<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>EX-24.1
<SEQUENCE>5
<FILENAME>f68139orex24-1.txt
<DESCRIPTION>EXHIBIT 24.1
<TEXT>

<PAGE>   1

                                                                    EXHIBIT 24.1


                          POWER OF ATTORNEY OF OFFICERS

        Each of the undersigned officers of Applied Materials, Inc., a Delaware
corporation (the "Company"), hereby constitutes and appoints James C. Morgan,
Joseph R. Bronson, Joseph J. Sweeney and Nancy H. Handel, each of them with
power to act alone, his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact, with full power
of substitution and resubstitution, for him or her and in his or her name, place
and stead, in any and all capacities, to execute a Registration Statement or
Registration Statements on Form S-8 or other appropriate form, under the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended, relating to up to 53,500,000 shares of
Common Stock of the Company issuable under the Applied Materials, Inc. 2000
Global Equity Incentive Plan, and any and all amendments (including
post-effective amendments) to such Registration Statement, and to file such
Registration Statement and any and all amendments thereto, with exhibits
thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and
Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorney-in-fact full power and
authority to do and perform each and every act and thing necessary or desirable
to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes, as
he or she might or could do in person, thereby ratifying and confirming all that
said attorney-in-fact or his substitute or substitutes may lawfully do or cause
to be done by virtue hereof.

        IN WITNESS WHEREOF, we have hereunto set our hands this 15th day of
December, 2000.


/s/ Joseph R. Bronson
-------------------------------------------------
Joseph R. Bronson
Senior Vice President, Office of the President
and Chief Financial Officer


/s/ Nancy H. Handel
-------------------------------------------------
Nancy H. Handel
Deputy Chief Financial Officer and
Corporate Controller



</TEXT>
</DOCUMENT>
