Applied Materials Chairman James C. Morgan to Become Chairman Emeritus at Annual Meeting

Applied Materials, Inc. announced that after more than 31 years as a member of the Board of Directors, including over 20 years as Chairman, James C. Morgan will not be standing for re-election.

Having reached the customary Board retirement age of 70, Mr. Morgan will step down as Chairman of the Board and will become Chairman Emeritus, effective at the March 10, 2009 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. As part of its succession planning, the Board intends to appoint Mike Splinter, president and CEO and a Board member, to succeed Mr. Morgan as chairman.

Mr. Morgan joined Applied Materials in 1976 and served as CEO from 1977 to 2003, one of the longest tenures of any Fortune 500 CEO. With his pioneering vision and pragmatic leadership, Mr. Morgan grew Applied Materials from a modest Silicon Valley semiconductor business into the world’s leading nanomanufacturing technology company.

“It has been a tremendous honor to a be a part of Applied Materials and to help build a small, young company into a great global competitor innovating semiconductor, display and service solutions that improve the way people live all around the world,” said Mr. Morgan. “I believe that today Applied has more opportunities than at any time in our history, and that Mike Splinter is the right person to lead Applied and our team of employees to extend our technology into energy and the environment.”

“By creating and living our core values, Jim fostered an environment that values employees, technological innovation, global capability and community involvement,” said Mr. Splinter. “Through smart moves such as his pioneering entry into new markets in Japan and Asia, or the commercialization of the technology that is used to make virtually every new chip in the world, he has earned the respect of the global business community and the gratitude of our stakeholders.”

Throughout his career, Mr. Morgan has received numerous awards from governments, businesses, and educational and community organizations for contributions that have had a long-standing effect on technology, business and society, including the 1996 National Medal of Technology awarded by the President of the United States.

“I would like to express my appreciation to our employees, customers, investors and other stakeholders and thank them for their support over the years,” concluded Mr. Morgan.