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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

SCHEDULE 14A

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934

(Amendment No.     )

Filed by the Registrant x                            Filed by a Party other than the Registrant ¨

Check the appropriate box:

KLA-Tencor Corporation

(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)

(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)

Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):

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NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

November 4, 2015

To the Stockholders:

YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Annual Meeting of Stockholders of KLA-Tencor Corporation (“we” or the “Company”), a Delaware corporation, will be held on Wednesday, November 4, 2015 at 12:00 p.m., local time, in Building Three of our Milpitas facility, located at Three Technology Drive, Milpitas, California 95035, for the following purposes:

The foregoing items of business are more fully described in the Proxy Statement accompanying this Notice.

Only stockholders of record at the close of business on September 15, 2015 are entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the Annual Meeting and any adjournment or postponement thereof.

Sincerely,

Richard P. Wallace

President and Chief Executive Officer

Milpitas, California

This Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders, Proxy Statement and form of proxy are being distributed and made available on or about September 24, 2015.

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KLA-TENCOR CORPORATION

2015 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS – PROXY STATEMENT

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ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

OF

KLA-TENCOR CORPORATION

To be held on November 4, 2015

PROXY STATEMENT

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS REGARDING PROXY MATERIALS

The Board of Directors (the “Board”) of KLA-Tencor Corporation (“KLA-Tencor,” the “Company” or “we”) is providing these proxy materials to you in connection with KLA-Tencor’s Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held on Wednesday, November 4, 2015 at 12:00 p.m., local time (the “Annual Meeting”). As a stockholder of record, you are invited to attend the Annual Meeting, which will be held in Building Three of our Milpitas facility, located at Three Technology Drive, Milpitas, California 95035. The purposes of the Annual Meeting are set forth in the accompanying Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders and this Proxy Statement.

These proxy solicitation materials, together with our Annual Report for fiscal year 2015, were first made available on or about September 24, 2015 to all stockholders entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting. KLA-Tencor’s principal executive offices are located at One Technology Drive, Milpitas, California 95035, and our telephone number is (408) 875-3000.

A copy of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for fiscal year 2015 is available free of charge on the Internet from the website of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) at http://www.sec.gov, as well as on our website at http://ir.kla-tencor.com.

This year, relying on the SEC rule that allows companies to furnish their proxy materials over the Internet, we are again mailing to our stockholders a notice regarding the Internet availability of the proxy materials instead of a paper copy of the proxy materials. All stockholders will have the ability to access the proxy materials over the Internet and request to receive a paper copy of the proxy materials by mail. Instructions on how to access the proxy materials over the Internet or to request a paper copy may be found in the notice. In addition, the notice contains instructions on how you may request to access proxy materials in printed form by mail or electronically on an ongoing basis.

Your notice regarding the Internet availability of the proxy materials, proxy card or voting instruction card will contain instructions on how to:

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Our proxy materials are also available on our website at the following address: http://www.kla-tencor.com/annualmeeting.

Your notice regarding the Internet availability of the proxy materials, proxy card or voting instruction card will contain instructions on how you may request access to proxy materials electronically on an ongoing basis. Choosing to access your future proxy materials electronically will help us conserve natural resources and reduce the costs of printing and distributing our proxy materials. If you choose to access future proxy materials electronically, you will receive an e-mail with instructions containing a link to the website where those materials are available and a link to the proxy voting website. Your election to access proxy materials by e-mail will remain in effect until you terminate it.

Stockholders receiving a notice regarding the Internet availability of the proxy materials will find instructions in that notice about how to obtain a paper copy of the proxy materials free of charge. Stockholders who have previously submitted a standing request to receive paper copies of our proxy materials will receive a paper copy of the proxy materials by mail.

You may request delivery of a single copy of our future proxy statements and annual reports by writing to the address provided in the answer to Question 7 below or calling our Investor Relations department at the telephone number below. Stockholders may also request electronic delivery of future proxy statements by writing to the address below, by calling our Investor Relations department at (408) 875-3000 or via our website at http://ir.kla-tencor.com.

Certain stockholders who share an address are being delivered only one copy of this Proxy Statement. You may receive additional copies of this Proxy Statement without charge by sending a written request to KLA-Tencor Corporation, Attention: Investor Relations, One Technology Drive, Milpitas, California 95035. Requests may also be made by calling our Investor Relations department at (408) 875-3000.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS REGARDING THE ANNUAL MEETING

You may vote at the Annual Meeting if our records showed that you owned shares of KLA-Tencor Common Stock as of the close of business on September 15, 2015 (the “Record Date”). At the close of business on that date, we had a total of 156,594,383 shares of Common Stock issued and outstanding, which were held of record by approximately 447 stockholders. As of the Record Date, we had no shares of Preferred Stock outstanding. You are entitled to one vote for each share that you own.

The Annual Meeting will be held if a majority of the outstanding Common Stock entitled to vote is represented at the Annual Meeting. If you have returned valid proxy instructions or attend the Annual Meeting in person, your Common Stock will be counted for the purpose of determining whether there is a quorum, even if you wish to abstain from voting on some or all matters at the Annual Meeting.

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In addition to such other business as may properly come before the Annual Meeting or any adjournment thereof, the following three proposals will be presented at the Annual Meeting:

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS REGARDING PROXY SOLICITATION AND VOTING

Most stockholders do not own shares registered directly in their name, but rather are “beneficial holders” of shares held in a stock brokerage account or by a bank or other nominee (that is, shares held “in street name”). Those stockholders should refer to Question 11 below for instructions regarding how to vote their shares.

If, however, your shares are registered directly in your name with our transfer agent, you are considered, with respect to those shares, the stockholder of record, and these proxy materials are being sent directly to you. You may vote in the following ways:

Whichever of these methods you select to transmit your instructions, the proxy holders will vote your shares in accordance with those instructions.

If you vote by telephone, Internet or mail without giving specific voting instructions, your shares will be voted FOR Proposal One (the election of the ten nominees listed herein for the Board), FOR Proposal Two (the ratification of the appointment of our independent registered public accounting firm), and FOR Proposal Three (the non-binding, advisory approval of our named executive officer compensation).

When proxies are properly dated, executed and returned (whether by telephone, Internet or returned proxy card), the shares represented by such proxies will be voted at the Annual

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Meeting in accordance with the instructions of the stockholder. However, if no specific instructions are given, the shares will be voted in accordance with the recommendations of our Board and as the proxy holders may determine in their discretion with respect to any other matters that properly come before the meeting.

If your shares are held in a stock brokerage account or by a bank or other nominee, you are considered the beneficial owner of shares held “in street name,” and your broker or nominee is considered the stockholder of record with respect to those shares. Your broker or nominee should be forwarding these proxy materials to you. As the beneficial owner, you have the right to direct your broker how to vote, and you are also invited to attend the Annual Meeting. However, since you are not the stockholder of record, you may not vote these shares in person at the Annual Meeting. If a broker, bank or other nominee holds your shares, you will receive instructions from them that you must follow in order to have your shares voted.

You may change your vote at any time prior to the vote at the Annual Meeting. To change your proxy instructions if you are a stockholder of record, you must:

If you are the beneficial owner of shares held in street name, you should contact the broker, bank or other nominee that holds your shares for instructions regarding how to change your vote.

KLA-Tencor is making this proxy solicitation, and we will pay the entire cost of this solicitation, including preparing, assembling, printing, mailing and distributing the notices and these proxy materials and soliciting votes. We have retained the services of D.F. King & Company to aid in the solicitation of proxies from brokers, bank nominees and other institutional owners. We estimate that we will pay D.F. King fees of approximately $6,000 (plus reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses) for this solicitation activity, forwarding solicitation material to beneficial and registered stockholders and processing the results. Certain of our Directors, officers and regular employees, without additional compensation, may solicit proxies personally or by telephone.

Yes, but only on limited types of proposals. If your shares are held in a stock brokerage account or by a bank or other nominee, you are considered the “beneficial” owner of shares held “in street name,” and these proxy materials are being forwarded to you by your broker or nominee (the “record holder”) along with a voting card. As the beneficial owner, you have the right to direct your record holder how to vote your shares, and your record holder is required to vote your shares in accordance with your instructions. Record holders do not have discretion to

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vote your shares on Proposal One (the election of directors) or Proposal Three (the non-binding, advisory approval of our named executive officer compensation), in each case in the absence of specific instructions from you (the beneficial owner). Therefore, if you do not give instructions to your record holder, the record holder will only be entitled to vote your shares in its discretion on Proposal Two (the ratification of the appointment of our independent registered public accounting firm).

Shares that are voted “FOR,” “AGAINST,” or “ABSTAIN” are treated as being present for purposes of determining the presence of a quorum and are also treated as shares entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting (“Votes Cast”).

For each proposal, you are able to vote your shares as “FOR,” “AGAINST” or “ABSTAIN.” Shares that are voted without giving specific voting instructions will be voted as described in the answers to Questions 10 and 14. Abstentions will have no effect on the outcome of Proposal One (the election of directors). Abstentions with respect to Proposal Two (the ratification of the appointment of our independent registered public accounting firm) or Proposal Three (the non-binding, advisory approval of our named executive officer compensation) will have the same effect as a vote against that proposal.

Proposals Two and Three are non-binding advisory votes, for which our Board and its committees will give careful consideration to the voting results.

For all proposals, shares that are subject to a broker non-vote are counted for purposes of determining whether a quorum exists but not for purposes of determining whether a proposal has passed.

The Board recommends that stockholders vote as follows:

We are not aware of any matters to be presented other than those described in this Proxy Statement. In the unlikely event that any matters not described in this Proxy Statement are properly presented at the Annual Meeting, the proxy holders will use their own judgment to determine how to vote.

If the Annual Meeting is adjourned or postponed, the proxy holders can vote your shares on the new meeting date as well, unless you have properly revoked your proxy instructions.

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We intend to announce preliminary voting results at the Annual Meeting and publish final results in a Current Report on Form 8-K to be filed with the SEC within four business days following the Annual Meeting.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS REGARDING STOCKHOLDER PROPOSALS, DIRECTOR NOMINATIONS BY STOCKHOLDERS AND RELATED BYLAW PROVISIONS

A stockholder may only present a matter from the floor of a meeting of stockholders for consideration at that meeting if certain procedures set forth in our bylaws are followed, including delivery of advance notice by such stockholder to us. We have not received any timely notice with respect to the Annual Meeting regarding the presentation by a stockholder of business from the floor of the meeting. Accordingly, we do not expect to acknowledge any business presented from the floor at the Annual Meeting.

You may submit proposals for consideration at future stockholder meetings. For a stockholder proposal to be considered for inclusion in our proxy statement for next year’s annual meeting of stockholders (which is expected to be held in November 2016), our Corporate Secretary must receive the written proposal at our principal executive offices no later than May 27, 2016. Such proposals also must comply with SEC regulations under Rule 14a-8 regarding the inclusion of stockholder proposals in company-sponsored proxy materials. Proposals should be addressed to:

Corporate Secretary

KLA-Tencor Corporation

One Technology Drive

Milpitas, California 95035

Fax: (408) 875-4266

For a stockholder proposal that is not intended to be included in our proxy statement under Rule 14a-8, the stockholder must provide the information required by our bylaws and give timely notice to our Corporate Secretary in accordance with our bylaws, which, in general, require that the notice be received by our Corporate Secretary:

If the date of the stockholders’ meeting is moved more than 30 days before or 60 days after November 4, 2016, then notice of a stockholder proposal that is not intended to be included in our proxy statement under Rule 14a-8 must be received no earlier than the close of business 120 days prior to the meeting and no later than the close of business on the later of the following two dates:

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You may propose director candidates for consideration by the Board’s Nominating and Governance Committee. Any such recommendations should include the nominee’s name and qualifications for Board membership and should be directed to our Corporate Secretary at the address of our principal executive offices set forth in Question 21 above.

In addition, our bylaws permit stockholders to nominate directors for election at an annual meeting of stockholders. To nominate a director, the stockholder must deliver the information required by our bylaws and a statement by the nominee acknowledging that he or she will owe a fiduciary obligation to KLA-Tencor and its stockholders.

A stockholder may send a proposed director candidate’s name and information to the Board at any time. Generally, such proposed candidates are considered at the first or second Board meeting prior to the annual meeting of stockholders.

To nominate an individual for election at an annual meeting of stockholders, the stockholder must give timely notice to our Corporate Secretary in accordance with our bylaws, which, for next year’s annual meeting of stockholders, will generally require that the notice be received by our Corporate Secretary between the close of business on July 7, 2016 and the close of business on August 6, 2016, unless the annual meeting is moved by more than 30 days before or 60 days after November 4, 2016, in which case the deadline will be as described in the last paragraph of Question 21 above.

For a free copy of our bylaws, please contact our Investor Relations department at (408) 875-3000. A copy of our bylaws is also available free of charge on the Internet on our website at http://ir.kla-tencor.com and on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.

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PROPOSAL ONE:

ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

Background

There are ten nominees for election as Directors of the Board at this Annual Meeting – Edward W. Barnholt, Robert M. Calderoni, John T. Dickson, Emiko Higashi, Kevin J. Kennedy, Gary B. Moore, Kiran M. Patel, Robert A. Rango, Richard P. Wallace and David C. Wang. Each of the nominees is presently a member of the Board.

Information regarding the business experience, qualifications, attributes and skills of each nominee is provided below under the section entitled “Information About the Nominees.”

In November 2012, stockholders approved management’s proposal to amend our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to declassify our Board over a period of three years, beginning with our 2013 annual meeting. As a result, each of the Directors elected at this year’s Annual Meeting will be elected to serve a one-year term expiring at our 2016 annual meeting of stockholders.

Directors who were elected to three-year terms at our 2012 annual meeting will conclude their three-year terms at this year’s Annual Meeting. Therefore, at this year’s Annual Meeting and each annual meeting thereafter, all Directors will be elected to hold office for one-year terms expiring at the following year’s annual meeting.

The three incumbent Directors whose existing three-year terms expire at this year’s Annual Meeting are Robert T. Bond, Kiran M. Patel and David C. Wang. Kiran M. Patel and David C. Wang are up for re-election at the Annual Meeting. On August 6, 2015, Robert T. Bond informed the Board of his decision to not stand for re-election at the Annual Meeting. The Board has adopted a resolution that, immediately prior to the Annual Meeting, the authorized number of Directors on our Board will be ten Directors.

The eight incumbent Directors whose existing one-year terms expire at this year’s Annual Meeting are Edward W. Barnholt, Robert M. Calderoni, John T. Dickson, Emiko Higashi, Kevin J. Kennedy, Gary B. Moore, Robert A. Rango and Richard P. Wallace. These Directors are up for re-election at the Annual Meeting.

Following the Annual Meeting, we will amend our bylaws to eliminate all references to Class I, II and III Directors, as the Board will be fully declassified at that time.

There are no family relationships among our executive officers and directors.

Nominees

Ten incumbent Directors are nominated for election at the Annual Meeting. The Nominating and Governance Committee, consisting solely of independent Directors as determined under the rules of the NASDAQ Stock Market, recommended the nominees listed in this Proposal One. Based on that recommendation, the members of the Board resolved to nominate such individuals for election.

The ten candidates nominated by the Board for election as Directors by the stockholders are:

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If elected, each nominee will serve as a Director for a one-year term expiring at our 2016 annual meeting of stockholders. Each Director will hold office until his or her successor is duly elected and qualified, or until his or her death, resignation or removal. If any nominee declines to serve or becomes unavailable for any reason, or a vacancy occurs before the election, the proxies may be voted for such substitute nominees as the Board may designate. As of the date of this Proxy Statement, the Board is not aware of any nominee who is unable or who will decline to serve as a Director.

Vote Required and Recommendation

Broker non-votes are counted for purposes of determining the presence or absence of a quorum, but broker non-votes have no other legal effect on the selection of nominees for Directors.

Under our bylaws, in any uncontested election of Directors (an election in which the number of nominees does not exceed the number of Directors to be elected), any nominee who receives a greater number of votes cast “FOR” his or her election than votes cast “AGAINST” his or her election will be elected. In accordance with our bylaws, the Nominating and Governance Committee has established procedures under which any Director who is not elected shall offer to tender his or her resignation to the Board following certification of the stockholder vote. The Nominating and Governance Committee, composed entirely of independent Directors, will consider the offer of resignation and recommend to the Board the action to be taken. The Board will take action on the recommendation, and we will publicly disclose the Board’s decision and the rationale behind it, within 90 days following certification of the stockholder vote. In making their respective decisions, the Nominating and Governance Committee and Board will take into consideration all factors they deem relevant. The Director who tenders his or her resignation will not participate in the decisions of the Nominating and Governance Committee or the Board regarding his or her resignation.

The Board unanimously recommends a vote “FOR” each of the Director nominees, with the Directors who are nominees abstaining with respect to their own nomination.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND ITS COMMITTEES

The Board of Directors

Our Board held a total of nine meetings during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2015. All Directors other than Mr. Wallace meet the definition of independence within the meaning of the NASDAQ Stock Market director independence standards.

The Board has three standing committees: the Audit Committee; the Compensation Committee; and the Nominating and Governance Committee. Each Committee is comprised entirely of independent directors, meets regularly and has a written charter approved by the Board, all of which are available on our website at http://ir.kla-tencor.com, along with our Standards of Business Conduct, Corporate Governance Standards and other governance-related information. The Board and each Committee regularly review the Committee charters. In addition, at each quarterly Board meeting, a member of each Committee reports on any significant matters addressed by the Committee.

During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2015, each of the incumbent Directors attended at least 90% of the aggregate of (a) the total number of meetings of the Board held during the period for which such person served as a Director and (b) the total number of meetings held by all Board committees on which such Director served (during the periods that such Director served).

Although we do not have a formal policy mandating attendance by members of the Board at our annual meetings of stockholders, we do have a formal policy encouraging their attendance at such meetings. All ten of the Directors then serving on our Board attended last year’s annual meeting of stockholders.

Board Leadership Structure

KLA-Tencor currently separates the positions of Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board. Since October 2006, Edward W. Barnholt, one of our independent Directors, has served as our Chairman of the Board. The responsibilities of the Chairman of the Board include: setting the agenda for each Board meeting, in consultation with the Chief Executive Officer; chairing the meetings of the Board; presiding at executive sessions; facilitating and conducting, with the Nominating and Governance Committee, the annual self-assessments by the Board and each standing committee of the Board; and conducting, with the Compensation Committee, a formal evaluation of the Chief Executive Officer in the context of the annual compensation review.

Separating the positions of Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board allows our Chief Executive Officer to focus on our day-to-day business, while allowing the Chairman of the Board to lead the Board in its fundamental role of providing advice to and independent oversight of management. The Board believes that having an independent Director serve as Chairman of the Board is the appropriate leadership structure for the Company at this time.

However, our Corporate Governance Standards permit the roles of the Chairman of the Board and the Chief Executive Officer to be filled by the same or different individuals. This provides the Board with flexibility to determine whether the two roles should be combined in the future based on KLA-Tencor’s needs and the Board’s assessment of the Company’s leadership from time to time. Our Corporate Governance Standards provide that, in the event that the Chairman of the Board is not an independent Director, the independent members of the Board will designate a “lead independent director.”

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The Board’s Role in Oversight of Risk

Our Board, as a whole and through its committees, has responsibility for the oversight of risk management. In its oversight role, our Board has the responsibility to satisfy itself that the risk management processes designed and implemented by management are adequate and functioning as designed. The involvement of the Board in working with management to establish our business strategy at least annually is a key part of its oversight of risk management, its assessment of management’s appetite for risk and its determination of what constitutes an appropriate level of risk for KLA-Tencor. In addition, the Board periodically conducts a comprehensive review of the Company’s overall risk environment and its risk management efforts. The Board and its committees also regularly receive updates from management (including representatives of our legal and internal audit teams) regarding certain risks that we face, including industry, business, macroeconomic, litigation and other operating risks.

While our Board is ultimately responsible for risk oversight at KLA-Tencor, our Board has delegated to the Audit Committee the primary responsibility for the active oversight of our enterprise risk management activities. Our Audit Committee is not only responsible for overseeing risk management of financial matters, the adequacy of our risk-related internal controls, financial reporting and internal investigations, but its charter also provides that the Audit Committee will discuss at least annually KLA-Tencor’s risk assessment, enterprise risk management processes and major financial exposures, as well as the steps our management has taken to monitor and control those exposures. Our Audit Committee reports its findings and activities to the Board at each quarterly Board meeting.

In addition, our other Board committees each oversee certain aspects of risk management. Our Compensation Committee oversees risks related to our compensation policies and practices, and our Nominating and Governance Committee oversees governance-related risks, such as Board independence and conflicts of interest, as well as management and director succession planning. The Committees report their findings and activities to the Board.

While the Board is responsible for risk oversight, management is responsible for risk management. KLA-Tencor maintains an effective internal controls environment and has processes to identify and manage risk, including an executive risk council comprised of representatives from our legal, human resources, finance, internal audit and procurement teams. This council reports to our Chief Executive Officer and has oversight of the various risk assessment, monitoring and controls processes across the Company.

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During fiscal year 2015, our directors served on the committees of the Board indicated in the following table.

Audit Committee

Members During Fiscal Year 2015: Robert T. Bond, Robert M. Calderoni (Chairman), Emiko Higashi, Kiran M. Patel and David C. Wang. On August 6, 2015, Robert T. Bond informed the Board of his decision not to stand for re-election at the Annual Meeting. John T. Dickson was appointed by the Board to serve as a member of the Audit Committee, effective upon his re-election at the Annual Meeting.

Meetings Held During Fiscal Year 2015: 8

Primary Responsibilities: The Audit Committee is responsible for appointing and overseeing the work of our independent registered public accounting firm, approving the services performed by our independent registered public accounting firm, and reviewing and evaluating our accounting principles and system of internal accounting controls. In addition, our Vice President of Internal Audit, who is supervised by our Chief Financial Officer, formally reports into the Audit Committee and provides updates at each quarterly meeting.

Independence: The Board has determined that each of the members of the Audit Committee meets the independence requirements (including the heightened requirements for Audit Committee members) of NASDAQ and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and has no material relationship with KLA-Tencor (including any relationship that, in the opinion of the Board, would interfere with the exercise of independent judgment as a Director). The Board has determined that each of Mr. Calderoni, Ms. Higashi and Mr. Patel is an “audit committee financial expert” within the meaning of the rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC.

Compensation Committee

Members During Fiscal Year 2015: Edward W. Barnholt, John T. Dickson, Kevin J. Kennedy (Chairman), Gary B. Moore and Robert A. Rango. As a result of Mr. Dickson’s appointment by the Board to serve as a member of the Audit Committee, which is effective upon his re-election at the Annual Meeting, he will not be serving as a member of the Compensation Committee, effective upon such appointment.

Meetings Held During Fiscal Year 2015: 10

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Primary Responsibilities: The Compensation Committee reviews and either approves or recommends to the full Board (depending upon the compensation plan and the executive involved) our executive compensation policy and administers our employee equity award plans. The Compensation Committee also reviews and, except with respect to our Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board, has the authority to approve the cash and equity compensation for our executive officers and for members of the Board. See “Compensation Discussion and Analysis – Compensation Committee Decision Making-Approval Procedures Overview and Market Data” for more information concerning the procedures and processes the Compensation Committee follows in setting such compensation and implementing the various cash and equity compensation programs in effect for such individuals, including the retention of an independent compensation consultant to provide relevant market data and advice.

Independence: The Board has determined that each of the members of the Compensation Committee meets the independence requirements (including the heightened requirements for Compensation Committee members) of NASDAQ and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and has no material relationship with KLA-Tencor (including any relationship that, in the opinion of the Board, would interfere with the exercise of independent judgment as a Director).

Risk Considerations in Our Compensation Programs

Our management conducted an extensive review and analysis of the design and operation of KLA-Tencor’s compensation practices, policies and programs for all employees, including the Named Executive Officers (as that term is defined on Page 43 of this Proxy Statement), to assess the risks associated with those practices, policies and programs. Our Compensation Committee has reviewed the results of that analysis, including underlying plan data and a risk assessment of significant elements of our compensation program. Based on this review and assessment, we and our Compensation Committee do not believe our compensation program encourages excessive or inappropriate risk-taking for the following reasons:

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Nominating and Governance Committee

Members During Fiscal Year 2015: Edward W. Barnholt (Chairman), Robert T. Bond, Robert M. Calderoni and John T. Dickson. On August 6, 2015, Robert T. Bond informed the Board of his decision not to stand for re-election at the Annual Meeting. Kiran M. Patel was appointed by the Board to serve as a member of the Nominating and Governance Committee, effective upon his re-election at the Annual Meeting.

Meetings Held During Fiscal Year 2015: 4

Primary Responsibilities: The Nominating and Governance Committee is primarily responsible for identifying and evaluating the qualifications of all candidates for election to the Board, as well as reviewing corporate governance policies and procedures and assessing stockholder proposals related to governance matters. The Nominating and Governance Committee assesses the appropriate size and composition of the Board, the effectiveness of its leadership structure, and whether any vacancies on the Board are expected.

Independence: The Board has determined that each of the members of the Nominating and Governance Committee meets the independence requirements of NASDAQ, and has no material relationship with KLA-Tencor (including any relationship that, in the opinion of the Board, would interfere with the exercise of independent judgment as a Director).

Evaluation of Director Candidates: In the event that vacancies are anticipated, or otherwise arise, the Nominating and Governance Committee considers potential candidates that may come to its attention through current members of the Board, professional search firms, management, stockholders or other persons. In evaluating properly submitted stockholder recommendations, the Nominating and Governance Committee uses the evaluation standards discussed in further detail below and seeks to achieve a balance of knowledge, experience and capability on the Board.

It is the Nominating and Governance Committee’s policy to consider candidates for the Board recommended by, among other persons, stockholders who have owned at least one percent of our outstanding shares for at least one year and who state that they have an intent to continue as a substantial stockholder for the long term. Stockholders wishing to nominate candidates for the Board must notify our General Counsel in writing of their intent to do so and provide us with certain information set forth in Article II, Section 11 of our bylaws and all other information regarding nominees that is required to be provided pursuant to Regulation 14A of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, or as otherwise requested by the Nominating and Governance Committee.

Majority Vote Policy: We maintain a governance policy applicable to uncontested Director elections (elections in which the number of nominees does not exceed the number of Directors to be elected) requiring that Directors receive majority support in such elections. Under our bylaws, in any uncontested Director election, any nominee who receives a greater number of votes cast “FOR” his or her election than votes cast “AGAINST” his or her election will be elected. In accordance with our bylaws, the Nominating and Governance Committee has established procedures under which any Director who is not elected shall offer to tender his or her resignation to the Board following certification of the stockholder vote. The Nominating and Governance Committee, composed entirely of independent Directors, will consider the offer of resignation and recommend to the Board the action to be taken. The Board will take action on the recommendation, and we will publicly disclose the Board’s decision and the rationale behind it, within 90 days following certification of the stockholder vote. In making

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their respective decisions, the Nominating and Governance Committee and Board will take into consideration all factors they deem relevant. The Director who tenders his or her resignation will not participate in the decisions of the Nominating and Governance Committee or the Board regarding his or her resignation.

Director Qualifications and Diversity

The Board believes that the skill set, backgrounds and qualifications of our Directors, considered as a group, should provide a significant composite mix of diversity in experience, knowledge and abilities that will allow the Board to fulfill its responsibilities. In addition, the Board believes that there are certain attributes that every Director should possess, such as demonstrated business or academic achievements, the highest ethical standards and a strong sense of professionalism. Accordingly, the Board and the Nominating and Governance Committee consider the qualifications of Directors and Director candidates individually and in the broader context of the Board’s overall composition and KLA-Tencor’s current and future needs.

In considering candidates for Director nomination, including evaluating any recommendations from stockholders as set forth above, the Nominating and Governance Committee only considers candidates who have demonstrated executive experience or significant high level experience in accounting, finance or a technical field or industry applicable to KLA-Tencor. In addition, as set forth in our Corporate Governance Standards, the Nominating and Governance Committee takes into account all factors it considers appropriate when evaluating Director candidates, which may include strength of character, mature judgment, career specialization, diversity and the extent to which the candidate would fill a present need on the Board. With respect to new Board members, it is the standard practice of the Nominating and Governance Committee to engage a third-party recruiting firm to identify a slate of individuals for consideration as Board candidates based on the above-mentioned criteria.

In addition, the Nominating and Governance Committee annually reviews with the Board the appropriate skills and characteristics required of Directors in the context of the current composition of the Board. In seeking a diversity of background, the Nominating and Governance Committee seeks a variety of occupational and personal backgrounds on the Board in order to obtain a range of viewpoints and perspectives. This annual assessment enables the Board to update the skills and experience it seeks in the Board as a whole, and in individual Directors, as KLA-Tencor’s needs evolve and change over time.

In evaluating Director candidates, including incumbent Directors for renomination to the Board, the Nominating and Governance Committee has considered all of the criteria described above. When assessing an incumbent Director, the Nominating and Governance Committee also considers the Director’s past performance on and contributions to the Board. Among other things, the Nominating and Governance Committee has determined that it is important to have individuals with the following skills and experiences on the Board:

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE NOMINEES

Our Board and its Nominating and Governance Committee believe that all of the Directors and nominees listed below are highly qualified and have the skills and experience required for service on our Board. The following table sets forth certain information with respect to our Directors and nominees as of the date of this Proxy Statement, including, for each Director and nominee, a biography and a summary of his or her significant experiences, qualifications and skills that are most pertinent to that individual’s service as a member of our Board:

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DIRECTOR COMPENSATION

Our Fiscal Year 2015 Director Compensation Program

Non-employee members of the Board (“Outside Directors”) receive a combination of equity and cash compensation as approved by the Compensation Committee (or, in the case of the compensation of the Chairman of the Board, as recommended by the Compensation Committee and approved by the Board). Equity compensation to Outside Directors is primarily provided under our 2004 Equity Incentive Plan, which has been approved by our stockholders.

In August 2014, based on a review of market data regarding director compensation, the Compensation Committee and, with respect to the Chairman of the Board’s compensation, the Board (with the Chairman abstaining) approved changes to our Outside Director compensation program, the first modifications to the program since August 2011. The following table presents the key features of our fiscal year 2014 Outside Director compensation program and fiscal year 2015 Outside Director compensation program, as well as the changes, which were effective October 1, 2014, that have been incorporated into our fiscal year 2015 program:

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Members of the Board who are employees of the Company do not receive any additional compensation for their services as Directors. The Board will separately determine the compensation payable to Outside Directors for service on special purpose committees of the Board, if such committees are created.

If a new Outside Director joins the Board after the date of an annual meeting of stockholders, his or her first restricted stock unit award (“RSU”) will be granted promptly after he or she joins the Board and will be prorated to take into account the period of time from the last annual meeting of stockholders to the date the new Outside Director joined the Board.

Under the Outside Director compensation program, the RSU awards granted to our Outside Directors are issued with “dividend equivalent” rights pursuant to the Company’s 2004 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2004 Equity Plan”), which was amended and approved by our stockholders in November 2013. The amendment allows the plan administrator to issue dividend equivalent rights with respect to RSUs, performance shares, performance units and deferred stock units. These dividend equivalent rights entitle the recipient to receive credits, payable in cash or additional shares of our Common Stock, equal to the cash dividends that would have been received on the shares of our Common Stock had the shares been issued and outstanding on the dividend record date. The dividend equivalents would only be paid to the recipient upon vesting or settlement of the underlying award (including satisfaction of any performance-vesting criteria associated with any performance-based awards).

Deferred Compensation

Each Outside Director is entitled to defer all or a portion of his or her cash retainers, pursuant to our Executive Deferred Savings Plan (“EDSP”), a nonqualified deferred compensation plan. Amounts credited to the EDSP may be allocated by the participant among a variety of investment funds. For further information regarding our EDSP, including the list of investment funds available under the EDSP during fiscal year 2015, please refer to the section of this Proxy Statement entitled “Nonqualified Deferred Compensation.” Of the current Outside Directors, only Messrs. Barnholt, Bond, Patel and Wang participated in the EDSP during fiscal year 2015, though none of them made new contributions during the fiscal year.

Matching Program

Since August 7, 2014, Outside Directors have been able to participate in a gift matching program, under which the KLA-Tencor Foundation will generally match, dollar-for-dollar, gifts by Outside Directors to qualifying tax-exempt educational institutions up to $10,000 per calendar year.

Stock Ownership Guidelines

We have adopted a policy, pursuant to which each Outside Director is expected to own a specified minimum number of shares of our Common Stock. Under our current policy, each Outside Director, once he or she has served as an Outside Director for at least four years, is expected to own shares of our Common Stock with a market value of at least four (4) times the standard annual cash retainer paid to the Outside Directors, as that retainer may be changed from time to time. In August 2014, our Board increased the stock ownership guidelines from three (3) times the standard annual cash retainer paid to the Outside Directors, effective October 1, 2014. Shares of Common Stock underlying outstanding RSUs held by the Directors count toward this ownership requirement. As of the Record Date, each of our current Outside Directors was in compliance with the stock ownership requirement then in effect.

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Director Compensation Table

The following table sets forth certain information regarding the compensation earned by or awarded to each Outside Director during fiscal year 2015 who served on our Board during the year.

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OUR CORPORATE GOVERNANCE PRACTICES

At KLA-Tencor, we believe that strong and effective corporate governance procedures and practices are an extremely important part of our corporate culture. In that spirit, we have summarized several of our corporate governance practices below.

Adopting and Maintaining Governance Standards

The Board has adopted, and regularly reviews and updates as necessary, a set of Corporate Governance Standards to establish a framework within which it will conduct its business and to guide management in its running of the Company. The governance standards, portions of which are summarized below, can be found on our website at http://ir.kla-tencor.com. We have posted information regarding our corporate governance procedures to help ensure the transparency of our practices.

Monitoring Board Effectiveness

It is important that our Board and its Committees are performing effectively and in the best interests of KLA-Tencor and our stockholders. The Board is responsible for annually assessing its effectiveness and the effectiveness of each of its Committees in fulfilling their respective obligations, and each Committee is responsible for reviewing the Board’s assessment of that Committee’s effectiveness. In addition, our Nominating and Governance Committee is charged with overseeing an annual review of the Board and its membership. The standard practice of the Board is that Outside Directors will not stand for re-election after reaching the age 75, and while Board members are elected for one (1) year terms, there is currently no limitation on the number of terms a Director may serve.

Conducting Formal Independent Director Sessions

At the conclusion of each regularly scheduled Board meeting, the independent Directors meet in executive session without KLA-Tencor management or any non-independent Directors.

Hiring Outside Advisors

The Board and each of its Committees may retain outside advisors and consultants of their choosing at our expense, without management’s consent.

Avoiding Conflicts of Interest

We expect our Directors, executives and employees to conduct themselves with the highest degree of integrity, ethics and honesty. Our credibility and reputation depend upon the good judgment, ethical standards and personal integrity of each Director, executive and employee. In order to provide assurances internally and to our stockholders, we have implemented Standards of Business Conduct that provide clear conflict of interest guidelines to our employees, as well as an explanation of reporting and investigatory procedures.

Communications with the Board

Stockholders may communicate with the Board by writing to us at KLA-Tencor Corporation, Attention: Investor Relations, One Technology Drive, Milpitas, California 95035. Stockholders who would like their submission directed to a member of the Board may so specify, and the communication will be forwarded, as appropriate.

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Standards of Business Conduct; Whistleblower Hotline and Website

The Board has adopted Standards of Business Conduct for all of our employees and Directors, including our principal executive and senior financial officers, and we have prepared and made available versions of our Standards of Business Conduct translated into Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), French, German, Hebrew, Japanese and Korean in an effort to maximize the accessibility and understandability of these important guidelines to our employees. You can obtain a copy of our Standards of Business Conduct via our website at http://ir.kla-tencor.com, or by making a written request to us at KLA-Tencor Corporation, Attention: Investor Relations, One Technology Drive, Milpitas, California 95035. We will disclose any amendment to the Standards of Business Conduct, or waiver of a provision thereof, on our website at the same address.

In addition, we have established a hotline and website for use by employees, as well as third parties such as vendors and customers, to report actual or suspected wrongdoing and to answer questions about business conduct. The hotline and website are both operated by an independent third party, which provides tools to enable individuals to submit reports in a number of different languages and, where permitted by law, on an anonymous basis.

Ensuring Auditor Independence

KLA-Tencor has taken a number of steps to ensure the continued independence of our outside auditors. Our independent auditors report directly to the Audit Committee, which also has the ability to pre-approve or reject any non-audit services proposed to be conducted by our outside auditors.

Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation

The Compensation Committee currently consists of Messrs. Kennedy (Chair), Barnholt, Dickson, Moore and Rango. None of these individuals was an officer or employee of KLA-Tencor at any time during fiscal year 2015 or at any other time. During fiscal year 2015, there was no instance where an executive officer of KLA-Tencor served as a member of the Board or compensation committee of any entity and an executive officer of that same entity served on our Board or Compensation Committee.

Stockholder Nominations to the Board

Please see “INFORMATION ABOUT THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND ITS COMMITTEES – Nominating and Governance Committee.”

Majority Vote Policy

Please see “INFORMATION ABOUT THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND ITS COMMITTEES – Nominating and Governance Committee – Majority Vote Policy.”

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PROPOSAL TWO:

RATIFICATION OF APPOINTMENT OF

PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS LLP AS OUR

INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 2016

Audit Committee Recommendation

The Audit Committee has the sole authority to retain or dismiss our independent auditors. The Audit Committee has selected PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, to audit our consolidated financial statements for our fiscal year ending June 30, 2016. Before making its determination, the Audit Committee carefully considered that firm’s qualifications as independent auditors.

The Board, following the Audit Committee’s determination, unanimously recommends that the stockholders vote for ratification of such appointment.

Although ratification by stockholders is not required by law, the Board has determined that it is desirable to request approval of this selection by the stockholders. If the stockholders do not ratify the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, the Audit Committee may reconsider its selection.

Attendance at the Annual Meeting

Representatives of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP are expected to be present at the Annual Meeting with the opportunity to make a statement if they desire to do so, and are expected to be available to respond to appropriate questions.

Fees

The aggregate fees billed by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, KLA-Tencor’s independent registered public accounting firm, in fiscal years 2015 and 2014 were as follows:

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Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures

The Audit Committee has adopted a policy regarding non-audit services provided by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. First, the policy ensures the independence of our auditors by expressly naming all services that the auditors may not perform and reinforcing the principle of independence regardless of the type of service. Second, certain non-audit services, such as tax-related services and acquisition advisory services, are permitted but limited in proportion to the audit fees paid. Third, the Audit Committee pre-approves non-audit services not specifically permitted under this policy (or subsequently approves such services in circumstances where a subsequent approval is necessary and permissible), and the Audit Committee reviews the annual plan and any subsequent engagements. All non-audit fees were approved by the Audit Committee pursuant to its pre-approval policies and procedures.

On a quarterly basis, management provides written updates to the Audit Committee with regard to audit and non-audit services, the amount of audit and non-audit service fees incurred to date, and the estimated cost to complete such services.

Independence Assessment by Audit Committee

Our Audit Committee considered and determined that the provision of the services provided by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as set forth herein is compatible with maintaining PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP’s independence and approved all non-audit related fees and services.

Vote Required and Recommendation

If a quorum is present and voting, the affirmative vote of the majority of Votes Cast is needed to ratify the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm, to audit our consolidated financial statements for our fiscal year ending June 30, 2016.

The Board unanimously recommends a vote “FOR” the ratification of the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2016.

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PROPOSAL THREE:

NON-BINDING, ADVISORY APPROVAL OF OUR NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICER

COMPENSATION

Background

The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010, or the Dodd-Frank Act, enables KLA-Tencor’s stockholders to vote to approve, on a non-binding advisory basis, the compensation of our Named Executive Officers (as that term is defined on Page 43 of this Proxy Statement) as disclosed in the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” section, the Summary Compensation Table and the other related tables and disclosures in this Proxy Statement. This vote is required pursuant to Section 14A of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The Board has determined, consistent with the feedback from our stockholders, that we will hold this vote every year, until the Board decides to hold the next advisory vote regarding the frequency of advisory votes on executive compensation.

As described in greater detail under the heading “Compensation Discussion and Analysis,” we seek to closely align the interests of our Named Executive Officers with the interests of our stockholders by focusing on a philosophy of “pay-for-performance.” Our compensation programs are designed to support our business goals and to promote both short-term and long-term financial and strategic achievement.

We urge stockholders to read the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” section of this Proxy Statement, which describes in more detail how our executive compensation policies and procedures operate and are designed to achieve our compensation objectives, and the Summary Compensation Table and other related compensation tables and disclosure in this Proxy Statement, which provide detailed information on the compensation of our Named Executive Officers. The Compensation Committee and the Board believe that the policies and procedures articulated in the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” are effective in achieving our goals and that the compensation of our Named Executive Officers as reported in this Proxy Statement has supported and contributed to our recent and long-term success.

Nature of Vote; Recommendation

This vote is advisory and therefore not binding on KLA-Tencor, our Board of Directors or the Compensation Committee. The vote on this resolution is not intended to address any specific element of compensation, but rather relates to the overall compensation of our Named Executive Officers, as described in this Proxy Statement in accordance with the compensation disclosure rules of the SEC.

Accordingly, we ask our stockholders to approve the following resolution at the Annual Meeting:

“RESOLVED, that KLA-Tencor Corporation’s stockholders approve, on an advisory basis, the compensation of the Named Executive Officers, as disclosed pursuant to Item 402 of Regulation S-K in the Company’s Proxy Statement for the 2015 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, pursuant to the compensation disclosure rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Compensation Discussion and Analysis, the Summary Compensation Table and the other related tables and disclosure.”

While this advisory vote on executive compensation is non-binding, the Board and the Compensation Committee value the opinion of KLA-Tencor’s stockholders and will carefully

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assess the voting results and consider the impact of such voting results on our compensation policies and decisions, as described in greater detail in the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” section of this Proxy Statement.

Vote Required

If a quorum is present and voting, the affirmative vote of the majority of Votes Cast is required for advisory approval of this proposal.

The Board unanimously recommends a vote “FOR” the approval, on a non-binding, advisory basis, of the compensation of our Named Executive Officers, as disclosed in this Proxy Statement.

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INFORMATION ABOUT EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

Set forth below are the names, ages and positions of the executive officers of KLA-Tencor as of the date of this Proxy Statement.

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SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT

Principal Stockholders

As of September 15, 2015, based on our review of filings made with the SEC, we are aware of the following entities being beneficial owners of more than 5% of our Common Stock:

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Directors, Nominees and Management

The following table sets forth the beneficial ownership of our Common Stock as of September 15, 2015 by all current Directors, each of the Named Executive Officers set forth in the Summary Compensation Table, and all current Directors and executive officers as a group. Except for shares held in brokerage accounts which may, from time to time, together with other securities held in those accounts, serve as collateral for margin loans made from those accounts, none of the shares reported as beneficially owned are currently pledged as security for any outstanding loan or indebtedness. Shares that, as of September 15, 2015, have not yet been issued under outstanding RSUs (and that are not scheduled to vest within 60 days after September 15, 2015) due to applicable performance or service-vesting requirements that have not yet been satisfied are not included in the table below, but are indicated in footnote 13 to the table:

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Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance

Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 requires our executive officers, Board members, and persons who own more than ten percent of a registered class of our equity securities to file reports of ownership and changes in ownership with the SEC, and such persons are also required by SEC regulations to furnish us with copies of all Section 16(a) forms they file. Based solely on our review of the copies of such forms received by us, we believe that during fiscal year 2015 all of our executive officers, Board members and greater than ten percent stockholders complied with all applicable Section 16(a) filing requirements, with the exception of a late Form 4 for Bobby R. Bell that was filed on May 1, 2015 in connection with the purchase of 67 shares of our Common Stock, which resulted from an automatic reinvestment of dividends paid on our Common Stock that was not authorized by Mr. Bell.

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EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION AND OTHER MATTERS

COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

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¹ For purposes of the chart below, the dollar value of the dividend equivalents associated with the special cash dividend of $16.50 per share with respect to the outstanding awards held by our CEO that have been accrued for at the end of June 30, 2015 is not included in our CEO’s compensation. The special cash dividend was declared in November 2014 and was accrued for pursuant to an equitable and proportionate adjustment approved by the Board and Compensation Committee for all awards (RSUs and stock options) that were then-outstanding under the 2004 Equity Plan, as required by the 2004 Equity Plan, which will be paid subject to the vesting requirements of the underlying awards.

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Overview: Our Commitment to Pay-for-Performance

The Compensation Committee has structured our executive compensation program to compensate our executive officers for performance and, over the long term, to provide compensation that is market competitive and supports our retention efforts.²

Fiscal Year 2015 Performance

Fiscal year 2015 was a solid year of performance for KLA-Tencor, fueled by close collaborations with customers and market leadership resulting from our significant investment in next-generation technology development and strong returns to stockholders.

Our fiscal year 2015 performance is highlighted by the following achievements:

² For purposes of this Compensation Discussion and Analysis section, references to the “Compensation Committee” include the Independent Board Members when discussing determinations of Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) compensation. The term “Independent Board Members” refers to all of the members of our Board other than our CEO and is the group that, after receiving recommendations regarding our CEO’s compensation from the Compensation Committee, approves all aspects of our CEO’s compensation.

³ For our fiscal year 2015 short-term incentive bonus plan, “operating margin percentage” is calculated for fiscal year 2015 as (a) the Company’s total revenues less total costs of revenues and operating expenses, including stock-based compensation charges, but excluding expenses related to acquisitions (such as deal-related amortization), restatement and restructuring related items, certain discrete tax items and debt extinguishment loss and recapitalization charges, divided by (b) the Company’s total revenues.

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Pay-for-Performance

We structure our executive compensation program each year so that a meaningful percentage of compensation is tied to the achievement of objectives that, at the time they are established, are considered challenging in light of anticipated market conditions.

Short-Term Incentive Bonus Plan:

We use Operating Margin Percentage as a key performance metric in our cash bonus plan, because we believe that it reflects a number of important competitive and business elements such as product acceptance, market share and cost discipline, and is therefore a very good barometer of our overall performance. Payouts under our cash bonus plan are also determined in part by a “balanced scorecard” rating awarded by the Compensation Committee, which is designed to measure the progress of the Company based on financial and non-financial metrics related to operational excellence, customer focus, growth and talent management, as well as individual performance multipliers assigned to each executive based on his or her contributions.

The payout formula under our fiscal year 2015 cash bonus plan was structured as follows:

Our fiscal year 2015 annual short-term incentive bonus plan was structured to pay out 100% of each executive’s target bonus amount if the Company successfully achieved its target level of performance. The Compensation Committee set the target Operating Margin Percentage at 28.0%, which was higher than the target for fiscal year 2014 (26%), and a level that it believed was challenging to achieve based on the Company’s performance in fiscal year 2014 (27.1%) and our outlook for fiscal year 2015 at the time the program was established. Our fiscal year 2015 Operating Margin Percentage was 25.3%, a level that was below the target. With respect to the balanced scorecard assessment, a scale of 1 to 5 is used, with “1” corresponding to “opportunity for improvement,” and “5” corresponding to “exceptional.” The Compensation Committee awarded the Company a balanced scorecard rating of “3” (“primarily meets expectations”), based on its assessment of the Company’s overall performance against its strategic goals during the fiscal year. That combination resulted in a funding, before individual multipliers, of 81.4% of target bonuses under the fiscal year 2015 annual short-term incentive bonus plan.

Long-Term Incentives – Performance Shares:

The Named Executive Officers’ fiscal year 2015 performance share awards are tied to the Company’s three-year free cash flow margin relative to its 23 compensation peer group companies. The Company’s free cash flow margin for fiscal years 2015, 2016 and 2017 will be

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calculated as the Company’s cumulative free cash flow (cash flow provided by operations, less capital expenditures), divided by cumulative revenues (“Relative Free Cash Flow Margin”), and that number will be compared against each company in the Company’s compensation peer group for the 12-quarter period ending on or before June 30, 2017. A determination will be made after the end of fiscal year 2017, based on the Company’s percentile performance against its compensation peer group, regarding the percentage of the fiscal year 2015 performance shares that have been earned.

Performance-Focused Structure and Results:

To illustrate our pay-for-performance philosophy, the following charts reflect the portion of our Named Executive Officers’ actual fiscal year 2015 compensation represented by each of the major elements of our compensation program⁴:

CEO Pay Mix – Fiscal Year 2015 (Actual)		All Other NEOs Pay Mix – Fiscal Year 2015 (Actual)

Investor Outreach and Recent Changes to Our Executive Compensation Program

Investor feedback is very important to us as we annually review and update our executive compensation program. Company management regularly engages in discussions with our stockholders, including teleconferences and face-to-face meetings, to solicit input from investors regarding our executive compensation practices and business strategies.

We also consider the results of our stockholder “say on pay” advisory vote when structuring our executive compensation program. At our 2014 annual meeting of stockholders, approximately 99% of the votes cast in the “say on pay” advisory vote were “FOR” approval of our executive compensation.

⁴ For purposes of the charts below: (a) the fiscal year 2015 short-term incentive bonus amounts are included at the actual amount earned for the year, (b) the fiscal year 2015 performance share awards are included at their target grant date fair value (i.e., not their maximum earnable amount), assuming that such awards will be earned at target, (c) the fiscal year 2015 service-based RSUs are included at their grant date fair value, and (d) the dollar value of the dividend equivalents associated with the special cash dividend of $16.50 per share with respect to the outstanding awards held by our Named Executive Officers that have been accrued for at the end of June 30, 2015 or paid during fiscal year 2015 is not included in our Named Executive Officers’ compensation. For additional details related to the special cash dividend, refer to footnote 1 above.

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As noted above, we continually review all elements of our executive compensation program. After considering investor feedback, as well as commentary issued by various institutional advisors and trends in the marketplace, we retained all of our long-term incentive features in our fiscal year 2015 program, including:

We believe this program design strengthens the important connection between pay and performance that has been a feature of KLA-Tencor’s historical compensation structure, while also being responsive to investor feedback.

Elements of Executive Compensation

The primary elements of our executive compensation program are base salary, an annual short-term incentive bonus plan and long-term incentives.

Base Salary:

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The Compensation Committee annually reviews the base salaries of the executive officers as part of its overall compensation review, and considers the competitive market analysis of the Company’s compensation peer group companies each year in determining whether to make an adjustment to the base salary for each Named Executive Officer.

For fiscal year 2015, the Compensation Committee approved the base salaries set forth in the table below. In the case of Mr. Wallace, his base salary remained unchanged from fiscal year 2014, and in the case of the other Named Executive Officers, their base salaries were increased from fiscal year 2014 in order to ensure that their total cash compensation opportunities remained competitive with similarly situated officers of the Company’s compensation peer group companies.

Short-Term Incentive Bonus Plan: