deeds of Trust") and certain other
documents evidencing or securing the Loans, each of which shall be in
substantially the form reviewed and approved by Guarantor prior to the execution
thereof. The Borrowers will also execute certain other documents such as, but
not limited to, Truth-in-Lending disclosure statements and Regulation Z forms
and RESPA statements in connection with these Loans. (The Note, Deed of Trust,
and all other documents executed by the Borrowers in connection with the Loan
shall hereinafter be referred to as the "Loan Documents".) Lender will provide
Guarantor with true, correct and complete copies of the Loan Documents promptly
following delivery, execution, and recording (as the case may be) of such
documents.

         2.       The Guarantor guarantees to the Lender, its successors, and
assigns the full and prompt payment of each of the Notes in accordance with its
terms, when due, by acceleration or otherwise and the full, prompt, and complete
performance of all obligations of the Borrowers set forth in the Loan Documents.
Upon a default by a Borrower in the performance of any of its obligations under
the Loan Documents (excluding performance of its payment obligations), Bank
shall give Guarantor notice of such default and the opportunity to cure such
default for a period of thirty (30) days before exercising any remedies against
the Borrower, including the remedy of accelerating the Loan. If Guarantor does
not, within said time period, cure such default to the satisfaction of Bank,
then Bank shall have the right to exercise any and all of its remedies against
the Borrower under the Loan Documents, including accelerating the Loan.


                                                                               1
<PAGE>   6
         3.       The liability of the Guarantor on this Guaranty is a guaranty
of payment and performance and not of collectibility, and is not conditional or
contingent on the genuineness, validity, regularity, or enforceability of the
Notes, or the other Loan Documents, or on the pursuit by the Lender of any
remedies that it now has or may hereafter have with respect thereto.

         4.       The liability of the Guarantor under this Guaranty shall in no
way be affected by:

                  a.       The release or discharge of the Borrowers in any
                           creditor proceeding, receivership, bankruptcy, or
                           other proceeding (by operation of law);

                  b.       The impairment, limitation, or modification of the
                           liability of the Borrowers or the estate of the
                           Borrowers, or of any remedy for the enforcement of
                           the Borrowers' liability, resulting from the
                           operation of any present or future provision of the
                           Bankruptcy Code (Title 11 of the United States Code,
                           as amended; 11 USC sections 101-1301) or any
                           bankruptcy, insolvency, debtor relief statute (state
                           or federal), or any other statute, or from the
                           decision of any court;

                  c.       The rejection or disaffirmance of the indebtedness,
                           or any portion of the indebtedness, in any judicial
                           or administrative proceeding;

                  d.       The cessation by operation of law of the liability of
                           the Borrowers to the Lender;

                  e.       Any change in employment status of any of the
                           Borrowers;

                  f.       Any divorce or marital separation proceedings or
                           decree with respect to any of the Borrowers.

         5.       The Guarantor will file all claims against any Borrowers in
any creditor proceeding, receivership, bankruptcy, or other proceeding in which
the filing of claims is required by law on any indebtedness of such Borrowers to
the Guarantor. The Guarantor will assign to the Lender all rights of the
Guarantor on any such indebtedness to the extent that such Borrower's
obligations under its Loan Documents have not been satisfied. If the Guarantor
does not file any such claim, the Lender, as attorney-in-fact for the Guarantor,
is authorized to do so in the name of the Guarantor or, in the Lender's
discretion, to assign the claim and to file a proof of claim in the name of the
Lender's nominee. In all such proceedings, the person or persons authorized to
pay such claim shall pay to the Lender the full amount of any such claim. To the
full extent necessary for that purpose, the Guarantor assigns to the Lender all
of the Guarantor's rights to any such payments or distributions to which the
Guarantor would otherwise be entitled to the extent that such Borrower's
obligations under its Loan Documents have not been satisfied.

         6.       The Guarantor hereby waives:

                  a.       Diligence and demand of payment;


                                                                               2
<PAGE>   7
                  b.       All notices to the Guarantor, to any Borrowers, or to
                           any other person, including, without limitation,
                           notice of the acceptance of this Guaranty, notice of
                           the accrual of any obligations contained in the Loan
                           Documents or notice of any other matters relating
                           thereto;

                  c.       All demands whatsoever, other than demand for payment
                           under this Guaranty, provided however, failure of
                           Lender to make a demand for payment under this
                           Guaranty shall not exonerate this Guaranty or the
                           Guarantor;

                  d.       Any statute of limitations affecting liability under
                           this Guaranty or the enforcement of this Guaranty;

                  e.       Any duty on the part of the Lender to disclose to the
                           Guarantor any facts it may now or hereafter know
                           about the Borrowers, regardless of whether the Lender
                           has reason to believe that any such facts materially
                           increase the risk beyond that which the Guarantor
                           intends to assume, or has reason to believe that such
                           facts are unknown to the Guarantor, or has a
                           reasonable opportunity to communicate such facts to
                           the Guarantor. The Guarantor is fully responsible for
                           being and keeping informed of the financial condition
                           of the Borrowers and of all circumstances bearing on
                           the risk of nonpayment of any indebtedness hereby
                           guaranteed;

                  f.       All rights and defenses arising out of an election of
                           remedies by the Lender even though that election of
                           remedies, such as a nonjudicial foreclosure with
                           respect to security for a guaranteed obligation, has
                           destroyed the Guarantor's rights of subrogation and
                           reimbursement against the Borrowers or by any
                           Borrower by the operation of Section 580d of the Code
                           of Civil Procedure or otherwise; and

                  g.       Guarantor's rights of subrogation and reimbursement
                           and any other rights and defenses available to the
                           Guarantor by reason of Sections 2787 to 2855 of the
                           California Civil Code, inclusive, and any rights or
                           defenses the Guarantor may have by reason of
                           protection afforded to Guarantor and or the Borrowers
                           (or any Borrowers), with respect to the obligations
                           guaranteed herein, pursuant to the antideficiency or
                           other laws of the State of California limiting or
                           discharging the Guarantor's or the Borrowers'(or any
                           Borrower's) liability, obligations, or indebtedness,
                           including, without limitation, Sections 580a, 580b,
                           580d, or 726 of the Code of Civil Procedure. The
                           Guarantor agrees that its obligations shall not be
                           affected by any circumstances that constitute a legal
                           or equitable discharge of a guarantor or surety.
                           Notwithstanding the waivers set forth in Paragraph 6
                           or anything in this Guaranty to the contrary, upon
                           payment in full by Guarantor of all obligations under
                           the Loan Documents with respect to any individual
                           Borrower, Lender shall assign to Guarantor, without
                           representation, warranty or recourse, all right,
                           title, interest and security
                           
                                                                               3
<PAGE>   8
                           (including without limitation, rights or choices in
                           action, if any), held by Lender in respect of such
                           Borrower's Loan Documents.

         7.       The Guarantor agrees that the Lender may enforce this Guaranty
without the necessity of resorting to or exhausting any security or collateral.
The Guarantor waives the right to require the Lender to proceed against any
Borrower (or Borrowers); to foreclose any lien on any real or personal property;
to exercise any right or remedy under the Loan Documents; to pursue any other
remedy; or to enforce any other right.

         8.       The Guarantor agrees that the defenses of California Code of
Civil Procedure section 726 shall not apply to prevent the Lender from suing
upon the Note following taking judgment against the Guarantor. The Guarantor
further agrees that nothing herein contained shall prevent the Lender from suing
on the Note or from exercising any other rights available to it under the Note
or the Loan Documents, including, without limitation, nonjudicial foreclosure
under California Civil Code section 2924, and the exercise of any of the
aforesaid rights shall not constitute a legal or equitable discharge of the
Guarantor or the Loan Documents even though such exercise may affect, destroy,
or eliminate the Guarantor's right of subrogation against the Borrower with
respect to any sums paid to the Lender. Without limiting the generality of the
waivers contained in this Guaranty, the Guarantor expressly waives any rights or
defenses to liability under this Guaranty, based upon Union Bank v Gradsky , or
subsequent cases; arising out of California Civil Code sections 2809, 2810,
2819, 2824, 2825, and 2845 through 2850 and California Code of Civil Procedure
sections 726, 580a, 580b, and 580d; (including without limitation any right to a
fair market value hearing under section 580a of the California Code of Civil
Procedure).

         9.       The Guarantor shall continue to be liable under this Guaranty,
and its provisions shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding: (a)
any defect in the genuineness, validity, regularity, or enforceability of the
Notes, the indebtedness evidenced thereby, or the other Loan Documents; (b) any
waiver of or failure to enforce any of the terms, covenants, or conditions
contained in the Notes or other Loan Documents; (c) any modification, agreement,
or stipulation between the Borrowers or a Borrower and the Lender, or their
respective successors and assigns, with respect to the Notes or other Loan
Documents, except the Lender shall obtain Guarantor's prior written consent with
respect to any increase in the amount of the indebtedness to any Borrower (not
including the accrual of interest or advances made by Lender to protect its
security, including but not limited to the payment of real property taxes and
assessments, insurance, attorney fees, costs of collection, and payment to cure
defaults on senior liens); and (d) any release by operation of law of any real
or personal property or other security then held by the Lender for the
performance of the obligations hereby guaranteed.

         10.      With respect to any Loans made to a Borrower or Borrowers,
until all the terms, covenants, and conditions of the Loan Documents on a
Borrower's part to be performed and ob-

                                                                               4
<PAGE>   9
served are fully performed and observed, including payment in full of all
obligations under the Note relating to such Loan, the Guarantor:

         a.       Shall have no right of subrogation against such Borrower or
                  Borrowers by reason of any payments or acts of performance by
                  the Guarantor in compliance with the obligations of the
                  Guarantor under this Guaranty;

         b.       Waives any right to enforce any remedy that the Guarantor
                  shall have against such Borrower or Borrowers by reason of any
                  one or more payments or acts of performance in compliance with
                  the obligations of the Guarantor under this Guaranty; and

         c.       Subordinates any liability or indebtedness of such Borrower or
                  Borrowers held by the Guarantor to the obligations of such
                  Borrower or Borrowers to the Lender under any of the Loan
                  Documents or any other instrument of indebtedness.

         11.      The Guarantor's obligations under this Guaranty shall be
accelerated and become immediately due and payable by any breach or default as
described in the following sentence under any other agreement involving the
borrowing of money or the extension of credit under which Guarantor may be
obligated as borrower, including, without limitation, the Amended and Restated
Credit Agreement dated as of April 30, 1994, between Guarantor and Bank of
America National Trust and Savings Association, as amended from time to time,
and any credit arrangement between Guarantor and Banque Nationale de Paris. Such
breach or default shall consist solely of failure to pay any indebtedness when
due or such other default that permits or causes (or upon a lapse of time or
notice or both would permit or cause) the acceleration of any indebtedness or
the termination of any commitment to lend, after the expiration of any grace or
cure period provided therein. Provided, however, if a good faith dispute exists
between the Guarantor and any such creditor concerning the amount due or the
existence of a default, the Guarantor's failure to cure such breach or default,
or to pay any amounts claimed, pending resolution of the dispute, shall not
constitute a Guarantor's default or breach hereunder.

         12.      With or without notice to the Guarantor, the Lender, in its
sole discretion, at any time and from time to time, and in such manner and on
such terms as it deems fit may apply any or all payments or recoveries (i) from
a Borrower, from the Guarantor, or from any other guarantor or endorser under
this or any other instrument or (ii) realized from any security to the
indebtedness of a Borrower under its respective the Loan Documents, whether such
indebtedness is guaranteed by this Guaranty, is otherwise secured, or is due at
the time of such application provided, however, that Lender shall apply all
payments and recoveries with respect to an individual Borrower's indebtedness,
to that Borrower's indebtedness, and shall refund to Guarantor or such Borrower,
as their interests may appear, any amount paid or recovered in excess of the
amount of such indebtedness then due and payable. All such payments and

                                                                               5
<PAGE>   10
recoveries shall be applied and in such manner, order, or priority as set forth
in the Loan Documents.

         13.      This Guaranty shall continue to be effective or be reinstated,
as the case may be, if any payment must be returned by Bank upon the insolvency,
bankruptcy or reorganization of a Borrower, the Guarantor, any other guarantor,
or otherwise, as though such payment had not been made.

         14.      No provision of this Guaranty or right of the Lender under
this Guaranty can be waived nor can the Guarantor be released from its
obligations under this Guaranty except by a writing duly executed by an
authorized representative of the Lender or the payment in full of the
obligations of all Borrowers (whether such payment is made by Borrowers,
Guarantor, proceeds received by Lender upon sale or foreclosure of any real or
personal property security, any other guarantor, or from any other source
whatsoever) the Guarantor shall continue to be liable under the terms of this
Guaranty notwithstanding the transfer by a Borrower of all or any portion of any
property securing such Borrower's indebtedness provided, however, that the Deed
of Trust shall contain a "due on sale" provision, and the indebtedness of a
Borrower shall become due and payable upon the sale or transfer of the property.

         15.      Except as set forth in the following sentence the Guarantor
shall forthwith pay to the Lender the amount of all reasonable attorneys' fees
and costs incurred by the Lender in enforcement or collection of this Guaranty
or in the defense or enforcement of the Lender's interests (whether or not the
Lender files a lawsuit against the Guarantor) in the event the Lender retains
counsel or incurs costs in order to: enforce, or seek to enforce, any of its
rights; commence, intervene in, respond to, or defend any action or proceeding
relating to this Guaranty; file or prosecute a claim in any action or proceeding
(including, without limitation, any probate claim, bankruptcy claim, third party
claim, or secured creditor claim) relating to this Guaranty; or represent the
Lender in any litigation with respect to the Guarantor's obligations under this
Guaranty.

                  If either the Guarantor or the Lender files any lawsuit
against the other predicated on this Guaranty, the prevailing party in such
action shall be entitled to recover its reasonable attorneys' fees and costs.

         16.      Every provision of this Guaranty is intended to be severable.
In the event any term or provision hereof is declared to be illegal or invalid
by a court of competent jurisdiction, such illegality or invalidity shall not
affect the balance of the terms and provisions hereof, which terms and
provisions shall remain binding and enforceable.

         17.      Time is of the essence under this Guaranty and any amendment,
modification, or revision of this Guaranty shall be in writing and executed by
the parties.

                                                                               6
<PAGE>   11
         18.      Any notice which any party hereto may be required or may
desire to give hereunder shall be deemed to have been given when delivered by
hand or three (3) days following mailing if mailed postage-prepaid by United
States certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, addressed to such
party at the address set forth below or to such other address as the party to be
served with notice may have furnished in writing to the party seeking or
desiring to serve notice, as a place for the service of notice:

         To the Lender at:
                           Bank of the West
                           180 Montgomery Street
                           San Francisco, California 94104
                           ATTN: James M. Griffith or Carole A. Obley

         To the Guarantor at:
                           KLA Instruments Corporation
                           160 Rio Robles
                           P.O. Box 49055
                           San Jose, CA  95161-9055
                           ATTN:  Douglas D. Reed or Christopher Stoddart

         19.      This Guaranty shall bind the successors and assigns (including
any successors or assigns by merger, consolidation, sale of assets, or other
transfer of any kind) of the Guarantor and shall inure to the benefit of, and be
enforceable by, the Lender, its successors, or assigns. As used herein, the
singular shall include the plural, and the masculine shall include the feminine
and neuter, and vice versa, if the context so requires.

         20.      This Guaranty shall be construed and governed in accordance
with the laws of the State of California and Guarantor and Lender agree that the
proper venue and jurisdiction for any actions filed for enforcement of any
provision of their guarantee shall be either the State or Federal courts in the
County of San Francisco.

         21.      The language in all parts of this Guaranty shall be in all
cases construed simply, according to its fair meaning, regardless of which party
drafted the particular language which is being construed.

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Guarantor has executed this Guaranty as of the
day and year first above written.

KLA Instruments Corporation


                                                                               7
<PAGE>   12
By:     /s/ Chris Stoddart
        _____________________________   
Name    Chris Stoddart

Title   Treasurer

Date    May 8, 1996

Accepted and Agreed:

Bank of the West


By:     /s/   James M. Griffith
        ______________________________
              James M. Griffith
           Vice President & Manager

Date    May 10, 1996

                                                                               8

<PAGE>   1
                                                                    EXHIBIT 13.1

SELECTED QUARTERLY FINANCIAL DATA (UNAUDITED)


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                             Fiscal 1995                                        Fiscal 1996
Quarter Ended                Sept. 30    Dec. 31        March 31     June 30    Sept. 30       Dec. 31      March 31     June 30
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                          (In millions, except per share amounts)
<S>                           <C>        <C>            <C>          <C>          <C>          <C>          <C>          <C>
NET SALES                     $  83.2    $ 104.7        $ 118.1      $ 136.4      $ 149.1      $ 165.8      $ 187.5      $ 192.5

Gross profit                     42.6       56.3           63.9         75.0         82.4         90.4        102.3        103.2
(% of net sales)                 51.2%      53.8%          54.1%        55.0%        55.3%        54.5%        54.6%        53.6%

Engineering, research and
   development expense            8.2        8.8           12.3         16.0         15.6         18.0         20.9         20.1
(% of net sales)                  9.9%       8.4%          10.4%        11.7%        10.5%        10.9%        11.1%        10.4%

Selling, general and
   administrative expense        16.5       21.7           21.6         25.5         27.9         29.4         33.7         35.2
(% of net sales)                 19.8%      20.7%          18.3%        18.7%        18.7%        17.7%        18.0%        18.3%

Net income                       12.8        1.0(a)        20.8         24.0         27.3         29.8         31.8         32.0
(% of net sales)                 15.4%       1.0%          17.6%        17.6%        18.3%        18.0%        17.0%        16.6%

NET INCOME PER SHARE          $  0.27    $  0.02(a)     $  0.43      $  0.47      $  0.52      $  0.57      $  0.61      $  0.61

Shares used in computing
   net income per share          47.8       48.2           48.6         51.0         52.4         52.4         52.2         52.4
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
(a) Includes a net charge of $16.2 million or $0.33 per share, for write-off of
acquired in-process technology.

               NET SALES                          NET INCOME
             (in millions)                      (in millions)
               [FIGURE 1]                         [FIGURE 2]
<PAGE>   2
MANAGEMENT'S FINANCIAL COMMENTARY

Fiscal 1996 will be recalled as the peak year in a cycle which began in 1992.
KLA grew faster than the equipment industry during this period even though the
industry was quite strong. This incrementally faster growth occurred because
the semiconductor industry began the first steps toward a more sophisticated
approach to process control, a natural step in the evolution of the industry.
Mature process industries, such as oil refining and chemical production, use
complex measurements and feedback and feed forward systems to benchmark and
control the manufacturing processes tightly. These industries spend upwards of
15% to 18% of their capital on the process control systems which ensure high
yields with few variations. In contrast, the semiconductor processes are
comparatively immature; measurements are difficult to make and feedback loops
are just getting started. Correlations between measurements and known problems
are still primitive. In this environment, the industry is spending about 7% of
capital on process control -- a much lower level than the mature industries --
but it is rising rapidly. KLA has the good fortune to be the clear leader in
this process control segment of the semiconductor industry -- a segment which
can get growth both from new fabs and from outfitting older fabs, to upgrade
their capabilities.

        Now the industry is experiencing a significant slowing in the rate of
new fab construction and expenditures which, will adversely affect our aggregate
bookings and ultimately lead to lower revenues. Fortunately for KLA, many of our
businesses are driven by factors other than the rate of new fab construction.
For example, the RAPID (Reticle Inspection Systems) is experiencing a strong
resurgence in orders and shipments because the mask shops, both captive and
merchant, must acquire the new technology contained in the KLA 351 in order to
compete effectively and produce masks and reticles for next generation devices.
Their old tools are "out of gas," and the entire industry segment is re-tooling
- -- a trend which is driving RAPID's business.

        Similarly, our linewidth metrology business, part of our Metrology
Group, appears to have the position of "best of breed" in comparison to
competitive products. As a result, that business is growing despite the
industry softness because the product superiority is resulting in gains in
market share. Additionally, our SEMSpec product line is beginning to grow
because the manufacturers of 256Mb DRAMS and 1 Gigabit DRAMS realize that this
Electron Beam technology is necessary for the development of the pilot lines
for those devices.

        As we enter a period of adjustment in the supply of manufacturing
capacity, KLA is well positioned with leading-edge technology products that
enjoy competitive advantages and result in either the leading market share, or
the prospect of obtaining the leading share. Finally, products that enhance
the yield of fabs enjoy incremental demand from recently completed and older
fabs where the customers obtain excellent returns on their investment by
adopting more sophisticated methods of process control.

ANNUAL RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Earnings per share in fiscal 1996 was a record $2.31 compared to the previous
year's $1.53 (prior to the $16.2 million after-tax write-off resulting from the
Metrologix acquisition) and $0.68 in fiscal 1994. Sales increased 57% in fiscal
1996 compared with increases of 82% and 46% in fiscal 1995 and 1994,
respectively. The dollar sales increase in fiscal 1996 was primarily
attributable to the continued success of the 2100 series product line
manufactured by the Wafer Inspection Business Unit (WISARD), which grew at a
strong pace, but slightly lower than in fiscal 1995. By year end more than 137
fabs had multiple 2100 series products installed or on order, compared to 88
fabs at the end of fiscal 1995.

        RAPID recorded the highest percentage growth in sales, reflecting the
industry's re-tooling requirements described above and the enthusiasm for its
STARlight (Simultaneous Transmitted and Reflected Light) systems. KLA believes
that this new measurement capability redefined the standard of acceptability
between mask makers and fab users and spawned demand from both to verify the
quality of the tooling used to make 1C devices. This verification technology,
introduced in fiscal 1995, is the first of several important new products in the
pipeline for this business unit over the next several years.

        The 82% sales increase in fiscal 1995 was primarily attributable to
rising demand for WISARD's 2100 series product.

        International sales as a percentage of total sales were 68%, 69% and
65% in fiscal years 1996, 1995 and 1994, respectively.

        Gross margins were 54%, 54% and 45% in fiscal years 1996, 1995 and
1994, respectively. While the gross margin ratio remained flat year to year in
fiscal 1996. RAPID improved sharply from a lower base level, because of volume
efficiencies, while WISARD experienced a small decline. WISARD's margin
reduction resulted from the introduction of the KLA 2135. Overall margins were
also negatively affected by spending in KLA's start-up businesses, particularly
E-Beam Metrology and SEMSpec, and by higher installation and warranty costs. The
gross margin improvements in fiscal years 1995 and 1994 were due to improving
manufacturing efficiencies in WISARD as the sales volume grew, the mix of
business effect of WISARD's rising share of KLA's total revenues, and the
absorption of fixed overhead costs by overall higher sales volumes.

        Engineering, research and development expenses were 11%, 10% and 9% of
revenue in fiscal 1996, 1995 and 1994, respectively. Expenses of $74.6 million
in fiscal 1996 increased 65% over fiscal 1995 expenses of $45.3 million. A
large part of the increase in fiscal 1996 was due to new initiatives in the
WISARD Division during the year, including the introduction of the 2135
inspection tool and improved software applications. Other areas of concentrated
investment include E-Beam Metrology
<PAGE>   3
and the development of advanced wafer inspection systems; in both cases, these
investments are expected to help fuel growth into the next century. In fiscal
1995, these expenses doubled over fiscal 1994 with WISARD and RAPID being the
main drivers for this growth.

     Selling, general and administrative costs were 18%, 19% and 20% in fiscal
years 1996, 1995 and 1994, respectively. The percentage decrease in fiscal 1996
is attributable in equal parts to administration costs growing more slowly than
revenue and to a decrease in the percentage of external commission expenses due
to a higher proportion of direct sales. However, these improvements were
partially offset by an increase in sales expense related in part to the
introduction of KLA's key account organization in fiscal 1996. In fiscal 1995,
decreases in sales and administration expenses as a percentage of sales were
partially offset by increases in profit-sharing expenses resulting directly from
the continued improvement in KLA's financial performance.

     The provision for income taxes on pretax income was 36%, 34% and 25% in
fiscal 1996, 1995 and 1994, respectively. KLA's tax rate increased from fiscal
1995 to fiscal 1996 as a result of the expiration of the federal Research and
Development tax credit on June 30, 1995 and a lower benefit from the release of
the valuation reserves against deferred tax assets. KLA's tax rate increased
from fiscal 1994 to fiscal 1995 as a result of a greater percentage of worldwide
earnings being taxable in the U.S. in fiscal 1995 than in prior years. In fiscal
1994, the income tax rate was lower than the statutory U.S. tax rate primarily
due to tax advantages in Switzerland that resulted in a lower net foreign tax
rate and as a result of recognizing deferred tax assets that were previously
reserved. Additionally, the fiscal 1994 rate was reduced by the utilization of
$1.9 million in foreign tax credits.

     The IRS is currently auditing the Company's federal income tax returns for
fiscal years 1985 to 1992. During fiscal 1996, the Company received a notice of
proposed tax deficiency for such years and filed a tax protest letter with the
IRS in response to the IRS notice. Management believes sufficient taxes have
been provided in prior years and that the ultimate outcome of the IRS audit will
not have a material adverse impact on the Company's financial position or
results of operations.

LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES

Cash, cash equivalents, short term investments and marketable securities
increased by $16.7 million in fiscal 1996. This increase was due primarily to
$64.7 million generated from operations and $14.9 million from the after-tax
impact of stock option and stock purchase plans, offset by a $21.3 million cash
payment to repay debt and $39.1 million in capital expenditures. In fiscal 1995,
cash, cash equivalents, short term investments and marketable securities
increased by $105.6 million, with $22.3 million from operations, $90.7 million
raised in a secondary public offering in May 1995, and $24.7 million from the
after-tax impact of stock option and stock purchase plans. This was partially
offset by a $14.2 million cash payment to purchase Metrologix and $19.0 million
in capital expenditures. Cash provided by operations in fiscal 1996 and fiscal
1995 was substantially less than reported earnings due to the working capital
investment required to support the rise in revenues; in fiscal 1996, accounts
receivable and inventories increased by $74.2 million and $52.6 million
respectively.

[Photo of Robert J. Boehlke, Vice President, Finance and Administration and
Chief Financial Officer.]

     Capital expenditures totaled $39.1 million in fiscal 1996, compared with
depreciation charges of approximately $16.3 million, and represented a 106%
increase over the fiscal 1995 amount. The major uses of capital were the
facility expansion at KLA's main campus, investments in tooling for greater
manufacturing capacity and purchases of equipment and software for improved
information systems. Under current market forecasts, capital expenditures for
fiscal 1997 are expected to be greater than depreciation but less than the
fiscal 1996 amount. Fiscal 1995 had capital expenditures of $19.0 million and
$10.6 million of depreciation charges.

     During fiscal 1996, KLA moved the reticle inspection business unit into a
new, leased 105,000 square-foot facility constructed at its main campus site.
The Company also moved into an additional 120,000 square feet of office and
manufacturing space in two buildings on the San Jose campus. The lessor of these
three buildings funded $31.2 million to acquire, construct and improve these
three buildings.

     KLA believes that its current level of liquid assets, borrowing facilities,
working capital and cash expected to be generated from operations will be
sufficient to fund its growth through at least fiscal 1997. The current policy
of KLA is not to pay dividends.

BUSINESS RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES

The Company's future results will depend on its ability to continuously
introduce new products and enhancements to its customers as demands for higher
productivity and specifications of semiconductor test equipment change or
increase. Due to the risks inherent in transitioning to new products, the
Company must accurately forecast demand in both volume and configuration and
also manage the transition from older products. The Company's results could be
affected by the ability of competitors to introduce new products which have
technological or pricing advantages. Results also will be affected by strategic
decisions made by management regarding whether to continue particular product
lines, and by volume, mix and timing of orders received during a period,
fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, and changing conditions in both the
semiconductor industry and key semiconductor markets around the world. As a
result, the Company's operating results may fluctuate, especially when measured
on a quarterly basis.


- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This Annual Report includes a number of forward-looking statements including,
but not limited to, statements with respect to the Company's future financial
performance, operating results, plans and objectives. Actual results may differ
materially from those currently anticipated depending upon a variety of factors
some of which are itemized in the "Business Risks and Uncertainties" section
above.
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<PAGE>   4
SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA (UNAUDITED)

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                          1992         1993         1994         1995          1996
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                            (In thousands, except per share amounts)
<S>                                                   <C>          <C>          <C>          <C>           <C>
YEARS ENDED JUNE 30,
         Net sales                                    $155,963     $167,236     $243,737     $442,416      $694,867
         Restructuring charges (recovery)                8,158         (718)           -            -             -
         Income (loss) from continuing operations      (16,610)       6,961       30,188       58,618       120,884
         Net income (loss)                             (13,810)       6,961       30,188       58,618       120,884
         Income (loss) per share from continuing
              operations                                 (0.45)        0.18         0.68         1.20          2.31

         Net income (loss) per share                     (0.38)        0.18         0.68         1.20          2.31

         Shares used in computing
              net income(loss) per share                36,902       39,414       44,088       48,870        52,329

AT JUNE 30,
         Cash, cash equivalents and
              marketable securities                     23,711       52,362      139,126      244,753       261,411
         Working capital                                83,961       93,611      212,873      228,026       324,356
         Total assets                                  188,457      199,089      321,570      546,296       712,772
         Long-term debt                                 24,000       20,000       20,000           --            --
         Stockholders' equity                          103,032      114,050      227,382      403,969       537,249
</TABLE>


CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Years ended June 30,                                        1994            1995          1996
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                       (In thousands, except per share amounts)
<S>                                                    <C>            <C>            <C>
Net sales                                              $ 243,737      $ 442,416      $ 694,867
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Costs and expenses:
       Cost of sales                                     133,028        204,618        316,573
       Engineering, research and development              22,435         45,252         74,616
       Selling, general and administrative                48,192         85,255        126,174
       Write-off of acquired in-process technology          --           25,240           --
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                         203,655        360,365        517,363
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Income from operations                                    40,082         82,051        177,504
Interest income and other, net                             2,174          9,127         12,754
Interest expense                                          (2,005)        (2,364)        (1,364)
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Income before income taxes                                40,251         88,814        188,894
Provision for income taxes                                10,063         30,196         68,010
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Net income                                             $  30,188      $  58,618      $ 120,884
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Net income per share                                   $    0.68      $    1.20      $    2.31
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shares used in computing net income per share             44,088         48,870         52,329
==============================================================================================
</TABLE>

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
<PAGE>   5
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET

ASSETS

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
AT JUNE 30,                                                              1995            1996
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                         (In thousands, except per share amount)
<S>                                                                    <C>            <C>
Current assets:
       Cash and cash equivalents                                       $  92,059      $ 109,404
       Short-term investments                                             26,681         14,279
       Accounts receivable, net of allowances of $2,196 and $3,121       129,274        203,470
       Inventories                                                        79,759        132,377
       Deferred income taxes                                              18,155         27,246
       Other current assets                                               14,949          6,783
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                  Total current assets                                   360,877        493,559
Land, property and equipment, net                                         49,004         71,825
Marketable securities                                                    126,013        137,728
Other assets                                                              10,402          9,660
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total assets                                                           $ 546,296      $ 712,772
===============================================================================================


LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY

Current liabilities:
       Notes payable                                                   $   4,458      $   3,111
       Current portion of long-term debt                                  20,000           --
       Accounts payable                                                   19,376         27,330
       Income taxes payable                                               22,797         34,595
       Other current liabilities                                          66,220        104,167
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                  Total current liabilities                              132,851        169,203
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Deferred income taxes                                                      9,476          6,320
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commitments and contingencies, Note 4
Stockholders' equity:
       Preferred Stock $.001 par value, 1,000 shares authorized,
         none issued and outstanding                                        --             --
       Common Stock, $.001 par value, 75,000 shares authorized,
         50,160 and 51,030 shares issued and outstanding                      50             51
       Capital in excess of par value                                    262,991        277,892
       Retained earnings                                                 138,893        259,777
       Treasury stock                                                       (581)          (581)
       Net unrealized gain (loss) on investments                           1,241           (131)
       Cumulative translation adjustment                                   1,375            241
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                  Total stockholders' equity                             403,969        537,249
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity                             $ 546,296      $ 712,772
===============================================================================================
</TABLE>

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
<PAGE>   6
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                              Common Stock and Capital                                        Net Unrealized     Cumulative
                               in Excess of Par Value    Retained           Treasury Stock    Gain (Loss) on    Translation
                                 Shares      Amount      Earnings         Shares     Amount     Investments      Adjustment
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                             (In thousands)
<S>                              <C>         <C>          <C>             <C>           <C>       <C>           <C>  
Balance at June 30, 1993         39,006     $ 64,658     $ 50,087         (110)     $   (581)     $ --          $   (114)
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Exercise of stock options         1,708        6,960
Tax benefit on exercise of
      stock options                            5,232
Shares sold in stock
      purchase plan                 414        1,965
Shares sold in stock
      offering                    4,600       68,566
Net income                                                 30,188
Translation adjustment                                                                                               421
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Balance at June 30, 1994         45,728      147,381       80,275         (110)         (581)       --               307
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Exercise of stock options         1,256        5,271
Tax benefit on exercise of
      stock options                           15,427
Shares sold in stock
      purchase plan                 176        3,995
Shares sold in stock
      offering                    3,000       90,967
Net income                                                 58,618
Net unrealized gain
      on investments                                                                                 1,241
Translation adjustment                                                                                             1,068
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Balance at June 30, 1995         50,160      263,041      138,893         (110)         (581)        1,241         1,375
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Exercise of stock options           444        2,077
Tax benefit on exercise of
      stock options                            5,231
Shares sold in stock
      purchase plan                 536        7,594
Net income                                                120,884
Net unrealized loss
      on investments                                                                                (1,372)
Translation adjustment                                                                                            (1,134)
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Balance at June 30, 1996         51,140     $277,943     $259,777         (110)     $   (581)     $   (131)     $    241
========================================================================================================================
</TABLE>
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
<PAGE>   7
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
YEARS ENDED JUNE 30,                                                  1994           1995           1996
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                               (In thousands)
<S>                                                                 <C>            <C>            <C>
Cash flows from operating activities:
       Net income                                                   $  30,188      $  58,618      $ 120,884
Adjustments required to reconcile net income
       to cash provided by operations:
                  Depreciation and amortization                        10,734         10,642         16,267
                  Write-off of acquired in-process technology            --           16,154           --
                  Deferred income taxes                                (2,053)        (9,591)       (12,247)
                  Changes in assets and liabilities:
                           Accounts receivable                        (26,149)       (54,462)       (74,196)
                           Inventories                                (10,776)       (23,112)       (52,618)
                           Other assets                                  (139)       (18,313)         8,908
                           Accounts payable                             2,937          6,509          7,954
                           Income taxes payable                         3,063         11,199         11,798
                           Other current liabilities                    3,483         24,692         37,947
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cash provided by operations                                            11,288         22,336         64,697
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cash flows from investing activities:
       Capital expenditures                                            (5,809)       (19,009)       (39,089)
       Purchases of available for sale securities                        --         (329,729)      (456,286)
       Sales and maturities of available for sale securities             --          178,276        455,602
       Investment in Metrologix                                          --          (14,182)          --
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cash used for investing activities                                     (5,809)      (184,644)       (39,773)
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cash flows from financing activities:
       Short-term borrowings, net                                       2,141         (1,487)        (1,347)
       Payment of current portion of long term debt                    (4,000)          --          (20,000)
       Sales of common stock / tax benefit of options exercised        82,723        115,660         14,902
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cash provided by (used for) financing activities                       80,864        114,173         (6,445)
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Effect of exchange rate changes                                           421          1,068         (1,134)
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents                       86,764        (47,067)        17,345
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year                         52,362        139,126         92,059
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year                            $ 139,126      $  92,059      $ 109,404
===========================================================================================================

- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cash paid during the year for:
       Interest                                                     $   2,007      $   2,361      $   1,163
       Income taxes                                                     3,369         22,715         63,645
===========================================================================================================
</TABLE>
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
<PAGE>   8
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

NOTE 1  SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

PRINCIPLES OF CONSOLIDATION

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and
all of its subsidiaries. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions
have been eliminated. Subsidiaries with accounts denominated in foreign
currencies have been translated principally using the local currencies as the
functional currencies. Accordingly, the assets and liabilities of these
subsidiaries are translated at the rates of exchange on the balance sheet date,
income and expense items are translated at average rates of exchange for the
year, and the resulting translation gains or losses are included in
stockholders' equity. Foreign currency transaction gains and losses have not
been material and are included in interest income and other, net.

MANAGEMENT ESTIMATES

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted
accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that
affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of
contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and
the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period.
Actual results could differ from those estimates.

CASH EQUIVALENTS AND INVESTMENTS

Cash equivalents consist of highly liquid investments with a maturity date at
acquisition of three months or less. Cash and cash equivalents are stated at
cost, plus accrued interest, which approximates market value.

The Company's investments in debt and equity securities are classified as
available for sale. Investments classified as available for sale are measured at
market value and net unrealized gains and losses are recorded as a separate
component of stockholders' equity until realized. Any gains or losses on sales
of investments are computed by specific identification.

CONCENTRATION OF CREDIT RISK

Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to significant
concentrations of credit risk consist principally of investments, trade accounts
receivable and financial instruments used in hedging activities.

The Company invests in a variety of financial instruments such as certificates
of deposit, commercial paper, municipal debt and U.S. Government debt. The
Company, by policy, limits the amount of credit exposure to any one financial
institution or commercial issuer.

The Company sells its systems to semiconductor manufacturers throughout the
world. The Company performs ongoing credit evaluations of its customers'
financial condition and, generally, requires no collateral from its customers.
The Company maintains an allowance for uncollectible accounts receivable based
upon expected collectibility of all accounts receivable. The write-off of
uncollectable amounts has been insignificant.

The Company is exposed to credit loss in the event of nonperformance by
counterparties on the foreign exchange contracts used in hedging activities. The
Company does not anticipate nonperformance by these counterparties.

FOREIGN EXCHANGE HEDGING

The Company enters into forward contracts to hedge against currency fluctuations
that affect certain foreign currency denominated sales and purchase
transactions. Because the impact of movements in currency exchange rates on
forward contracts offsets the related impact on the underlying items being
hedged, these financial instruments do not subject the Company to speculative
risk that would otherwise result from changes in currency exchange rates.
Unrealized gains and losses on these contracts are deferred and accounted for as
part of the hedged transactions. Cash flows from these contracts are classified
in the Statement of Cash Flows in the same category as the hedged transactions.

At June 30, 1995, the Company had forward contracts maturing throughout fiscal
1996 to sell and purchase approximately $147.9 million and $19.1 million,
respectively, in foreign currency, primarily Japanese yen. At June 30, 1996, the
Company had forward exchange contracts maturing throughout fiscal 1997 to sell
and purchase approximately $145.9 million and $5.3 million, respectively, in
foreign currency, primarily Japanese yen. Of these contracts, approximately
$91.1 million of contracts hedge foreign currency receivables and payables
carried on the balance sheet as of June 30, 1996, and consequently the financial
statements reflect the fair market value of the contracts and their underlying
transactions. Approximately $58.0 million and $2.1 million of the contracts
hedge firm commitments for future sales and purchases, respectively, denominated
in foreign currency. The fair market value of these contracts on June 30, 1996,
based upon prevailing market rates on that date, was approximately $55.0 million
and $2.1 million, respectively.

INVENTORIES

Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or market. Cost is determined using
standard costs, which approximate actual costs on a first-in, first-out basis.
<PAGE>   9
NOTE 1 (CONTINUED)

PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT

Property and equipment are recorded at cost. Depreciation and amortization are
computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the
assets, which are 30 years for buildings, 10 years for building improvements,
five years for furniture and fixtures, and three years for machinery and
equipment. The life of the lease or the useful life, whichever is shorter, is
used for the amortization of leasehold improvements.

REVENUE RECOGNITION

The Company recognizes sales of wafer inspection, metrology, reticle and
photomask inspection systems upon acceptance at the Company's plant, which is
when title transfers. Customers may observe and approve satisfactory completion
of the tests. Sales of other systems are recognized upon shipment. A provision
for the estimated future cost of system installation and warranty is recorded at
the time revenue is recognized. Revenues from software licenses are recognized
upon delivery of the software, provided that the Company does not have any
significant on going obligations. Revenues from service contracts are recognized
during the terms of the contracts on a straight-line basis.

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

The Company is actively engaged in significant product improvement and new
product development efforts. Research and development expenses relating to
possible future products aggregated approximately $16.8, $28.4 and $52.8 million
for fiscal 1994, 1995 and 1996, respectively.

INCOME TAXES

The Company accounts for income taxes under the liability method, which requires
an adjustment to the provision for income taxes for the effect of changes in
corporate tax rates.

Undistributed earnings of certain of the Company's foreign subsidiaries, for
which no U.S. income taxes have been provided, aggregated approximately $11.7
million at June 30, 1996. The amount of the unrecognized deferred tax expense
related to this investment is estimated at approximately $4.1 million at June
30, 1996.

NET INCOME PER SHARE

Net income per share is computed using the weighted average number of common and
common equivalent shares outstanding during the respective periods, including
the assumed net shares issuable upon exercise of stock options, when dilutive.



NOTE 2  DETAILS OF FINANCIAL STATEMENT COMPONENTS

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                            1995           1996
- -----------------------------------------------------------------
                                                   (In thousands)
<S>                                      <C>            <C>
Inventories:
   Customer service spares               $  13,050      $  13,614
   Systems raw materials                    18,944         33,521
   Work-in-process                          26,863         47,012
   Demonstration equipment                  20,902         38,230
- -----------------------------------------------------------------
                                         $  79,759      $ 132,377
- -----------------------------------------------------------------
Land, property and equipment:
   Land                                  $  10,502      $  10,502
   Buildings and improvements               27,483         30,353
   Machinery and equipment                  41,203         60,059
   Furniture and fixtures                    5,542          9,487
   Leasehold improvements                    3,913         10,372
- -----------------------------------------------------------------
                                            88,643        120,773
   Less accumulated depreciation
        and amortization                   (39,639)       (48,948)
- -----------------------------------------------------------------
                                         $  49,004      $  71,825
- -----------------------------------------------------------------
Other current liabilities:
   Accrued compensation and benefits     $  27,574      $  43,109
   Accrued warranty and installation        22,229         35,501
   Unearned revenue                          4,867          4,230
   Other                                    11,550         21,327
- -----------------------------------------------------------------
                                         $  66,220      $ 104,167
=================================================================
</TABLE>


NOTE 3  INVESTMENTS

The amortized cost and estimated fair value of securities available for sale as
of June 30, 1995 and 1996, are as follows:

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                            Gross           Gross        Gross         Estimated
                          Amortized       Unrealized   Unrealized         Fair                  
                             Cost           Gains        Losses          Value
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
JUNE 30, 1995                                                        (In thousands)
<S>                       <C>            <C>            <C>            <C>
U.S. Treasuries           $  47,720      $     455      $      36      $  48,139
Municipal bonds              83,983            693            100         84,576
Corporate debt
  securities                 43,638            705             --         44,343
Other                        45,324            368             59         45,633
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                            220,665          2,221            195        222,691
Less cash equivalents       (70,021)           (12)           (36)       (69,997)
Less short-term
  investments               (26,614)           (77)           (10)       (26,681)
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Long-term investments     $ 124,030      $   2,132      $     149      $ 126,013
================================================================================

JUNE 30, 1996

U.S. Treasuries           $  19,739      $      82      $     290      $  19,531
Municipal bonds             129,255            464            284        129,435
Corporate debt
  securities                 32,654             50            320         32,384
Other                        52,383            533            449         52,467
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                            234,031          1,129          1,343        233,817
Less cash equivalents       (81,654)          (196)           (40)       (81,810)
Less short-term
  investments               (14,456)           (37)          (214)       (14,279)
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Long-term investments     $ 137,921      $     896      $   1,089      $ 137,728
================================================================================
</TABLE>

Unrealized gains and losses are presented in stockholders' equity, net of the
tax effect.
<PAGE>   10
NOTE 3 (CONTINUED)

The contractual maturities of securities classified as available for sale as of
June 30, 1996, regardless of the consolidated balance sheet classification, are
as follows:


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                      Estimated
                                                                     Fair Value
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                   (In thousands)
<S>                                                                     <C>
Due within one year                                                     $ 80,450
Due after one year through five years                                     64,558
Due after five years                                                      88,809
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                        $233,817
================================================================================
</TABLE>

Actual maturities may differ from contractual maturities because borrowers may
have the right to call or prepay obligations with or without call or prepayment
penalties. The realized gains and losses for the year ended June 30, 1995 and
1996, were not material to the Company's financial position or results of
operations.


NOTE 4  COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

The Company leases several facilities under operating leases expiring at various
dates through fiscal 2025 with renewal options at fair market value for
additional periods ranging up to ten years. In June 1995, the Company entered
into a five-year operating lease for a building constructed on land owned by the
Company in San Jose, California. Monthly rent payments for the building
commenced on July 1, 1996, and will vary based on the London interbank offering
rate (LIBOR). The Company may, at its option, purchase the building during the
term of the lease for $12.5 million. In August 1995, the Company entered into a
five-year operating lease agreement for two buildings in San Jose, California.
Monthly rent payments for the buildings commenced on May 1, 1996, and will vary
based on the LIBOR rate. The Company may, at its option, purchase the buildings
during the term of the lease for $18.7 million. If the Company does not purchase
any or all of the buildings at the end of their respective leases, the Company
will guarantee the lessor 85% of the aforementioned purchase prices of the
building or buildings not purchased. In addition, the lease agreements require
the Company to maintain, among other items, minimum quick ratio, tangible net
worth and profitability. As of June 30, 1996, the Company was in compliance with
all of these covenants.

The aggregate minimum rental commitment under these lease agreements as of June
30, 1996, excluding property taxes, insurance and certain other costs to be paid
by the Company, are approximately $7.7, $5.6, $5.2, $4.7, $28.0 and $3.8 million
in fiscal 1997 through 2001 and thereafter, respectively. Total rental expense
under all operating leases was $2.5, $3.5 and $5.8 million in fiscal 1994, 1995
and 1996, respectively.

The Company is party to several claims and lawsuits arising in the ordinary
course of business. While the outcome of these matters is not presently
determinable, in the opinion of management, they are not expected to have a
material effect on the financial position or the results of operations of the
Company.


NOTE 5  STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY

In April 1996, the Company adopted a plan to repurchase, at its discretion, up
to $20.0 million of KLA common stock on the open market, through October 1997.
Shares repurchased by the Company may be reissued to employees under the Excess
Profit Stock Plan or the Employee Stock Purchase Plan, or be used for other
corporate purposes. Repurchases of common stock will be made using the Company's
cash resources, at the prevailing market price.

A two for one stock split was declared by the Board of Directors on July 24,
1995. The stock split was in the form of a 100% stock dividend. The dividend was
paid on September 29, 1995, to stockholders of record on August 31, 1995.
Financial information in this report has been adjusted to reflect the impact of
the common stock split.

In May 1995, the Company raised approximately $91 million, net of offering
costs, in a public offering of 3,000,000 shares of common stock at $31.75 per
share.

In February 1994, the Company sold 4,600,000 shares of common stock at $15.75
per share in a public offering resulting in $68.6 million of proceeds to the
Company, net of offering expenses.

In March 1989, the Company implemented a plan to protect stockholders' rights in
the event of a proposed takeover of the Company. Under the plan, each share of
the Company's outstanding common stock carries one Common Stock Purchase Right
(Right). In April 1996, the Company amended the plan. The amendment reduces the
stock ownership level at which the Rights become exercisable. As amended, the
plan provides that if any person or group acquires 15% or more of the Company's
common stock, each Right not owned by such person or group will entitle its
holder to purchase, at the then-current exercise price, the Company's common
stock having a value of twice that exercise price. The rights are redeemable by
the Company and expire in April 2006.
<PAGE>   11
NOTE 6  EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS

The Company has a profit sharing program, wherein a percentage of pretax
profits, as determined by the Board of Directors, is accumulated and distributed
quarterly to all employees who have completed a stipulated employment period. In
addition, the Board may approve matching contributions to the Company's savings
and investment plan, a qualified salary reduction plan under section 401(k) of
the Internal Revenue Code. In April 1996, the Company adopted the Excess Profit
Stock Plan. Under the plan, profit sharing distributions that exceed the 401(k)
limits will be used to purchase shares of common stock. These shares then will
become eligible for distribution to employees, after a two and one half year
vesting period. The total charge to operations under the profit sharing and
401(k) programs aggregated approximately $3.3, $16.6 and $26.5 million in fiscal
1994, 1995 and 1996, respectively.

Under the 1982 Stock Option Plan, as amended, 14,900,000 shares have been
reserved for issuance to eligible employees and directors as either Incentive
Stock Options (ISO's) or nonqualified options. Options under this plan are
granted at prices determined by the Board of Directors, but not less than the
fair market value on the date of grant, and expire ten years after the date of
grant. Generally, options become exercisable within five years of the date of
grant, vesting monthly after a waiting period of six to thirty months.

In October 1990, the Company adopted the 1990 Outside Directors Stock Option
Plan to grant options to non-employee directors. This plan calls for an annual
grant of 5,000 options, at fair market value, to each outside director. The
options become exercisable at one fifty-fourth per month beginning six months
from date of grant and expire ten years from grant date. A total of 200,000
shares have been reserved for issuance under this plan. These options carry
exercise prices ranging from $3.50 to $46.56 per share, with 115,974 options
outstanding at June 30, 1996.

In October 1989, the Company adopted the Supplemental Executive Benefit Plan
(SEBP), a non-qualified deferred compensation plan. Under the terms of the plan,
certain key executives may defer a portion of their salary and bonus into the
plan. The Company may also elect to make contributions to certain participants'
SEBP accounts. Amounts deferred or contributed into the plan are used to
purchase variable life insurance policies which are funded by mutual funds
managed by the insurance company issuing the policies. Participants direct the
investment of their account balances among these mutual funds. Account balances
appreciate based upon the performance of the funds selected by the participants.
Distributions from the plan commence following a participant's retirement or
termination of employment. At June 30, 1996, the Company had a deferred
compensation liability under this plan of $7.1 million, which will be funded by
the Cash Surrender Value of insurance policies. At June 30, 1996, the Cash
Surrender Value amounted to $6.5 million.

Following is a summary of stock option and outside director plan transactions:

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                  Stock         Reserved
                                                                 Options         Shares
                                             Option Price      Outstanding      Available
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                          <C>               <C>             <C>    
Balance at June 30, 1993                     $ 3.50-10.63       5,577,230         841,932
  Options granted                              9.57-20.82         470,100        (470,100)
  Options cancelled                            3.50-15.88        (227,498)        227,498
  Options exercised                            3.50-15.88      (1,707,018)
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Balance at June 30, 1994                     $ 3.50-20.82       4,112,814         599,330
  Options granted                              2.35-30.63       2,659,536      (2,653,078)
  Options cancelled                            2.35-26.19        (392,492)        392,492
  Options exercised                            2.35-20.82      (1,256,576)
  Increase in reserved shares                                                   3,200,000
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Balance at June 30, 1995                     $ 2.35-30.63       5,123,282       1,538,744
  Options granted                             23.75-46.56       1,332,100      (1,332,100)
  Options cancelled                            3.50-46.56        (183,310)        183,310
  Options exercised                            2.35-26.00        (443,597)
  Increase in reserved shares                                                   2,200,000
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Balance at June 30, 1996                      $2.35-46.56       5,828,475       2,589,954
=========================================================================================
</TABLE>
At June 30, 1996, options to purchase 1,536,016 shares of stock were exercisable
under all option plans.

The Company has reserved 4,000,000 shares of common stock to be issued under the
1981 Employee Stock Purchase Plan. The Plan permits eligible employees to
purchase common stock, through payroll deductions, at 85% of the lower of the
fair market value of the common stock on the date at the beginning of the
two-year offering period or the last day of the purchase period. Substantially
all employees are eligible to participate in the Plan. At June 30, 1996, 297,411
shares were available for future issuance under the Plan.

NOTE 7  FINANCING ARRANGEMENTS

In May 1996, the Company entered into an agreement with a bank whereby the bank
may extend up to $3.0 million in loans to certain employees of the Company as
specified by the Company. The loans are secured by second mortgages on the
primary residences of borrowers and by a guaranty from the Company. Interest on
borrowings is charged at the prime rate plus 1.00% per annum. As of June 30,
1996, there were no outstanding borrowings under this arrangement.

As of June 30, 1996, the Company had a $15.0 million committed multicurrency
line of credit with a bank, expiring December 31, 1996. The line of credit has a
facility fee of 0.20% per annum. Interest on domestic and foreign borrowings is
charged at the bank's reference rate and at the bank's offshore reference rate
plus 0.75%, respectively. The agreement requires the Company to maintain, among
other items, minimum quick ratio, tangible net worth and profitability. The
agreement also restricts the amount of dividends that 
<PAGE>   12
NOTE 7 (CONTINUED)

may be declared. As of June 30, 1996, the Company was in compliance with all of
these covenants. As of June 30, 1996, approximately $2.8 million had been
borrowed at the related offshore interest rate of 7.57% per annum.

In August 1995, the Company repaid the $20.0 million mortgage on its principal
facility.


NOTE 8  RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ARRANGEMENTS

The Company has, from time to time, entered into research and development
arrangements with certain key customers and other entities to partially finance
the development of new technology. In February 1996, the Company entered into
such an agreement with SEMATECH. The agreement provides financing up to $27.5
million through fiscal 2000. Payments are subject to the Company reaching
predetermined milestones. In fiscal 1996, the Company received $3.1 million
related to this agreement, of which $1.2 million was offset against gross
engineering, research and development expenses and the remainder deferred. In
fiscal 1994, 1995 and 1996, revenues of $5.7, $2.3 and $4.4 million,
respectively, have been recognized on all research and development contracts on
the percentage of completion basis. These revenues are offset against gross
engineering, research and development expenses.


NOTE 9  METROLOGIX INC. ACQUISITION

In December 1994, the Company acquired Metrologix Inc. (Metrologix), a
manufacturer of advanced electron beam measurement equipment for $14.2 million
in cash. This acquisition was accounted for as a purchase and the total
acquisition cost of $16.1 million has been allocated to assets acquired and
liabilities assumed. A significant portion of the acquisition cost was allocated
to acquired in-process technology which was written-off at the time of the
acquisition, because further substantial research and development investments
were necessary to complete the new product development then underway. This
resulted in an after-tax charge of $16.2 million ($25.2 million pre-tax). The
results of operations for Metrologix from the date of the acquisition to June
30, 1995, were immaterial.


NOTE 10  GEOGRAPHIC REPORTING

The Company is a leading manufacturer of yield monitoring and process control
systems for the semiconductor manufacturing industry. The Company's sales and
service operations are the principle revenue producing activities. For
geographic reporting, sales are attributed to the geographic location of the
sales and service organizations, and costs directly and indirectly incurred in
generating sales are similarly assigned. Orders for Japanese sales are taken by
a distributor and shipped from the United States. In fiscal years 1994, 1995 and
1996 related sales were $77.8, $148.0 and $232.4 million, and related operating
income was $10.9, $43.3 and $72.2 million, repectively. During fiscal 1994, 1995
and 1996, no customer accounted for more than 10% of sales. The following is a
summary of operations by geographic territories:

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                      1994           1995           1996
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                           (In thousands)
<S>                                              <C>            <C>            <C>
Net sales to unaffiliated customers:
   United States                                 $  84,493      $ 138,926      $ 220,607
   Western Europe                                   37,854         47,862         80,220
   Japan                                            79,820        159,253        244,319
   Asia Pacific                                     41,570         96,375        149,721
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                   243,737        442,416        694,867
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Intercompany sales between geographic areas:
   United States                                    39,998         60,861         87,693
   Western Europe                                    7,595         12,178         14,950
   Asia Pacific                                      6,832          9,846         17,732
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                    54,425         82,885        120,375
   Consolidation eliminations                      (54,425)       (82,885)      (120,375)
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   Net  sales                                    $ 243,737      $ 442,416      $ 694,867
========================================================================================
Operating results:
   United States                                 $  15,407      $  31,777      $  55,616
   Western Europe                                    9,234          8,567         24,463
   Japan                                            11,166         46,583         75,863
   Asia Pacific                                     14,544         39,463         46,514
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                    50,351        126,390        202,456
   General corporate expenses                      (10,269)       (44,339)       (24,952)
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   Operating profit                              $  40,082      $  82,051      $ 177,504
========================================================================================
Identifiable assets:
   United States                                 $  95,041      $ 147,557      $ 227,916
   Western Europe                                   19,853         24,361         36,545
   Japan                                            38,444         71,854         79,206
   Asia Pacific                                     24,264         45,380         78,666
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                   177,602        289,152        422,333
   General corporate assets                        143,968        257,144        290,439
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   Total assets                                  $ 321,570      $ 546,296      $ 712,772
========================================================================================
</TABLE>

Transfers between geographic areas are accounted for at amounts that are
generally above cost and consistent with rules and regulations of governing tax
authorities. Such transfers are eliminated in the consolidated financial
statements. Corporate assets consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents and
other investments. Corporate expenses consist primarily of general,
administrative and other expenses not attributable to geographic regions.
Capital expenditures and depreciation expense have been primarily in the United
States. 
<PAGE>   13
NOTE 11 INCOME TAXES

The components of income before income taxes are comprised of the following:

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                         1994            1995            1996
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                    (In thousands)
<S>                                    <C>             <C>             <C>
Domestic                               $ 31,515        $ 77,157        $167,105
Foreign                                   8,736          11,657          21,789
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                         40,251        $ 88,814        $188,894
==================================================================================
</TABLE>

The provisions for income taxes are comprised of the following:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                           1994            1995            1996
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                    (In thousands)
<S>                                    <C>             <C>             <C>
Federal:
   Currently payable                   $  7,587        $ 35,390        $ 66,120
   Deferred                              (2,195)        (13,414)        (12,898)
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                          5,392          21,976          53,222
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
State:
   Currently payable                      2,222           6,094          11,080
   Deferred                                --            (1,337)         (1,198)
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                          2,222           4,757           9,882
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Foreign:
   Currently payable                      2,307           2,245           2,979
   Deferred                                 142           1,218           1,927
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                          2,449           3,463           4,906
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Provision for income taxes             $ 10,063        $ 30,196        $ 68,010
==================================================================================
</TABLE>

Actual current tax liabilities are lower than reflected above for fiscal years
1994, 1995 and 1996 by $5.2, $15.4 and $5.2 million respectively, due to the
stock option deduction benefits recorded as credits to capital in excess of par
value.

The following is a reconciliation of the effective income tax rates and the
United States statutory federal income tax rate:

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                1994         1995         1996
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                            <C>           <C>          <C>
Statutory federal income tax rate                 35.0%        35.0%        35.0%
State income taxes, net of federal
   tax benefits                                    3.6          3.5          3.4
Effect of foreign operations at
   lower tax rates                                (1.7)        (0.7)        (1.0)
Non-taxable FSC income                            (1.5)        (2.6)        (2.6)
Foreign tax credit                                (4.8)        (0.1)          --
Realized deferred tax assets
   previously reserved                            (5.8)        (2.7)        (0.6)
Other                                              0.2          1.6          1.8
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Effective tax rate                                25.0%        34.0%        36.0%
================================================================================
</TABLE>

Deferred tax assets (liabilities) at June 30, 1994, 1995 and 1996 are comprised
of the following:

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                             1994           1995          1996
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                   (In thousands)
<S>                                        <C>           <C>           <C>
Deferred tax assets:
   Federal and state loss and
      credit carryforwards                 $  4,696      $  2,804      $  3,034
   State tax                                     --         1,096         2,281
   Nondeductible reserves
      and other                              18,651        24,611        36,044
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                             23,347        28,511        41,359
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Deferred tax liabilities:
   Depreciation                              (5,157)       (3,559)       (3,125)
   Unremitted earnings of foreign
      subsidiaries not permanently
      reinvested                             (6,327)       (8,319)      (10,634)
   Other                                     (1,896)       (2,101)       (2,098)
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                            (13,380)      (13,979)      (15,857)
Deferred tax assets valuation
   allowance                                (11,078)       (5,853)       (4,576)
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total net deferred tax assets
   (liabilities)                           $ (1,111)     $  8,679      $ 20,926
================================================================================
</TABLE>


The Company's subsidiary, Metrologix, has a federal net operating loss
carryforward of approximately $6.8 million as of June 30, 1996. It also has
research and development tax credit carryovers of approximately $0.5 million
that will expire primarily in fiscal 2005 through 2008. These tax assets are
subject to limitation as to their utilization under Internal Revenue Code
Section 382 and other provisions.

The deferred tax assets valuation allowance at June 30, 1994, 1995 and 1996 is
attributed to U.S. federal and state deferred tax assets. Management believes
sufficient uncertainty exists with regards to the realizability of Metrologix's
tax assets such that a valuation allowance of $4.6 million has been retained at
June 30, 1996. During fiscal 1994, 1995 and 1996, the Company realized $2.3,
$7.5 and $1.3 million, respectively, of deferred tax assets previously reserved,
reducing the valuation allowance by corresponding amounts. In fiscal 1995, $5.1
of the $7.5 million that was realized was related to stock option deductions and
accordingly was credited to capital in excess of par value.

The IRS is currently auditing the Company's federal income tax returns for
fiscal years 1985 to 1992. The Company has received a notice of proposed tax
deficiency for such years. The Company filed a tax protest letter with the IRS
on June 10, 1996, in response to the IRS notice. Management believes sufficient
taxes have been provided in prior years and that the ultimate outcome of the IRS
audit will not have a material adverse impact on the Company's financial
position or results of operations.
<PAGE>   14
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS

TO THE STOCKHOLDERS AND
BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF
KLA INSTRUMENTS CORPORATION

In our opinion, the accompanying consolidated balance sheet and the related
consolidated statements of operations, stockholders' equity and cash flows
present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of KLA
Instruments Corporation and its subsidiaries at June 30, 1995 and 1996, and the
results of their operations and their cash flows for each of the three years in
the period ended June 30, 1996, in conformity with generally accepted accounting
principles. These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's
management; our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial
statements based on our audits. We conducted our audits of these statements in
accordance with generally accepted auditing standards which require that we plan
and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial
statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a
test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial
statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates
made by management, and evaluating the overall financial statement presentation.
We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for the opinion expressed
above.



Price Waterhouse

San Jose, California
August 7, 1996



COMMON STOCK

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                     1995                               1996
                                                               High         Low                  High         Low
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                                           <C>          <C>                  <C>          <C>
First Quarter                                                 25 7/8       18 5/8               47 1/8       38 1/2
Second Quarter                                                26 1/2       22 3/8               46 3/4       26 1/8
Third Quarter                                                 32 1/2       23 1/4               35 1/4       21 3/4
Fourth Quarter                                                39 5/8       30                   31 1/4       21 1/4
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>

The Company's common stock is traded on the NASDAQ National Market System under
the symbol "KLAC."

The Company has not paid cash dividends on its common stock and does not plan to
pay cash dividends to its stockholders in the near future. The Company presently
intends to retain its earnings to finance further growth of its business. As of
June 30, 1996, the Company had approximately 1,167 stockholders of record.
<PAGE>   15
CORPORATE DIRECTORY

OFFICERS

Kenneth Levy
Chairman of the Board
Chief Executive Officer

Kenneth L. Schroeder
President
Chief Operating Officer

Robert J. Boehlke
Vice President, Finance
  and Administration
Chief Financial Officer

Frank L. Brienzo
Vice President

Virginia J. DeMars
Vice President,
Human Resources

Gary E. Dickerson
Group Vice President

Samuel A. Harrell, Ph.D.
Senior Vice President

Michael W. Morrissey
Group Vice President

Neil Richardson, Ph.D.
Vice President

Magnus O.W. Ryde
Vice President

Arthur P. Schnitzer
Group Vice President

Christopher Stoddart
Treasurer

Bin-Ming Ben Tsai, Ph.D.
Vice President,
Chief Technical Officer

William Turner
Vice President,
Corporate Finance

Paul E. Kreutz, Esq.
Secretary

DIRECTORS

Kenneth Levy
Chairman of the Board
Chief Executive Officer

Kenneth L. Schroeder
President
Chief Operating Officer

Edward W. Barnholt
Senior Vice President
Hewlett-Packard

Leo J. Chamberlain
Private Investor

Robert E. Lorenzini
Chairman
SunPower Corporation

Yoshio Nishi, Ph.D.
Senior Vice President
Texas Instruments

Samuel Rubinovitz
Retired
Executive Vice President
EG&G, Inc.

Dag Tellefsen
General Partner
Glenwood Venture Management

CORPORATE OFFICE

KLA Instruments Corporation
160 Rio Robles
P.O. Box 49055
San Jose, California 95161-9055
(408) 434-4200

INTERNATIONAL OFFICES

KLA Instruments Ltd.
ROSA, 19 Mulberry Business Park
Fishponds Road
Wokingham, Berkshire
RG41 2GY, United Kingdom
44(0)118-9365-700

KLA Instruments GmbH
Leonrodstrasse 58
80636 Muenchen, Germany
49-89-121561-0

KLA Instruments France S.A.
25 Rue Michael Faraday
78180 Montigny-le-Bretonneux
France
33.1.30.14.90.30

KLA Instruments Israel
4 Science Avenue
North Industrial Center
P.O. Box 143
Migdal Ha'Emek 23100, Israel
972-6-449555

KLA Instruments Malaysia, Sdn Bhd
6, Jalan Timah 2
Taman Sri Putri
81000 Skudai
Johor, Malaysia
607-557-1946

KLA Instruments Singapore, Pte Ltd
BLK 3A Woodlands Centre Road
B1-166, Singapore 731003
65-368-0677

KLA Japan, Ltd.
YBP Hi-Tech Center
134 Godo-Cho
Hodogaya-ku
Yokohama-City
Kanagawa 240, Japan
81-453-35-8200

KLA Instruments Korea
3rd Floor, LG Security Building
184-1, Bangy-dong, Songpa-ku
Seoul, Korea 138-150
Republic of Korea
822-415-0552

KLA Instruments, Taiwan Branch
251 Chung-Yang Road
Sinchu, Taiwan
Republic of China
886-35-335163

INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS

Price Waterhouse LLP
San Jose, California

GENERAL LEGAL COUNSEL

Gray Cary Ware & Freidenrich
Palo Alto, California

REGISTRAR AND TRANSFER AGENT

First National Bank of Boston
Boston, Massachusetts


Additional copies of this report, as well as copies of SEC Form 10K, for the
year ended June 30, 1996, may be obtained from the Company without charge by
writing to:


KLA Instruments Corporation
Attn:  Investor Relations
P.O. Box 49055
San Jose, CA  95161-9055

<PAGE>   1

                                   EXHIBIT 21

                             LIST OF SUBSIDIARIES OF
                           KLA INSTRUMENTS CORPORATION



                                                      STATE OR OTHER
                                                      JURISDICTION OF
NAME                                                  INCORPORATION
- ----                                                  ---------------
KLA Building Corporation                              California

KLA Instruments International Corporation             California

KLA International Corporation                         California

KLA Management Corporation                            California

KLA Instruments PCBI Corporation                      California

KLA Instruments Limited                               United Kingdom

KLA Instruments GmbH                                  Germany

KLA Instruments France, S.A.                          France

KLA Japan Limited                                     Japan

KLA Instruments Sales Corporation                     U.S. Virgin Islands

KLA Instruments, SLR                                  Italy

KLA Instruments (Israel) Corporation                  Israel

KLA Holding Company Limited                           Israel

KLA (Israel) Service Limited                          Israel

KLA Instruments (Cayman) Limited                      Cayman Islands

KLA Instruments KLINNIK Corporation                   California

KLA Instruments, S.A.                                 Switzerland

KLA Instruments (Malaysia) SdnBdh                     Malaysia

KLA Instruments (Singapore) PTE, Limited              Singapore

Metrologix, Inc.                                      Delaware


The aforesaid subsidiaries do business only under their own names.

                                       17

<PAGE>   1
                                  EXHIBIT 23.1

                       CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS

     We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in the Registration
Statements on Form S-8 (Nos. 33-15784, 2-71584, 2-75314, 33-26002, 33-42973,
33-42982, 33-42975 33-55362, 33-88662 and 333-03003) of KLA Instruments
Corporation of our report dated August 7, 1996, appearing on page 24 of the 1996
Annual Report to Stockholders which is incorporated in this Annual Report on
Form 10-K.








Price Waterhouse LLP

San Jose, California
September 26, 1996

                                       18

<TABLE> <S> <C>




<ARTICLE> 5
<LEGEND>
THIS SCHEDULE CONTAINS SUMMARY FINANCIAL INFORMATION EXTRACTED FROM THE
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS, THE CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET AND THE
ACCOMPANYING NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, AND IS QUALIFIED IN
ITS ENTIRETY BY REFERENCE TO SUCH FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.
</LEGEND>
<MULTIPLIER> 1000
       
<S>                             <C>
<PERIOD-TYPE>                                   12-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>                          JUN-30-1996
<PERIOD-START>                             JUL-01-1995
<PERIOD-END>                               JUN-30-1996
<CASH>                                          109404
<SECURITIES>                                     14279
<RECEIVABLES>                                   206591
<ALLOWANCES>                                      3121
<INVENTORY>                                     132377
<CURRENT-ASSETS>                                493559
<PP&E>                                          120773
<DEPRECIATION>                                   48948
<TOTAL-ASSETS>                                  712772
<CURRENT-LIABILITIES>                           169203
<BONDS>                                              0
                                0
                                          0
<COMMON>                                            51
<OTHER-SE>                                      537198
<TOTAL-LIABILITY-AND-EQUITY>                    712772
<SALES>                                         694867
<TOTAL-REVENUES>                                694867
<CGS>                                           316573
<TOTAL-COSTS>                                   316573
<OTHER-EXPENSES>                                200790
<LOSS-PROVISION>                                     0
<INTEREST-EXPENSE>                                1364
<INCOME-PRETAX>                                 188894
<INCOME-TAX>                                     68010
<INCOME-CONTINUING>                             120884
<DISCONTINUED>                                       0
<EXTRAORDINARY>                                      0
<CHANGES>                                            0
<NET-INCOME>                                    120884
<EPS-PRIMARY>                                     2.31
<EPS-DILUTED>                                     2.31
        

</TABLE>


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