Applied Materials vs KLA: Deposition, etch & metrology compared

November 2026 edition · assessment by Frontier Tech Intelligence

Applied Materials ranks 11 on the AI Infra 100 with a score of 98; KLA ranks 17 with 96. Applied Materials is ahead on progress. Level on deployment, production, commercials, technology, positioning, firepower and leverage. Applied Materials is based in Santa Clara, United States, KLA in Milpitas, United States. Applied Materials is named in 57 signals and KLA in 17.

Applied Materials →

Santa Clara, California, United States · AI Core · Semiconductor equipment, materials & critical inputs / Deposition, etch & metrology · appliedmaterials.com

Applied Materials supplies semiconductor manufacturing equipment, including wafer-processing systems, eBeam metrology and panel-scale tools used to make AI chips.

AI Infra 100 · rank 11 · score 98

Scores, AI Core (of 10)

Deployment10
Production8
Commercials10
Progress10
Technology10
Positioning10
Firepower10
Leverage10

Darker bar: ahead of the other company on that measure.

Positioning

The largest semiconductor equipment maker by revenue and the process leader in deposition, etch and materials engineering for gate-all-around logic, HBM and advanced packaging; supplies every leading fab.

Latest signals

  • AI infrastructure stocks rallied after Anthropic’s SEC filing.Caixin
  • Applied Materials unveiled its EPIC Center as a $5 billion investment.EE Times
  • Applied Materials will invest $5 billion in India over the next decade.Nikkei xTech

57 signals name Applied Materials.

Facts, with sources

  • >500mwww.datacenterdynamics.com — 2026-09-18
  • Record Q3 FY2026 revenue of $9.115 billionSemiconductor Engineering
  • FQ3 2026 record revenue of $9.12 billionApplied Materials 8-K, 10-Q

19 facts on file.

KLA →

Milpitas, California, United States · AI Core · Semiconductor equipment, materials & critical inputs / Deposition, etch & metrology · kla.com

KLA supplies semiconductor inspection, metrology and process-control equipment, including the Surfscan SP A2 system, to chip and wafer manufacturers.

AI Infra 100 · rank 17 · score 96

Scores, AI Core (of 10)

Deployment10
Production8
Commercials10
Progress8
Technology10
Positioning10
Firepower10
Leverage10

Darker bar: ahead of the other company on that measure.

Positioning

The process-control (inspection and metrology) monopoly of the equipment layer, roughly 7.5 times its nearest competitor; benefits from rising process-control intensity in leading-edge logic, HBM and advanced packaging.

Latest signals

  • U.S. semiconductor stocks sold off sharply on October 22, 2026.Yicai
  • VanEck Semiconductor ETF fell 9.70% this week in a broad semiconductor selloff.Yicai
  • KLA reported Q4 FY2026 revenue of $3.66 billion, up 15.2%.Semiconductor Engineering

17 signals name KLA.

Facts, with sources

  • >500mSemiconductor Engineering
  • USD 3660000000Semiconductor Engineering
  • USD 13580000000KLA 8-K, shareholder letter

10 facts on file.

More comparisons

Questions this page answers

Applied Materials or KLA: which is ahead in ai core?

Applied Materials ranks 11 on the AI Infra 100 with a score of 98; KLA ranks 17 with 96. Applied Materials is ahead on progress. Level on deployment, production, commercials, technology, positioning, firepower and leverage. Applied Materials is based in Santa Clara, United States, KLA in Milpitas, United States. Applied Materials is named in 57 signals and KLA in 17.

How do Applied Materials and KLA compare?

Applied Materials ranks 11 on the AI Infra 100 with a score of 98; KLA ranks 17 with 96. Applied Materials is ahead on progress. Level on deployment, production, commercials, technology, positioning, firepower and leverage. Applied Materials is based in Santa Clara, United States, KLA in Milpitas, United States. Applied Materials is named in 57 signals and KLA in 17. Both company files carry the scores on eight measures, the facts with sources and the latest signals.

Every comparison here comes from the same files members use every day.

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