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                                                                    EXHIBIT 24.1


                         POWER OF ATTORNEY OF DIRECTORS

        KNOW BY ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS:

        Each of the undersigned directors of Applied Materials, Inc., a Delaware
corporation (the "Company"), hereby constitutes and appoints James C. Morgan,
Joseph R. Bronson, Michael K. O'Farrell and Joseph J. Sweeney and 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 sign a Registration Statement or
Registration Statements on Form S-8 or other appropriate form, under the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended, relating to such number of shares of Common
Stock as are necessary to satisfy the options granted under the Obsidian, Inc.
1997 Stock Option Plan that are to be assumed by the Company and that remain
outstanding as of the effective date of the merger of Obsidian, Inc. and Astra
Acquisition Corp., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, and any and all
amendments (including post-effective amendments) to such Registration
Statements, and to file such Registration Statements and any and all amendments
thereto, with exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith,
with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto such attorney-in-fact
full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing
necessary and desirable to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all
intents and purposes, as he or she might do or could do in person, thereby
ratifying and confirming all that said attorney-in-fact or his or her substitute
or substitutes may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

        IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 23rd day of June,
1999.




                                                                
  /s/  Michael H. Armacost                                         June 23, 1999
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       Michael H. Armacost

  /s/ Deborah A. Coleman                                           June 23, 1999
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       Deborah A. Coleman

  /s/ Herbert M. Dwight, Jr.                                       June 23, 1999
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       Herbert M. Dwight, Jr.

  /s/ Philip V. Gerdine                                            June 23, 1999
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       Philip V. Gerdine

  /s/ Tsuyoshi Kawanishi                                           June 23, 1999
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       Tsuyoshi Kawanishi

  /s/ James C. Morgan                                              June 23, 1999
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       James C. Morgan


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  /s/ Dan Maydan                                                   June 23, 1999
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       Dan Maydan

  /s/ Alfred J. Stein                                              June 23, 1999
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       Alfred J. Stein

  /s/ Paul R. Low                                                  June 23, 1999
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       Paul R. Low