UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549


                                  SCHEDULE 13G


                    UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

                         (AMENDMENT NO. _____0_______)*


                         APPLIED MATERIALS INCORPORATED
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
                                (Name of Issuer)


                                  COMMON STOCK
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
                         (Title of Class of Securities)


                                    03822210
                                  ------------
                                 (CUSIP Number)


Check the following box if a fee is being paid with this statement /X/.  (A fee
is not required only if the filing person:  (1) has a previous statement on 
file reporting beneficial ownership of more than five percent of the class of
securities described in Item 1; and (2) has filed no amendment subsequent
thereto reporting beneficial ownership of five percent or less of such class.)
(See Rule 13d-7).1

*The remainder of this cover page shall be filled out for a reporting person's
initial filing on this form with respect to the subject class of securities,
and for any subsequent amendment containing information which would alter the
disclosures provides in a prior cover page.

The information required in the remainder of this cover page shall not be
deemed to be "filed" for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934 ("Act") or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section of
the Act but shall be subject to all other provisions of the Act (however, see
the Notes).




     CUSIP NO. 03822210                13G           Page  2  of  10  Pages
                                                          ---    ----

 1     NAME OF REPORTING PERSON                    Provident Investment Counsel
       S.S. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON


- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 2     CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*

                                                                    (a)  / /
                                                                    (b)  / /
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 3     SEC USE ONLY


- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 4     CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION         California


- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                5   SOLE VOTING POWER                 0


   NUMBER OF    ---------------------------------------------------------------
    SHARES      6   SHARED VOTING POWER            4148240
  BENEFICIALLY
   OWNED BY     ---------------------------------------------------------------
     EACH       7   SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER            0
   REPORTING
    PERSON
     WITH       ---------------------------------------------------------------
                8   SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER       5735440


- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 9     AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON     5735440



- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 10    CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES*


- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 11    PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9    7.2%


- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 12    TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*       CO, IA


- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                       *SEE INSTRUCTION BEFORE FILING OUT!

                             Page  2  of  10  pages





     CUSIP NO. 03822210                13G            Page  3  of  10  Pages
                                                           ---    ----
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 1     NAME OF REPORTING PERSON                        Robert Marvin Kommerstad
       S.S. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON


- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 2     CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*

                                                                    (a) / /
                                                                    (b) / /

- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 3     SEC USE ONLY


- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 4     CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION               U.S.A.


- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                5   SOLE VOTING POWER                 0


   NUMBER OF    ---------------------------------------------------------------
    SHARES      6   SHARED VOTING POWER            4148240
  BENEFICIALLY
   OWNED BY     ---------------------------------------------------------------
     EACH       7   SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER            0
   REPORTING
    PERSON
     WITH       ---------------------------------------------------------------
                8   SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER       5735440


- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 9     AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON     5735440


- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 10    CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES*


- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 11    PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9    7.2%



- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 12    TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*       IN, HC


- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                       *SEE INSTRUCTION BEFORE FILING OUT!

                               Page 3 of 10 pages




ITEM 1.

     (a)  NAME OF ISSUER: Applied Materials Incorporated

     (b)  ADDRESS OF ISSUER'S PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICES:
               3050 Bowers Avenue  Santa Clara, CA  95054


ITEM 2.

     (a)  NAME OF PERSON FILING:  This statement is being filed by 
(i) Provident Investment Counsel, a California corporation and registered
investment adviser ("IA"), and (ii) Robert Marvin Kommerstad, a shareholder of
IA ("Shareholder") (collectively, the "Reporting Persons").  Shareholder
controls IA by virtue of Shareholder's position as the sole voting trustee of
a voting trust which holds all of the outstanding securities of IA.

          IA's beneficial ownership of the Common Stock is direct as a result
of IA's discretionary authority to buy, sell, and vote shares of such Common
Stock for its investment advisory clients.  Shareholder's ownership of Common
Stock is indirect as a result of Shareholder's stock ownership in IA, and is
reported solely because Rule 13d-1(a) and (b) under the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, as amended, requires any person who is "directly or indirectly"
the beneficial owner of more than five percent of any equity security of a
specified class to file a Schedule 13G within the specified time period.
The answers in blocks 6, 8, 9 and 11 on page 3 above and in responses to item 4
by Shareholder are given on the basis of the "indirect" beneficial ownership
referred to in such Rule, based on the direct beneficial ownership of Common
Stock by IA and the relationship of the Shareholder to IA referred to above.

          Information with respect to each Reporting Person is given solely by
the respective Reporting Person, and no Reporting Person undertakes hereby any
responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of such information concerning
any other Reporting Person.

     (b)  ADDRESS OF PRINCIPAL BUSINESS OFFICE OR, IF NONE, RESIDENCE:

          IA's Principal Business Office is located at:

               300 North Lake Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91101-4022.

          Shareholder's Principal Business Office is located at:

               300 North Lake Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91101-4022.

     (c)  CITIZENSHIP:

          IA is a California corporation.

          Shareholder is a United States citizen.

                               Page 4 of ___ pages



     (d)  TITLE OF CLASS OF SECURITIES:

          Common Stock

     (e)  CUSIP NUMBER:

          03822210


ITEM 3.   IF THIS STATEMENT IS FILED PURSUANT TO RULE 13D-1(B), OR 13D-2(B),
          CHECK WHETHER THE PERSON FILING IS A:

     (a)  / /  Broker or Dealer registered under Section 15 of the Act

     (b)  / /  Bank as defined in section 3(a)(6) of the Act

     (c)  / /  Insurance Company as defined in section 3(a)(19) of the act

     (d)  / /  Investment Company registered under section 8 of the Investment
               Company Act

     (e)  /x/  Investment Adviser registered under section 203 of the Investment
               Advisers Act
                    [IA]

     (f)  / /  Employee Benefit Plan, Pension Fund which is subject to the
               provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974
               or Endowment Fund; see Section 240.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(F)

     (g)  /x/  Parent Holding Company, in accordance with 
               Section 240.13d-1(b)(ii)(G) (Note: See Item 7)
                    [Shareholder]

     (h)  / /  Group, in accordance with Section 240.13d1-(b)(1)(ii)(H)


ITEM 4.   OWNERSHIP

     (a)  AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED:  Reporting Persons each directly or
indirectly beneficially own 5735440 shares of Common Stock.  IA's beneficial
ownership is direct and the Shareholder's beneficial ownership is indirect.

     (b)  PERCENT OF CLASS:  7.2%

     (c)  NUMBER OF SHARES AS TO WHICH SUCH PERSON HAS:

            (i)     sole power to vote or to direct the vote:  0

           (ii)     shared power to vote or to direct the vote:

                               Page 5 of ___ pages


                         IA and Shareholder share the power to vote 4148240
                         shares.  No other person has the power to vote such
                         shares.

                         IA and Shareholder have no power to vote 1587200
                         shares for which they have dispositive power.

          (iii)     sole power to dispose or to direct the disposition of:  0

           (iv)     shared power to dispose or to direct the disposition of:

                         IA and Shareholder share with each other the power to
                         dispose all 5735440 shares for which they have direct
                         or indirect beneficial ownership.  They do not share
                         this power with any other person.


ITEM 5.   OWNERSHIP OF FIVE PERCENT OR LESS OF A CLASS

          Not applicable.


ITEM 6.   OWNERSHIP OF MORE THAN FIVE PERCENT ON BEHALF OF ANOTHER PERSON

          IA, a registered investment adviser, and Shareholder, its controlling
          shareholder, have the right or the power to direct the receipt of
          dividends from Common Stock, and to direct the receipt of proceeds
          from the sale of Common Stock to IA's investment advisory clients.
          No single investment advisory client of IA owns more than 5% of the
          Common Stock.


ITEM 7.   IDENTIFICATION AND CLASSIFICATION OF THE SUBSIDIARY WHICH ACQUIRED THE
          SECURITY BEING REPORTED ON BY THE PARENT HOLDING COMPANY

          Shareholder is considered the equivalent of a parent holding company
          for purposes of this Schedule 13G.  IA is considered Shareholder's
          subsidiary, and acquired the security being reported on by
          Shareholder.  IA is a registered investment adviser.  See Exhibit B.


ITEM 8.   IDENTIFICATION AND CLASSIFICATION OF MEMBERS OF THE GROUP

          Not applicable.

                               Page 6 of ___ pages



ITEM 9.   NOTICE OF DISSOLUTION OF GROUP

          Not applicable.


ITEM 10.  CERTIFICATION

          By signing below I certify that, to the best of my knowledge and
          belief, the securities referred to above were acquired in the
          ordinary course of business and were not acquired for the purpose
          of and do not have the effect of changing or influencing the control
          of the issuer of such securities and were not acquired in connection
          with or as a participant in any transaction having such purposes or
          effect.

                               Page 7 of ___ pages



                                    SIGNATURE

          After reasonable inquiry and to the best knowledge and belief, I
certify that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and
correct.

February 9, 1994

                                   PROVIDENT INVESTMENT COUNSEL



                                   By:  _______________________
                                        Thad Brown
                                        Chief Financial Officer
                                        and Senior Vice-President



                                   ____________________________
                                   Robert Marvin Kommerstad

                               Page 8 of ___ pages




                                    EXHIBITS

EXHIBIT A Statement With Respect To Joint Filing Of Schedule 13G

EXHIBIT B Identification and Classification of Subsidiary Which Acquired
          Security Being Reported On By the Parent Holding Company

                               Page 9 of ___ pages



                                    EXHIBIT A

             STATEMENT WITH RESPECT TO JOINT FILING OF SCHEDULE 13G

     The undersigned hereby agree that any statement of Schedule 13G to be filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission by any of the undersigned, including
any amendment thereto, with respect to securities of Applied Materials Inc may
be filed by any of the undersigned as a joint filing on behalf of all of the
undersigned.

February 9, 1994

                                   PROVIDENT INVESTMENT COUNSEL



                                   By:  _______________________
                                        Thad Brown
                                        Chief Financial Officer
                                        and Senior Vice-President



                                   ____________________________
                                   Robert Marvin Kommerstad

                              Page 10 of ___ pages



                                    EXHIBIT B

                      IDENTIFICATION AND CLASSIFICATION OF
                    SUBSIDIARY WHICH ACQUIRED SECURITY BEING
                    REPORTED ON BY THE PARENT HOLDING COMPANY



     IA, a registered investment adviser, acquired "beneficial ownership" of the
securities being reported on as a result of its discretionary authority to
acquire, dispose and (with respect to certain of such securities) vote the
securities being reported on.  Under a series of SEC no-action letters,
including the letter issued to WARREN BUFFET AND BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY, INC.
(available December 5, 1986), Shareholder is considered the equivalent of the
parent holding company of IA and is therefore eligible to report his indirect
beneficial ownership in such shares on Schedule 13G.

                              Page 11 of ___ pages