Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This proxy statement contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking statements. You can identify these and other forward-looking statements by the use of words such as “may,” “will,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “expects,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “relies,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “intends,” “potential,” “continues,” “thinks,” “seeks,” or the negative of such terms, or other comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements also include the assumptions underlying or relating to any of the foregoing statements. Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and assumptions, which are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements, including unexpected delays, difficulties, and expenses in executing against our environmental, climate, diversity and inclusion or other Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) targets, goals and commitments outlined in this document, including, but not limited to, our efforts to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, as well as changes in laws or regulations affecting us, such as changes in cybersecurity, data privacy, environmental, safety and health laws, and other risks as disclosed in our most recent annual report on Form 10-K and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, and we expressly assume no obligation and do not intend to update the forward-looking statements in this report after the date hereof. In addition, some of the statements contained in this proxy statement may rely on third-party information and projections that management believes to be reputable; however, we do not independently verify or audit this information, and any inaccuracies or deviations in such information and projections may materially impact our ability to execute on our strategy, achieve our goals, or otherwise adversely impact our business.

This proxy statement contains ESG-related statements based on hypothetical scenarios and assumptions as well as estimates that are subject to a high level of uncertainty, and these statements should not necessarily be viewed as being representative of current or actual risk or performance, or forecasts of expected risk or performance. In addition, historical, current, and forward-looking environmental and social-related statements may be based on standards for measuring progress that are still developing, and internal controls and processes that continue to evolve. Forward-looking and other statements in this report may also address our corporate responsibility and sustainability progress, plans, and goals, and the inclusion of such statements is not an indication that these matters are necessarily material for the purposes of complying with or reporting pursuant to the U.S. federal securities laws and regulations, even if we use the word “material” or “materiality” in this report. Certain of our disclosures are informed by various third-party frameworks, in addition to stakeholder expectations. However, we cannot guarantee strict adherence to framework recommendations, and our disclosures based on these frameworks may change due to revisions in framework requirements, availability of information, changes in our business or applicable governmental policy, or other factors, some of which may be beyond our control. In addition, non-financial information, such as that included in parts of this proxy statement, is subject to greater potential limitations than financial information, given the methods used for calculating or estimating such information. Historical, current, and forward-looking environmental and social-related statements are also based on standards and metrics, as well as standards for the preparation of any underlying data for those metrics, that are still developing and internal controls and processes that continue to evolve. For example, we note that standards and expectations regarding greenhouse gas (GHG) accounting and the processes for measuring and counting GHG emissions and GHG emission reductions are evolving, and it is possible that our approaches both to measuring our emissions and to reducing emissions and measuring those reductions may be, either currently by some stakeholders or at some point future, considered inconsistent with common or best practices with respect to measuring and accounting for such matters, and reducing overall emissions. While these are based on expectations and assumptions believed to be reasonable at the time of preparation, they should not be considered guarantees. If our approaches to such matters are perceived fall out of step with common or best practice, we may be subject to additional scrutiny, criticism, regulatory and investor engagement or litigation, any of which may adversely impact our business, financial condition, or results of operations. Separately, the standards and performance metrics used, and the expectations and assumptions they are based on, have not, unless otherwise expressly specified, been verified by us or any third party.

Website references throughout this document are provided for convenience only, and the content on the referenced websites is not incorporated by reference into this document.

 | 2023 Proxy Statement

i

Notice of Annual Meeting of

    Stockholders

September 21, 2023

To our stockholders:

YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT    

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “Annual Meeting”) of KLA Corporation (“KLA,” “we,” “us,” “our” or the “Company”), a Delaware corporation, will be held on Wednesday, November 1, 2023, at 12:00 p.m. PDT, in the Plus Building of our Milpitas headquarters, located at One 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 8, 2023, are entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the Annual Meeting and any adjournment or postponement thereof. A complete list of such stockholders will be open to the examination of any stockholder for a period of ten days prior to the Annual Meeting for a purpose germane to the Annual Meeting at the Company’s offices at One Technology Drive, Milpitas, California 95035.

For admission to the Annual Meeting, stockholders should come to the stockholder check-in table. Those who hold shares of our common stock in their own names should provide identification and have their ownership verified against the list of registered stockholders as of the close of business on the record date, September 8, 2023. Those who have beneficial ownership of stock through a broker, bank or other nominee must bring account statements or letters from the broker, bank or other nominee indicating that they owned our common stock as of the close of business on the record date, September 8, 2023. To vote at the meeting, those who have beneficial ownership of stock through a broker, bank or other nominee must bring a legal proxy, which can be obtained only from the broker, bank or other nominee.

		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 made available electronically and mailed on or about September 21, 2023.

 | 2023 Proxy Statement

ii | Table of Contents

Table of Contents

 | 2023 Proxy Statement

iii

 | 2023 Proxy Statement

1

Proxy Summary

This summary does not contain all of the information you should consider when casting your vote. You should read the complete Proxy Statement before voting.

ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

Time and Date   12:00 p.m. PDT November 1, 2023

Place   One Technology Drive, Milpitas, California 95035

Record Date   Close of business on September 8, 2023

STOCKHOLDER VOTING MATTERS

Proposal

Board’s Voting Recommendation

Page Reference

Election of 10 Directors Named in this Proxy Statement

FOR Each Nominee

4

Ratification of Appointment of our Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

FOR

30

Advisory Vote to Approve Named Executive Officer Compensation

FOR

32

Frequency of Future Stockholder Votes to Approve our Named Executive Officer Compensation

FOR Every Annual Meeting

79

Approval of our 2023 Incentive Award Plan

FOR

80

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2  | Proxy Summary

OUR DIRECTORS

Nominee and Principal Occupation

Director Since

Current Other Public Company Boards

Committees*

Independent

Age

AC

CTC

NGC

Robert Calderoni Former Chairman and Interim President and Chief Executive Officer of Citrix Systems, Inc.

Yes

63

2007

Ansys, Inc.

🌑

Chair

Jeneanne Hanley Former Senior Vice President and President of E-Systems Division of Lear Corporation

Yes

50

2019

QuantumScape Corporation

🌑

Emiko Higashi Founder of Tohmon Capital Partners, LLC

Yes

64

2010

Takeda Pharmaceutical Company  Rambus, Inc.

🌑

Kevin Kennedy Chairman of Quanergy Systems, Inc.

Yes

67

2007

Digital Realty Trust, Inc.  Quanergy Systems, Inc.

🌑

🌑

Michael McMullen President and Chief Executive Officer of Agilent Technologies, Inc.

Yes

61

2023

Agilent Technologies, Inc.

🌑

Gary Moore Former Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of ServiceSource International, Inc.

Yes

74

2014

None

Chair

🌑

Marie Myers Chief Financial Officer of HP, Inc.

Yes

55

2020

F5 Networks, Inc.

Chair

🌑

Kiran Patel** Former Executive Vice President and General Manager, Small Business Group of Intuit, Inc.

Yes

75

2008

None

🌑

Victor Peng President, Adaptive, Embedded, and AI Group of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.

Yes

63

2019

None

🌑

Robert Rango Former President and Chief Executive Officer of Enevate Corporation

Yes

65

2014

Keysight Technologies, Inc.  Microchip Technology, Inc.

🌑

Richard Wallace President and Chief Executive Officer of KLA Corporation

No

63

2006

Splunk, Inc.

* As of September 8, 2023

** Mr. Patel is not standing for re-election at the Annual Meeting

AC = Audit Committee                 CTC = Compensation and Talent Committee                 NGC = Nominating and Governance Committee

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3

GOVERNANCE HIGHLIGHTS

* The information in this table reflects only the directors nominated

Fiscal Year 2023

    Performance Highlights

(Dollars in thousands)

 | 2023 Proxy Statement

4  | Proposal One: Election of Directors

Proposal One: Election of

    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.

Information regarding the business experience, qualifications, attributes and skills of each nominee is provided below under the section entitled “Nominees for Election at the 2023 Annual Meeting.”

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

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

Robert Calderoni;				Gary Moore;
Jeneanne Hanley;				Marie Myers;
Emiko Higashi;				Victor Peng;
Kevin Kennedy;				Robert Rango; and
Michael McMullen;				Richard Wallace.

If elected, each nominee will serve as a director for a one-year term expiring at our 2024 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

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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5

Information About the

    Board of Directors and its

    Committees

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Our Board held a total of four meetings during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023. All directors other than Mr. Wallace are independent within the meaning of the NASDAQ Stock Market director independence standards.

The Board has three standing committees: the Audit Committee, the Compensation and Talent 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.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, 2023, each of the incumbent directors attended at least 75% of the aggregate of the total number of meetings (a) of the Board held during the period for which such person served as a director and (b) 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 of the directors serving on our Board at the time attended last year’s annual meeting of stockholders.

Board Leadership Structure

KLA currently separates the positions of Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board. Since November 2022, Robert Calderoni, 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 and Talent Committee, a formal evaluation of the Chief Executive Officer in the context of compensation reviews.

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 KLA 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 our needs and the Board’s assessment of our leadership from time to time. Our Corporate Governance Standards provide that, in the event the Chairman of the Board is not an independent Director, the independent members of the Board will designate a “lead independent director.”

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

 | 2023 Proxy Statement

6  | Information about the Board of Directors and its Committees

management’s appetite for risk and its determination of what constitutes an appropriate level of risk for KLA. In addition, the Board periodically conducts a comprehensive review of our overall risk environment and 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, cybersecurity and other operating risks.

While our Board is ultimately responsible for risk oversight, 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, and cybersecurity, but its charter also provides that the Audit Committee will discuss at least annually KLA’s risk assessment, enterprise risk management processes and major financial risk 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 and Talent Committee oversees risks related to our compensation and human capital policies and practices, and our Nominating and Governance Committee oversees governance-related risks, such as Board independence, environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) matters, conflicts of interest and 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 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, global operations, internal audit, procurement, and risk and compliance teams. This council reports to our Chief Executive Officer and has oversight of the various risk assessment, monitoring and controls processes across the Company.

The ten nominees currently serve on the committees of the Board indicated in the following table:

AUDIT COMMITTEE

Current Members: Kevin Kennedy, Marie Myers (Chair), Kiran Patel and Robert Rango.

Meetings Held During Fiscal Year 2023: 8

Primary Responsibilities: The Audit Committee is responsible for appointing and overseeing the work of our independent registered public accounting firm, reviewing cybersecurity initiatives, 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, the head of our Internal Audit function, who is supervised by our Chief Financial Officer, formally reports to 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 under the rules and regulations of the SEC, and has no material relationship with KLA (including any relationship that, in the opinion of the Board, would interfere with the exercise of independent judgment as a director) outside of their service on the Board and its committees.

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7

The Board has determined that each of Messrs. Kennedy and Patel and Ms. Myers is an “audit committee financial expert” within the meaning of the rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC.

Following the Annual Meeting, Ms. Myers will remain the Audit Committee Chair.

COMPENSATION AND TALENT COMMITTEE

Current Members: Robert Calderoni, Jeneanne Hanley, Emiko Higashi, Gary Moore (Chair) and Victor Peng.

Meetings Held During Fiscal Year 2023: 6

Primary Responsibilities: The Compensation and Talent Committee reviews and either approves or recommends to the Board (depending upon the compensation plan and the executive involved) our executive compensation policies and programs and administers our employee equity award plans. The Compensation and Talent 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. The Compensation and Talent Committee also reviews our human capital initiatives. See “Compensation Discussion and Analysis—Compensation and Talent Committee Decision Making-Approval Procedures Overview and Market Data” for more information concerning the procedures and processes the Compensation and Talent 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 and Talent Committee meets the independence requirements (including the heightened requirements for Compensation and Talent Committee members) of NASDAQ and under the rules and regulations of the SEC, and has no material relationship with KLA (including any relationship that, in the opinion of the Board, would interfere with the exercise of independent judgment as a director) outside of their service on the Board and its committees.

Following the Annual Meeting, Mr. Moore will remain the Compensation and Talent Committee Chair.

Risk Considerations in Our Compensation Programs

Our management conducted an extensive review and analysis of the design and operation of KLA’s compensation practices, policies and programs for all employees, including our NEOs (as that term is defined elsewhere in this Proxy Statement), to assess the risks associated with those practices, policies and programs. Our Compensation and Talent 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 and Talent Committee do not believe our compensation program encourages excessive or inappropriate risk-taking for the following reasons:

		Our use of different types of compensation provides a balance of short-term and long-term incentives with fixed and variable components;
		Our equity awards (including awards of performance-based restricted stock units (“PRSUs”), to the extent earned) typically vest over a four-year period, encouraging participants to look to long-term appreciation in equity values;
		The metrics used to determine the amount of a participant’s bonus under our incentive bonus plans and the number of shares earnable under PRSUs focus on Company-wide measures such as Operating Margin Dollars and relative free cash flow margin, metrics that the Compensation and Talent Committee believes encourage the generation of profitable revenue and drive long-term stockholder value;
		Our bonus plans impose caps on bonus awards to limit windfalls;
		Our system of internal control over financial reporting, Standards of Business Conduct and whistleblower processes, among other things, are intended to reduce the likelihood of manipulation of our financial performance to enhance payments under our performance-based compensation plans; and
		Our insider trading policy provides that our employees may not enter into hedging transactions involving our common stock (“Common Stock”), in an effort to prevent employees who receive equity awards from insulating themselves from the effects of changes in our stock price.

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8  | Information about the Board of Directors and its Committees

NOMINATING AND GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE

Current Members: Robert Calderoni (Chair), Kevin Kennedy, Gary Moore, Marie Myers and Kiran Patel.

Meetings Held During Fiscal Year 2023: 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, and monitors our ESG initiatives.

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 (including any relationship that, in the opinion of the Board, would interfere with the exercise of independent judgment as a director) outside of their service on the Board and its committees.

Following the Annual Meeting, Mr. Calderoni will remain the Nominating and Governance Committee Chair.

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, background, diversity, 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 Corporate Secretary in writing of their intent to do so and provide us with certain information set forth in Article II, Section Eleven 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 (the “Exchange Act”), 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 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’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 considers candidates who have demonstrated executive

 | 2023 Proxy Statement

9

experience or significant high-level experience in accounting, finance or a technical field or industry applicable to KLA. 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 include strength of character, mature judgment, career specialization and the extent to which the candidate would fill a present need on the Board. In addition, with every candidate search, the Board considers the value of diversity and inclusion, and actively seeks candidates who will enhance the diversity and inclusiveness of 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 nominating Mr. McMullen to the Board, the Nominating and Governance Committee had the assistance of an executive search firm which provided a list of potential candidates having the skill set, background and qualifications for a director sought by the Board.

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 backgrounds, 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’s needs evolve and change over time.

In evaluating director candidates, including incumbent directors for re-nomination 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:

		Current or former executives who demonstrate strong leadership qualities and possess significant operating experience that together enable them to contribute practical business advice to the Board and management, strategies regarding change and risk management, and valuable insight into developing, implementing and assessing our operating plan and business strategy;
		A deep understanding of the key issues relevant to technology companies, including specific knowledge regarding the semiconductor industry, which is vital in understanding and reviewing our business goals and challenges, as well as our product development and acquisition strategies;
		Substantial international experience, which is particularly important given our global presence and the international nature of our customer base;
		An understanding of finance and related reporting processes. In the case of members of our Audit Committee, we seek individuals with demonstrated financial expertise with which to evaluate our financial statements and capital structure;
		Corporate governance experience obtained from service as Board members and/or executives for other publicly traded companies, which we believe results in a greater sense of accountability for management and the Board and enhanced protection of stockholder interests; and
		A diverse background and viewpoint, including diversity with respect to race, ethnicity, gender, thought and areas of expertise.

 | 2023 Proxy Statement

10  | Information about the Board of Directors and its Committees

Director Nominee Skills Matrix

Director Nominee Skills Matrix (as of September 8, 2023)

Public Company. Experience with reporting obligations, investor interaction, corporate securities rules, and public company governance.

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Global Business. Broad exposure to companies or organizations having a significant global presence, including developing and managing business in markets around the world, communicating in different cultures, and understanding different geopolitical situations.

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Corporate Governance. Adhering to bylaws and charters; experience in setting and adhering to corporate governance agenda for a board of directors; knowledge and understanding of governance planning, implementation and review processes; experience in encouraging management accountability and protecting stockholder interests.

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Corporate Financing/Capital Allocation. Experience in making capital allocation decisions; experience in financing or capital markets transactions.

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Financial Expertise/Literacy. Experience in accounting or financial reporting, including understanding of internal controls; experience in overseeing such reporting and controls.

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Information Services and Technology. Experience, knowledge and understanding of information services industry; significant experience with technology, science and innovation; basic knowledge of various IT solutions, experience in overseeing the implementation of such solutions and using such solutions to improve business performance; particular experience with social media and developing online platforms.

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Legal/Public/Regulatory. Expertise in compliance with applicable governmental regulations; experience in legal and regulatory matters, corporate compliance and ethics policies; experience in managing the effects of government policies and regulations.

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Risk Management. Experience in the management of critical business and/or legal risk; understanding of risk management functions, including risk profiles and appetite statements, scenario planning, crisis management, risk identification/classification and similar functions; history of leadership roles in risk management across a number of organizations; ability to think strategically about risk across several organizations; ability to provide oversight and advice relating to risk.

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Business Operations. Experience managing supply chain risk and functionality; operating within and through economic cycles; ramping up and ramping down significant employee base; appropriate staffing decisions across numerous functions and operational channels.

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Business Development and Strategic Planning. Superior knowledge and understanding of business development, strategic planning, implementation, and review processes; experience in leading strategy discussion at the board level; experience in strategy development with more than one organization; strategic agenda-setting experience; experience with developing and implementing strategies for growth and/or downsizing, including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and divestitures.

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Human Resource, Executive Compensation and Talent Management. Broad experience in executive development, performance, and compensation; experience with HR processes and strategies and efforts to attract, motivate, and retain candidates for key positions; experience in talent development, including developing diversity, equity, and inclusion in workforce.

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Cybersecurity/Data Privacy. Experience in overseeing and managing cybersecurity and data privacy risks; history of leadership roles in cybersecurity risk management; degrees, certifications, or other background in cybersecurity.

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Industry. Experience in the semiconductor industry; perspective and knowledge of semiconductor-related information, including insight into the industry’s challenges and opportunities.

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 | 2023 Proxy Statement

11

Board Diversity Matrix

The Board Diversity Matrix below depicts the gender and ethnic composition of our Board 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. Below is 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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NOMINEES FOR ELECTION AT THE 2023 ANNUAL MEETING

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DIRECTOR COMPENSATION

Our Fiscal Year 2023 Director Compensation Program

Non-employee members of the Board (“Outside Directors”) receive a combination of equity and cash compensation as approved by the Compensation and Talent Committee (or, in the case of the compensation of the Chairman of the Board, as recommended by the Compensation and Talent Committee and approved by the Board). Equity compensation to Outside Directors is provided under our 2004 Equity Incentive Plan, which has been approved by our stockholders. Retainers and committee fees are paid in quarterly cash installments (unless the applicable director elects to defer such cash payments, as described below). The following table presents the key features of our fiscal year 2023 Outside Director compensation program:

Members of the Board 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 RSU award will be granted at the time or 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 our 2004 Equity Incentive Plan. Dividend equivalent rights entitle the recipient to receive credits, payable in cash, equal to the cash dividends that would have been received on the shares of our Common Stock had the shares subject to the RSUs been issued and outstanding on the dividend record date. The dividend equivalents are only payable to the recipient upon vesting and settlement of the underlying award.

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We have had in effect since 2008 a policy of providing prorated vesting acceleration of RSUs held by Outside Directors who are in good standing, whose service on the Board terminates before their RSUs are vested and who, at the time of termination, have served on the Board for six years.

In fiscal year 2024, the standard annual cash retainer for Outside Directors other than the Chairman of the Board was increased from $90,000 to $100,000 and the annual cash retainer for the Chairman of the Board was increased from $130,000 to $155,000. In addition, the market value of the standard RSU award granted to Outside Directors other than the Chairman of the Board was increased from $220,000 to $235,000. The market value of the standard RSU award granted to the Chairman of the Board remains at $290,000 for fiscal year 2024.

Deferred Compensation

Each Outside Director is entitled to defer all or a portion of his or her cash retainer 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 2023, please refer to the section of this Proxy Statement entitled “Compensation Discussion and Analysis - Nonqualified Deferred Compensation.” Of the current Outside Directors, only Ms. Myers and Mr. Patel participated in the EDSP during fiscal year 2023, though only Ms. Myers made new contributions during the fiscal year.

Matching Program

Since August 2014, Outside Directors have been able to participate in a gift matching program, under which the KLA Foundation will generally match, dollar-for-dollar, gifts by Outside Directors to qualifying tax-exempt 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 five (5) times the standard annual cash retainer paid to the Outside Directors. Shares of Common Stock underlying outstanding RSUs held by the directors count toward this ownership requirement.

The table below sets forth as of September 8, 2023, the compliance with our stock ownership guidelines by the eight Outside Directors who have served for at least four years. Value is based on the closing price of our Common Stock on June 30, 2023 ($485.02). Ratio is equal to value divided by annual cash retainer.

(1) Consists of: (i) shares owned, including shares indirectly owned by the Outside Directors through living trusts, and (ii) RSUs.

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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 2023. The table below does not include Mr. McMullen who became an Outside Director following the completion of fiscal year 2023:

(1) The amounts set forth in this column represent cash fees earned by each Outside Director during fiscal year 2023, regardless of whether the fees were actually paid during the fiscal year.

(2) The amounts shown represent the aggregate grant date fair value of RSUs awarded to each Outside Director during fiscal year 2023, computed in accordance with the provisions of Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification Topic 718, referred to in this Proxy Statement as ASC 718 (except that the fair values set forth above have not been reduced by the Company’s estimated forfeiture rate). The ASC 718 grant date fair value of each RSU award was calculated based on the fair market value of our Common Stock on the award date. For further discussion regarding the assumptions used in calculating the grant date fair value for RSUs, please refer to Note 1 to the Company’s consolidated financial statements in Item 8 of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023, filed with the SEC on August 4, 2023.

On November 2, 2022, each Outside Director then in office was granted an RSU award for 704 shares of our Common Stock (other than Mr. Calderoni who, as Chairman of the Board, received an RSU award for 928 shares, as described above under the heading “Our Fiscal Year 2023 Director Compensation Program”). The following table shows, for each Outside Director, the aggregate number of unvested shares of our Common Stock underlying all outstanding RSUs held by that Outside Director then in office as of June 30, 2023:

(3) As noted above, of the current Outside Directors, only Ms. Myers and Mr. Patel participated in our EDSP during fiscal year 2023. We have concluded that, because the EDSP earnings correspond to the actual market earnings on a select group of investment funds available under the EDSP, no portion of the Outside Directors’ earnings under the EDSP is “above market” or “preferential.” Accordingly, we do not report any portion of the Outside Directors’ earnings under the EDSP in the Director Compensation Table. The investment earnings (loss) under the EDSP during fiscal year 2023 for the Outside Directors who participated in the EDSP were as follows: (a) Ms. Myers: $50,095; and (b) Mr. Patel: $42,327.

(4) Represents dividend equivalents paid upon the vesting of RSUs during fiscal year 2023.

(5) Mr. Barnholt served as an Outside Director through November 2, 2022.

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Our Corporate Governance

    Practices

At KLA, 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.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 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 of 75. However, upon the recommendation of the Nominating and Governance Committee, the Board may nominate director candidates who have reached the age of 75, if it determines that doing so is in the best interest of the Company. Board members are elected for one-year terms, and 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 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, executive officers 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 officer 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 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), Dutch, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, 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.com, or by making a written request to us at KLA Corporation, Attention: Investor Relations, One Technology Drive, Milpitas, California 95035. We will make any required disclosures regarding amendments to, or waivers from, the Standards of Business Conduct 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

We have taken a number of steps to ensure the continued independence of our outside auditors. Our independent registered public accounting firm reports directly to the Audit Committee, which also has the ability to pre-approve or reject any non-audit services proposed to be conducted by the firm.

COMPENSATION AND TALENT COMMITTEE INTERLOCKS AND INSIDER PARTICIPATION

During all or a portion of fiscal year 2023, Messrs. Barnholt, Calderoni, Moore and Peng and Mses. Hanley and Higashi served on the Compensation and Talent Committee. None of these individuals was an officer or employee of KLA at any time during fiscal year 2023 or at any other time. During fiscal year 2023, there was no instance in which an executive officer of KLA served as a member of the board of directors or compensation committee of any entity and an executive officer of that same entity served on our Board or Compensation and Talent 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.”

STOCKHOLDER OUTREACH

During the year, we engage with our stockholders to better understand their views on matters they consider important, which varies by stockholder, but usually includes topics such as: agenda items for the annual meeting of stockholders; Board composition; business performance and strategy; corporate governance; and environmental, social and human capital management. We typically commence our outreach activities following the filing of our proxy statement. Stockholder outreach is led by our investor relations team, but often includes members of management, our legal and compliance team and occasionally one or more members of our Board. Stockholder concerns expressed in this outreach are summarized and communicated to the Board or one of its committees. Similar to previous years, during outreach sessions, certain stockholders generally expressed a desire to see more disclosure on our website regarding ESG matters. In 2023, we published our third global impact report covering our ESG strategy and the foundation of that strategy.

INSIDER TRADING POLICY

We have adopted a policy on insider trading and unauthorized disclosures that govern the purchase, sale, and other dispositions of our securities by our directors, officers, and employees that are reasonably designed to promote compliance with insider trading laws, rules, and regulations, and the listing standards of the NASDAQ Stock Market. Our policy on insider trading and unauthorized disclosures is filed as Exhibit 19.1 to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023.

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Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)

KLA is built on a foundation of innovative spirit and perseverance—traits we believe are essential to solving tough challenges. Our high-performance teams tackle difficult problems with the belief that our collective creativity and intellect will deliver on our customers’ goals. This past year was no exception, and despite a series of global challenges in the second half of 2022, we advanced our ESG goals, with a sustained focus on progress, people and partnerships. While KLA’s core approach to business has long included a focus on continuous innovation for the greater good, in 2020, we centralized our ESG activities under the leadership of an enterprise-wide ESG Steering Committee. This committee comprises leaders from across the business who create and drive strategies, cross-functional programs, and initiatives to achieve our ESG goals. To promote dialogue between management and the Board for engagement and prioritization of ESG issues, the ESG Steering Committee receives oversight from the Nominating and Governance Committee. The Nominating and Governance Committee is responsible for monitoring KLA’s policies, programs and results related to environmental stewardship, corporate citizenship, human rights, and other social and public matters of significance to KLA and regularly receives updates from and engages with management. ESG oversight was added to the Nominating and Governance Committee’s charter in 2021, in response to input from our stakeholders.

ADVANCING STEWARDSHIP

KLA is focused on responding to the climate challenges facing our world. In addition to the climate goals we announced for our global operations in 2022, we are working to make the microprocessor manufacturing process more efficient (and thus sustainable) through our core business, creating new products and services that can help companies reduce waste, conserve natural resources and reduce their environmental footprint.

We have made important strides in updating and improving our greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory baseline and achieving limited third-party verification across Scopes 1, 2 and 3 of our inventory including renewable energy use. We have also announced that we are submitting our climate goals to the Science Based Target Initiative (SBTi) including a quantifiable Scope 3 reduction target alongside our existing Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions goals and are continuing to challenge ourselves to find new ways to fulfill our mission of being positive stewards and living our values.

Climate and energy:

We are taking action through our climate goals—reducing Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 50% by 2030 (from 2021 baseline) and achieving net zero Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2050—building on our previously announced goal of using 100% renewable energy by 2030. As reported in our 2022 Global Impact Report, we are on track toward achieving these goals.

Highlights:

		Since 2018, we have continued to increase our procurement of electricity from carbon-free sources across our global operations year-over-year. In 2022, 55% of our electricity was sourced from renewable energy sources.

		In 2021 and 2022, KLA conducted in-depth climate risk and opportunity assessments following the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD).

		In 2022, we completed our first limited third-party verification of GHG inventory that extended across Scopes 1, 2 and 3 including the use of sold products.

		Regarding Scope 3 emissions, we have developed a quantifiable emissions target which is being submitted for verification by the Science Based Target Initiative (SBTi) alongside our existing Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions goals.

		In 2022, we developed a strategy to engage our suppliers on their climate impacts. Beginning in 2023, we are engaging select suppliers to begin their ESG journey with KLA by disclosing key metrics and working toward climate goals covering their emissions.

Materials and waste:

KLA strives to reduce waste generation across our sites and support our customers in their responsible material management efforts. Within our ISO certified systems, KLA commits to pollution prevention, which begins with understanding the impact and cost of the waste generated by our business and taking steps to reduce our impact. We are committed to continuously improving our use of materials and reducing waste across our sites. Millions of pounds of recyclable materials have been diverted away from local landfills as a result of these efforts. Each KLA site has programs in place to achieve these objectives, from waste diversion processes in manufacturing to encouraging recycling and composting in our dining areas and breakrooms.

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Highlights:

		On a normalized per-headcount basis, our total waste per person improved from 258.2 kgs in 2021 to 247.6 kgs in 2022.

		Published a global waste and water policy.

Water management:

Water is a shared natural resource that is vital to KLA and its surrounding communities. We acknowledge our role in stewarding local water resources and strive to adopt innovative approaches across our locations to reduce our water usage and reliance on sources of fresh water. Just as we help our customers reduce their water usage, KLA aims to improve water conservation at our own manufacturing sites, with emphasis in locations facing water scarcity and drought conditions.

Highlights:

		Municipal water usage improved on a normalized per-headcount basis from 6,404 gallons per person in 2021 to 5,884 gallons per person in 2022.

		We completed a water risk assessment for our Super Sites using the Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas and WWF Water Risk Filter. We performed this analysis to determine which of our water-intensive sites may be exposed to near-term and long-term water-related risks. The assessment will guide future efforts to identify and implement water reduction initiatives at sites identified to be at risk of water stress.

ADVANCING OPPORTUNITY

We believe our impact is powered by our people. That is why we embrace our responsibility to lead through exceptional training programs and professional development and making sure our employees feel included, safe, healthy and empowered to bring their full selves to work.

Inclusion and diversity:

At KLA, Inclusion & Diversity (I&D) is a shared aspiration, commitment and responsibility—and a direct expression of our core values. We celebrate the diversity of our employees, customers and partners, and we are committed to fostering a culture of conscious inclusion.

Highlights:

		KLA ranked 38th out of 400 companies on the Forbes “World’s Top Female-Friendly Companies 2022” list.

		In 2022, as part of our Inclusion for All campaign, we strengthened our I&D trainings to promote inclusive behavior. We conducted over 20 employee training sessions focused on inclusive leadership, identity and belonging and unconscious bias and increased our reach globally.

		To strengthen our culture of inclusion, we continue to increase the number of employee resource groups at our sites. These are voluntary groups of employees who have a common interest in helping KLA achieve its inclusion and diversity goals.

		Demonstrating our commitment to creating a more diverse workforce, KLA signed the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion™ pledge and joined the Alliance for Global Inclusion in 2022.

		We continue to prioritize I&D as a key focus area of the KLA Foundation, focusing on our mission to advance humanity by investing in our communities to help create a more equitable, inclusive and accessible world. We aligned our strategic pillars of education, wellness and community enrichment with six of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, including 4-Quality Education, 5-Gender Equality and 10-Reduced Inequities.

		At KLA, we value I&D throughout our organization and supply chain. We are working to grow an inclusive and diverse global supply chain, that drives innovation and partners with us in advancing humanity through KLA technologies and services.

Talent development:

Our competitive advantage is our people and the technology they develop, so we invest in KLA’s future by fully supporting their personal and professional growth. Our talent development programs focus on developing the unique attributes of our employees through comprehensive training offerings, employee engagement programs, and health and wellness activities.

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Highlights:

		KLA has been included in Training Magazine’s Top 10 Hall of Fame for the past 16 years.

		We support continued learning through tuition reimbursement. Through our partnerships with Stanford University and the University of Michigan, employees can pursue advanced degrees in engineering that are customized for KLA and the skills/competencies required to support our customers.

		Our Corporate Learning Center offers extensive training programs that are among the best in the technology industry.

		In 2022, we achieved a 79% internal rate of promotion at the VP level, which is a testament to our efforts in promoting internal mobility.

		In 2022, 68 leaders participated in our Enterprise Leadership Program, a comprehensive, two-year management training program that provides robust succession planning to prepare KLA employees to fill future leadership roles.

Health and safety:

Our employees are the lifeblood of our business. That is why their health and safety are always our priority.

Highlights:

		In 2022, we continued to expand and enhance our health and safety standards globally, along with our Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) team, with the aim of formalizing a consistent governance structure and establish a strong EHS presence across all regions to facilitate site-specific considerations.

		In 2022, KLA employees completed more than 38,000 hours of health and safety training—more than triple the hours completed in 2021. KLA provides comprehensive training to ensure a consistent approach to employee health and safety across our global locations.

		In 2022, our U.S. Total Recordable Incident Rate was 0.28, which is below our industry average of 0.80, based on U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics 2021 Injury and Illness Rates.

Community engagement:

The KLA Foundation’s mission is to advance humanity by investing in our communities to create a more equitable, inclusive and accessible world. The KLA Foundation and KLA employees around the world play an active role in supporting the communities where we live and work through financial support, volunteerism and program facilitation. The KLA Foundation focuses its efforts on three strategic pillars: Education, Wellness and Community Enrichment.

Highlights:

		In 2022, the KLA Foundation made $4.9 million in direct grants and $1.9 million in employee match funding grants for a total of $6.8 million in community giving.

		Through its Social Equity Fund, since 2020 the KLA Foundation has invested in organizations that remove barriers to access and provide opportunities for underrepresented communities. In 2022, these organizations included Out in Tech, Facing History and Ourselves, Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley, the African Diaspora Network and Year Up. We also granted $75,000 to the National American Red Cross for engaging Black and African American blood donors to help combat sickle cell disease.

		KLA employees worldwide volunteered to serve their local communities. In collaboration with employees in Milpitas, California, Ann Arbor, Michigan and the nonprofit Science is Elementary (SiE), the KLA Foundation helped deliver innovative, high-quality science experiences to 7,500 preschool and elementary school children. The SiE series of short books features children from diverse backgrounds using science to solve problems. Children learn that they can think like scientists and become scientists.

		The KLA Foundation’s STEM Inspectors: Searching for Defects in the Microscopic World is helping students around the world see the invisible (to the naked eye). As part of its commitment to help advance science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education in 2022, the KLA Foundation distributed paper microscopes to more than 1,600 students in Wales, Israel, California and Arizona.

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Supply Chain Stewardship:

As a global company, we are committed to continue aligning our supply chain strategy with our broader ESG goals around Advancing Humanity. We seek out suppliers who share our strong values, treat their employees with dignity, respect and fairness, and meet the strict requirements in our Standards of Business Conduct to promote a supply chain free from any human trafficking and labor violations.

Highlights:

		We expanded inclusion and diversity transparency across our supply chain.

		Suppliers are required to adhere to KLA’s Standards of Business Conduct as well as our Global Human Rights Standard, which is aligned with the Responsible Business Alliance (RBA) Code of Conduct.

		We continued to achieve our goal to get 85% of our targeted suppliers to participate in the annual RBA Facility Supplier Assessment Questionnaire, which assesses the supplier’s compliance to the RBA Code of Conduct.

		In 2022, we initiated the development of a strategy to engage suppliers in setting their own climate-related targets and addressing climate-related risks in the supply chain. This strategy is now in execution with select suppliers.

ADVANCING INNOVATION

We tackle our customers’ most complex problems through significant investment in research and development (“R&D”), collaborative teams and a passion for excellence.

Product innovation and sustainability:

The nature of KLA’s business and involvement in technological advancements requires us to continue to innovate and heavily invest in R&D to deliver for our customers. Our customers are constantly challenged to increase their production yield, reduce waste and meet their own profitability and sustainability goals. KLA solutions make this possible by allowing manufacturers to innovate and produce chips faster, more sustainably and at a lower cost.

Highlights:

		In fiscal year 2022, our R&D spending was 12% of total revenue.

		We completed an evaluation of product energy efficiency and began developing a Scope 3 GHG emissions strategy, including near-term targets covering emissions from the use of our products. As noted earlier, this target is being submitted to the Science Based Target Initiative (SBTi) for validation along with our existing climate goals.

		In 2022, KLA introduced several new products and product enhancements that helped advance the sustainability goals and manufacturing strategies of our customers. A few examples:

				The new Orbotech Corus™ 8M doublesided direct imaging (DI) system released in 2022. Manufacturers use DI technology to produce advanced PCBs and IC substrates designed with extremely thin conductors and transmission lines. The result for customers is the ability to produce the accurate, super-fine features required by high-performance applications like smartphones and smartwatches with greater efficiency, quality and yield.