SECOND MODIFICATION AGREEMENT


         BY THIS  SECOND  MODIFICATION  AGREEMENT  (the  "Agreement"),  made and
entered  into as of the 4th day of  November,  1998,  BANK ONE,  ARIZONA,  NA, a
national  banking  association,  as  administrative  agent  for  the  Banks  (as
hereinafter  defined) (the  "Administrative  Agent"),  and MICROCHIP  TECHNOLOGY
INCORPORATED,  a Delaware corporation (the "Borrower"),  in consideration of the
mutual covenants herein contained and other good and valuable consideration, the
receipt and  sufficiency  of which is hereby  acknowledged,  hereby  confirm and
agree as follows:

                                    RECITALS:

         A.  Borrower,  the  Administrative  Agent,  The First  National Bank of
Chicago, a national banking association,  as Documentation Agent and the "Banks"
named  therein  entered  into that Credit  Agreement  dated  October 28, 1997 to
provide  financial  accommodations  to the Borrower as provided  therein,  which
Credit Agreement (as modified,  the "Credit  Agreement") was previously modified
by that Modification Agreement, dated as of the 30th day of March, 1998.

         B.  Borrower  and the  Administrative  Agent,  with the  consent of the
Banks, desire to modify the Credit Agreement as set forth herein.

         C. All undefined  capitalized  terms used herein shall have the meaning
given them in the Credit Agreement.

                                   AGREEMENT:

SECTION 1. ACCURACY OF RECITALS.

         1.1 Borrower acknowledges the accuracy of the Recitals.

SECTION 2. MODIFICATIONS.

         2.1 The Credit  Agreement is hereby  amended as  hereinafter  provided,
which amendments (the "Credit Agreement Amendments") are effective as of October
28, 1997:

                  2.1.1 Section 6.10 of the Credit  Agreement is hereby  amended
         to read as follows:

                           Section 6.10  [Intentionally left blank.]

                  2.1.2 Section 6.11 of the Credit  Agreement is hereby  amended
         to read as follows:

                           SECTION 6.11 DEBT/WORTH  RATIO.  At any time,  permit
                  the  ratio  of  Consolidated  Debt to  Consolidated  Effective
                  Tangible Net Worth to be greater than 0.9 to 1.0.

                  2.1.3  Exhibit "F" to the Credit  Agreement is amended to read
         as attached hereto.

         2.2 Each of the Loan  Documents is modified to provide that it shall be
a default or an event of default  thereunder  if  Borrower  shall fail to comply
with  any of the  covenants  of  Borrower  herein  or if any  representation  or
warranty by Borrower herein is materially incomplete,  incorrect,  or misleading
as of the date hereof.

         2.3 Each  reference in the Loan  Documents to any of the Loan Documents
is hereby amended to be a reference to such document as modified herein.

SECTION 3. RATIFICATION OF LOAN DOCUMENTS.

         The Loan  Documents  are  ratified  and  affirmed by Borrower and shall
remain in full force and effect as modified herein.

SECTION 4. BORROWER REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES.

         Borrower represents and warrants to the Banks:

         4.1 No default or event of default  under any of the Loan  Documents as
modified herein,  nor any event,  that, with the giving of notice or the passage
of time or both,  would be a  default  or an event  of  default  under  the Loan
Documents as modified herein has occurred and is continuing.

         4.2 There has been no material  adverse change taken as a whole, in the
financial  condition of Borrower or any other person whose  financial  statement
has been delivered to the Administrative Agent in connection with the Loans from
the most recent financial statement received by the Administrative Agent.

         4.3 Each and all representations and warranties of Borrower in the Loan
Documents are accurate in all material respects on the date hereof.

         4.4 Borrower has no claims,  counterclaims,  defenses, or set-offs with
respect to the Loans or the Loan Documents as modified herein.

         4.5 The Loan  Documents as modified  herein are the legal,  valid,  and
binding obligation of Borrower,  enforceable against Borrower in accordance with
their terms.

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SECTION 5. BORROWER COVENANTS.

         Borrower covenants with the Banks:

         5.1 Borrower shall execute,  deliver, and provide to the Administrative
Agent such  additional  agreements,  documents,  and  instruments  as reasonably
required by the Banks to effectuate the intent of this Agreement.

         5.2 Borrower fully,  finally,  and absolutely and forever  releases and
discharges the Banks and the  Administrative  Agent and their present and former
directors,   shareholders,   officers,   employees,   agents,   representatives,
successors  and assigns,  and their  separate  and  respective  heirs,  personal
representatives,  successors  and assigns,  from any and all actions,  causes of
action, claims, debts, damages, demands, liabilities, obligations, and suits, of
whatever  kind or nature,  in law or equity of  Borrower,  whether  now known or
unknown to Borrower,  and whether  contingent or matured,  (i) in respect of the
Loans,  the Loan  Documents,  or the actions or  omissions  of the Banks and the
Administrative  Agent in  respect  of the Loans or the Loan  Documents  and (ii)
arising from events occurring prior to the date of this Agreement.

SECTION 6. CONDITIONS PRECEDENT.

         The  agreements  of the  Banks  and the  Administrative  Agent  and the
modifications  contained  herein  shall not be binding  upon the Banks until the
Banks have executed and delivered  consents to this Agreement and waivers to the
Covenant  Defaults and the  Administrative  Agent has  received,  at  Borrower's
expense,  all of the  following,  all of  which  shall  be in form  and  content
satisfactory  to the  Administrative  Agent and shall be subject to  approval by
Administrative Agent:

         6.1 An original of this Agreement fully executed by the Borrower.

         6.2 Such resolutions or authorizations  and such other documents as the
Administrative  Agent may require relating to the existence and good standing of
the Borrower,  and the authority of any person executing this Agreement or other
documents on behalf of the Borrower.

         6.3  Payment  of all the  internal  and  external  costs  and  expenses
incurred  by  the  Administrative   Agent  in  connection  with  this  Agreement
(including,  without  limitation,  inside and outside attorneys,  expenses,  and
fees).

SECTION 7. INTEGRATION, ENTIRE AGREEMENT, CHANGE, DISCHARGE, TERMINATION, OR
           WAIVER.

         The  Loan   Documents   as  modified   herein   contain  the   complete
understanding  and  agreement  of Borrower and the Banks in respect of the Loans
and supersede all prior representations,  warranties, agreements,  arrangements,
understandings, and negotiations. No provision of the Loan Documents as modified
herein may be changed, discharged, supplemented, terminated, or waived except in
a writing signed by the parties thereto.

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SECTION 8. BINDING EFFECT.

         The Loan  Documents as modified  herein shall be binding upon and shall
inure to the benefit of Borrower and the Banks and their  successors and assigns
and  the  executors,  legal  administrators,  personal  representatives,  heirs,
devisees,  and beneficiaries of Borrower,  provided,  however,  Borrower may not
assign  any of its  right  or  delegate  any of its  obligation  under  the Loan
Documents and any purported assignment or delegation shall be void.

SECTION 9. CHOICE OF LAW.

         This  Agreement  shall be governed by and construed in accordance  with
the laws of the State of Arizona,  without  giving  effect to  conflicts  of law
principles.

SECTION 10. COUNTERPART EXECUTION.

         This  Agreement  may be executed in one or more  counterparts,  each of
which shall be deemed an original and all of which together shall constitute one
and the same document. Signature pages may be detached from the counterparts and
attached to a single copy of this Agreement to physically form one document.

         DATED as of the date first above stated.

                                       MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED,
                                       a Delaware corporation



                                       By:______________________________________
                                       Name:____________________________________
                                       Title:___________________________________

                                                                        BORROWER


                                       BANK ONE, ARIZONA, NA, a national banking
                                       association



                                       By:______________________________________
                                       Name:____________________________________
                                       Title:___________________________________

                                                            ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT

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