MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED
                         NOTICE OF GRANT OF STOCK OPTION
                       1997 NONSTATUTORY STOCK OPTION PLAN

Notice is hereby  given of the  following  nonstatutory  stock option grant (the
"Option")  to  purchase  shares  of the  Common  Stock of  Microchip  Technology
Incorporated, a Delaware corporation (the "Company"):

Optionee:                  _____________________________________________________

Grant Date:                ______________________________________________, 199__

Date Vesting Begins:       ______________________________________________, 199__

Vesting Period:            _____________________________________________________

Option Price:              _____________________________________________________

Number of Option Shares:   _____________________________________________________

Expiration Date:           ______________________________________________, 200__

Type of Option:            Nonstatutory Stock Option

Exercise/Vesting  Schedule:  The Option may be  exercised  for any or all of the
Vested  Option  shares.  If the Grant Date and the Date  Vesting  Begins are the
same,  then the monthly  installments  for the first year of the Vesting  Period
will vest only in a lump sum upon the Optionee's  completion of twelve months of
Service  measured from the Grant Date,  the balance will vest over the remainder
of the vesting period on a monthly basis. However, if the Date Vesting Begins is
not the same as the  Grant  Date,  then the  Option  Shares  will  vest in equal
monthly  installments  (12 x the number of years in the Vesting Period) over the
Optionee's period of Service, beginning one month after the Date Vesting Begins.
In no event  will the  Optionee  vest in any  additional  shares  following  the
Optionee's cessation of Service (as defined in the attached Plan).

Optionee  understands  that the Option is granted  subject to and in  accordance
with the express terms and conditions of the Microchip  Technology  Incorporated
1997 Nonstatutory Stock Option Plan (the "Plan"). Optionee agrees to be bound by
the terms and  conditions of the Plan and the terms and conditions of the Option
as set forth in the Stock Option Agreement attached hereto as Exhibit A.

Optionee hereby  acknowledges  receipt of a copy of the official Plan prospectus
in the form attached hereto as Exhibit B.

NO EMPLOYMENT OF SERVICE  CONTRACT.  NOTHING IN THE OPTION AGREEMENT OR THE PLAN
SHALL  CONFER UPON THE OPTIONEE THE RIGHT TO CONTNUE IN THE EMPLOY OR SERVICE OF
THE COMPANY FOR ANY PERIOD OF SPECIFIC  DURATION OR INTERFERE  WITH OR OTHERWISE
RESTRICT IN ANYWAY THE RIGHTS OF THE COMPANY OR THE  OPTIONEE,  WHICH RIGHTS ARE
HEREBY EXPRESSLY  RESERVED BY EACH, TO TERMINATE  OPTIONEE'S SERVICE AT ANY TIME
FOR ANY REASON WHATSOEVER, WITH OR WITHOUT CAUSE.

Dated:____________, 199___                    MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED

                                              By:_______________________________
                                                 Steve Sanghi, President and CEO

                                              Optionee: ________________________

                                              Address: _________________________

                                    Exhibit A
                                    ---------

                             STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT

                       1997 NONSTATUTORY STOCK OPTION PLAN

                  THIS  AGREEMENT  is made by and between  Microchip  Technology
Incorporated, a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), and the Optionee listed on
the Notice of Grant of Stock Option (the "Grant Notice") to which this Agreement
is attached as Exhibit A.

                  Optionee is a key person associated with the Company,  and the
Company  considers it desirable  and its best interest that Optionee be given an
inducement to acquire a proprietary  interest in the Company and added incentive
to advance the interest of the Company by  possessing  an option to purchase the
Company's  Common  Stock,  subject to the terms and  conditions of the Company's
1997 Nonstatutory  Stock Option Plan (the "Plan") which is attached to the Grant
Notice as Exhibit B.

                  Now,  therefore,  it is agreed by and  between  the parties as
follows:

                  1. Grant of Option. The Company hereby grants to Optionee,  as
of the Grant Date specified in the Grant Notice, the right, privilege and option
to  purchase  shares of  Common  Stock as set  forth in the  Grant  Notice  (the
"Optioned  Shares"),  subject  in all  respects  to the  terms,  conditions  and
provisions of this Agreement and the Plan, which is attached to the Grant Notice
as Exhibit B and  incorporated  by  reference  in this  Agreement.  The Optionee
acknowledges having received and carefully reviewed a copy of the Plan.

                  2. Option  Price.  The option  price (the  "Option  Price") as
determined by the  Administrator is set forth in the Grant Notice which has been
determined by the Administrator in accordance with Sections 1.2(m) and 1.4(c)(i)
of the Plan.

                  3. Vesting of Option.

                           (a) Vesting Schedule.  The time at which the Optioned
Shares vest and the  optionholder  may exercise this option with respect to such
Optioned Shares shall be as set forth in the Grant Notice.  Optioned Shares that
have vested may be acquired at any time,  and from time to time,  in whole or in
part, until the option expires as provided in Section 6 hereof.

                           (b) Acceleration.  The Optioned Shares may vest on an
accelerated  basis only as provided in the Plan. In addition,  the Administrator
may,  by  resolution  adopted  after the  Grant  Date,  allow  the  option to be
exercised on an accelerated basis.

                  4. Exercise of Option.

                           (a) Right to  Exercise.  This  Option is  exercisable
during its term in  accordance  with the Vesting  Schedule  set out in the Grant
Notice and the applicable provisions of the Plan and this Option Agreement.

                           (b) Method of Exercise. This Option is exercisable by
delivery  of an  exercise  notice,  in the  form  attached  as  Schedule  A (the
"Exercise  Notice"),  which shall state the election to exercise the Option, the
number  of Shares  in  respect  of which  the  Option  is being  exercised  (the

"Exercised  Shares"),  and such other  representations  and agreements as may be
required by the Company  pursuant to the  provisions  of the Plan.  The Exercise
Notice shall be completed  by the  Optionee  and  delivered to Human  Resources,
ATTN: Stock Administration.  The Exercise Notice shall be accompanied by payment
of the aggregate Exercise Price as to all Exercised Shares. This Option shall be
deemed to be  exercised  upon  receipt by the  Company  of such  fully  executed
Exercise Notice accompanied by such aggregate Exercise Price. No Shares shall be
issued pursuant to the exercise of this Option unless such issuance and exercise
complies with Applicable Laws. Assuming such compliance, for income tax purposes
the Exercised Shares shall be considered transferred to the Optionee on the date
the Option is exercised with respect to such Exercised Shares.

                  5. Method of Payment.  Payment of the aggregate Exercise Price
shall be by any of the following,  or a combination  thereof, at the election of
the Optionee:

                           (a) cash;

                           (b) check drawn to the Company's order; or

                           (c)  consideration  received by the  Company  under a
cashless  exercise  program  implemented  by the Company in connection  with the
Plan.

                  6.  Termination  of  Option.  This  Option,  to the extent not
previously  exercised,  shall  terminate  upon the  first to occur of the  tenth
anniversary of the Grant Date or as otherwise set forth in the Plan.

                  7. No Privilege of Stock  Ownership.  The holder of the Option
granted hereunder shall not have any of the rights of a stockholder with respect
to the Optioned Shares until such Optionee shall have exercised the option, paid
the Option Price,  and received a stock  certificate for the purchased shares of
Common Stock.

                  8.  Compliance  with  Applicable  Laws.  The  exercise of this
Option and the  issuance  of the Shares upon such  exercise  shall be subject to
compliance  by the  Company  and the  Optionee  with  all  Applicable  Laws.  In
connection with the exercise of this Option,  Optionee shall execute and deliver
to the  Company  such  representations  in  writing as may be  requested  by the
Company in order for it to comply with  applicable  requirements  of federal and
state securities laws.

                  9.  Liability of the Company.  The inability of the Company to
obtain approval from any regulatory body having jurisdiction, which authority is
deemed by the Company's  counsel to be necessary to the lawful issuance and sale
of any Shares  pursuant  to this  Agreement  shall  relieve  the  Company of any
liability with respect to the nonissuance or sale of the Shares as to which such
approval shall not have been obtained. The Company,  however, shall use its best
efforts to obtain all such approvals.

                  10. NO GUARANTEE OF CONTINUED SERVICE.  OPTIONEE  ACKNOWLEDGES
AND AGREES THAT THE VESTING OF SHARES PURSUANT TO THE VESTING SCHEDULE HEREOF IS
EARNED ONLY BY CONTINUING AS A SERVICE  PROVIDER AT THE WILL OF THE COMPANY (AND
NOT THROUGH THE ACT OF BEING HIRED, BEING GRANTED AN OPTION OR PURCHASING SHARES
HEREUNDER).  OPTIONEE FURTHER  ACKNOWLEDGES AND AGREES THAT THIS AGREEMENT,  THE
TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREUNDER AND THE VESTING SCHEDULE SET FORTH HEREIN DO

NOT  CONSTITUTE  AN EXPRESS OR IMPLIED  PROMISE  OF  CONTINUED  ENGAGEMENT  AS A
SERVICE  PROVIDER FOR THE VESTING PERIOD,  FOR ANY PERIOD,  OR AT ALL, AND SHALL
NOT  INTERFERE  WITH  OPTIONEE'S  RIGHT  OR THE  COMPANY'S  RIGHT  TO  TERMINATE
OPTIONEE'S  RELATIONSHIP  AS A SERVICE  PROVIDER  AT ANY TIME,  WITH OR  WITHOUT
CAUSE.

                  11.  Assignability.  Neither  this  Option  nor any  rights or
privileges conferred thereby shall be assignable or transferable by the Optionee
other than by will or by the laws of descent and  distribution,  and this Option
shall be exercisable only by Optionee during the Optionee's  lifetime.  Upon the
death of Optionee,  the rights of the successors to Optionee shall be limited as
set forth in the Plan.

                  12. Binding Affect.  This Option  Agreement shall inure to the
benefit of and be binding upon the parties  hereto and their  respective  heirs,
executors, administrators, successors and assigns.

                  13. Securities Matters.

                           (a) Exercise of Option.  The option granted hereunder
may be exercised  by the Optionee  only if (i) the Shares which are to be issued
upon such execution are registered  under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended
(the "1933 Act"),  the Arizona  Securities  Act, as amended (the "Arizona Act"),
and the  securities  laws of any  other  applicable  jurisdiction,  or (ii)  the
Company, upon advice of counsel, determines that the issuance of the Shares upon
the exercise of the Optionee is exempt from registration requirements.

                           (b)  Restriction  of Shares.  The Company is under no
obligation  to register,  under the 1933 Act, the Arizona Act or the  securities
laws of any other  jurisdiction,  any of the Shares to be issued to the Optionee
upon the exercise of any option or to take any action which would make available
any exemption from registration. If the Shares to be issued to the Optionee upon
the  exercise of any option  have not been  registered  under the 1933 Act,  the
Arizona Act or the securities laws of any other jurisdiction,  those Shares will
be "restricted securities" within the meaning of Rule 144 under the 1933 Act and
must be held indefinitely without any transfer, sale or other disposition unless
(a) the shares are  subsequently  registered under the 1933 Act, the Arizona Act
and  the  securities  laws  of any  other  applicable  jurisdiction,  or (b) the
Optionee  obtains an opinion of counsel which is satisfactory to counsel for the
Company  that  the  Shares  may  be  sold  in  reliance  on  an  exemption  from
registration requirements.

                  14.  Tax  Consequences;  Withholding  Taxes and  Reporting  of
Disposition  of Shares.  Some of the federal tax  consequences  relating to this
Option,  as of the date of this  Option,  are set forth  below.  THIS SUMMARY IS
NECESSARILY INCOMPLETE,  AND THE TAX LAWS AND REGULATIONS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE.
THE  OPTIONEE  SHOULD  CONSULT A TAX ADVISER  BEFORE  EXERCISING  THIS OPTION OR
DISPOSING OF THE SHARES.

                           (a)  Exercising  the Option.  The  Optionee may incur
regular  federal  income tax  liability  upon exercise of a  nonstatutory  stock
option.  The Optionee  will be treated as having  received  compensation  income
(taxable at ordinary income tax rates) equal to the excess,  if any, of the Fair
Market  Value  of the  Exercised  Shares  on the  date of  exercise  over  their
aggregate Exercise Price.

                           (b) Withholding.  If the Optionee is an Employee or a
former  Employee,  the Company  will be  required  to  withhold  from his or her
compensation  or  collect  from  Optionee  and  pay  to  

the  applicable  taxing  authorities  an amount in cash equal to a percentage of
this  compensation  income at the time of exercise,  and may refuse to honor the
exercise  and  refuse to  deliver  Shares if such  withholding  amounts  are not
delivered at the time of exercise.  Optionee  hereby agrees to make  appropriate
arrangements  with the Company for the  satisfaction of any applicable  federal,
state or local income tax withholding  requirements  relating to the exercise of
the  Option  or the  payment  of any  employment  taxes  due as a result  of the
exercise of such Option.

                           (c)  Disposition  of Shares.  If the  Optionee  holds
Shares  acquired upon the exercise of a  nonstatutory  stock option for at least
one year,  any gain  realized  on  disposition  of the Shares will be treated as
long-term capital gain for federal income tax purposes.

                           (d) Reporting of Disposition of Shares.  The Optionee
shall,  at the  Company's  request,  promptly  complete  and  return any and all
informational  requests regarding the Optionee's  disposition of Shares acquired
upon exercise of the Options covered by this Agreement.

                  15. Defined Terms. All capitalized  terms herein which are not
otherwise  defined herein shall have the same meaning  ascribed to such terms in
the Plan.

                  16.  Notices.  Except as set forth in Section 4 of this Option
Agreement, any notice required to be given or delivered to the Company under the
terms of this Option  Agreement shall be in writing and addressed to the Company
in care of the  Corporate  Secretary at its  principal  corporate  offices.  Any
notice required to be given or delivered to Optionee at the address indicated in
the Grant  Notice.  All notices  shall be deemed to have been given or delivered
upon personal  delivery or upon deposit in the U.S.  mail,  postage  prepaid and
properly addressed to the party to be notified.

                  17.  Construction.   This  Option  Agreement  and  the  Option
evidenced  hereby  are  made  and  granted  pursuant  to the Plan and are in all
respects limited by and subject to the express terms and provisions of the Plan.
Subject to Section  3.1(b) of the Plan,  in the event of a conflict  between the
terms and  conditions  of the Plan and the terms and  conditions  of this Option
Agreement,  the terms and conditions of the Plan shall prevail. All decisions of
the  Administrator  with respect to any question or issue arising under the Plan
or this  Agreement  shall be  conclusive  and binding on all  persons  having an
interest in this option.

                  18. Entire  Agreement;  Governing  Law. The Plan and the Grant
Notice are incorporated herein by reference. This Option Agreement, the Plan and
the Grant Notice  constitute the entire agreement of the parties with respect to
the subject matter hereof and supersede in their entirety all prior undertakings
and  agreements of the Company and Optionee  with respect to the subject  matter
hereof, and may not be modified  adversely to the Optionee's  interest except by
means of a writing signed by the Company and the Optionee.  The  interpretation,
performance, and enforcement of this Agreement shall be governed by the internal
substantive laws, but not the choice of law rules, of the State of Arizona.

                                 Initials of Optionee:  ________________________

                                   SCHEDULE A

                        FORM OF EXERCISE NOTICE UNDER THE

                       1997 NONSTATUTORY STOCK OPTION PLAN

MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED
2355 West Chandler Boulevard
Chandler, Arizona 85224
Attention: Human Resources, Stock Administration

         Exercise of Option.  Effective as of today,  _____________,  19__,  the
undersigned ("Purchaser") hereby elects to purchase shares (the "Shares") of the
Common Stock of Microchip  Technology  Incorporated  (the  "Company")  under and
pursuant  to the 1997  Nonstatutory  Stock  Option  Plan  (the  "Plan")  for the
grant(s)  specified in the Stock Option Exercise  Instruction Form  accompanying
this Exercise Notice.  The purchase price for the Shares shall be as required by
the individual Grant Notice(s) and Option Agreement(s).

         Delivery of  Payment.  Purchaser  herewith  delivers to the Company the
full purchase price for the Shares.

         Representations of Purchaser. Purchaser acknowledges that Purchaser has
received,  read and  understood  the  Plan,  the  Grant  Notice  and the  Option
Agreement and agrees to abide by and be bound by their terms and conditions.

         Rights  as  Stockholder.  Until  the  issuance  (as  evidenced  by  the
appropriate  entry on the books of the Company or of a duly authorized  transfer
agent of the  Company) of the Shares,  no right to vote or receive  dividends or
any other  rights as a  stockholder  shall  exist with  respect to the  Optioned
Stock,  notwithstanding the exercise of the Option. The Shares so acquired shall
be issued to the Optionee as soon as  practicable  after exercise of the option.
No  adjustment  will be made for a dividend  or other right for which the record
date is prior to the date of  issuance,  except as provided in Sections  2.2 and
2.3 of the Plan.

         Tax  Consultation.  Purchaser  understands  that  Purchaser  may suffer
adverse tax  consequences as a result of Purchaser's  purchase or disposition of
the Shares.  Purchaser  represents  that  Purchaser has  consulted  with any tax
consultants  Purchaser  deems  advisable  in  connection  with the  purchase  or
disposition  of the Shares and that  Purchaser is not relying on the Company for
any tax advice.

         Entire Agreement;  Governing Law. The Plan, the Grant Notice and Option
Agreement are incorporated  herein by reference.  This Agreement,  the Plan, the
Grant Notice and the Option  Agreement  constitute  the entire  agreement of the
parties  with  respect  to the  subject  matter  hereof and  supersede  in their
entirety all prior undertakings and agreements of the Company and Purchaser with
respect to the subject matter hereof,  and may not be modified  adversely to the
Purchaser's  interest  except by means of a writing  signed by the  Company  and
Purchaser.  This agreement is governed by the internal substantive laws, but not
the choice of law rules, of the State of Arizona.

Submitted by:                             Accepted by:

PURCHASER:                                MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED

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Signature                                 By

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