Executive Employment Agreement

Exhibit 10.1

Executive Employment Agreement

This Executive Employment Agreement (the “Agreement”), dated June 11, 2008 is between C REDENCE S YSTEMS C ORPORATION (the “Company”) and R ANCE H ALE (“Executive”).

A. Position. Executive is employed by the Company to render services to the Company in the position of Senior Vice President, Manufacturing Operations. Executive shall perform such duties and responsibilities as are normally related to such position in accordance with the standards of the industry and any additional duties now or hereafter assigned to Executive by the Company. Executive shall abide by the rules, regulations, and practices as adopted or modified from time to time in the Company’s sole discretion.

B. Other Activities. Except upon the prior written consent of the Company, Executive will not, during the term of this Agreement, (i) accept any other employment, or (ii) engage, directly or indirectly, in any other business activity (whether or not pursued for pecuniary advantage) that might interfere with Executive’s duties and responsibilities hereunder or create a conflict of interest with the Company.

C. No Conflict. Executive represents and warrants that his execution of this Agreement, his employment with the Company, and the performance of his proposed duties under this Agreement shall not violate any obligations he may have to any other employer, person or entity, including any obligations with respect to proprietary or confidential information of any other person or entity.

A. Base Salary. In consideration of the services to be rendered under this Agreement, the Company shall pay Executive an annual base salary of Two Hundred Seventy-seven Thousand Dollars ($277,014) (“Base Salary”). The Base Salary shall be paid in accordance with the Company’s regularly established payroll practice. Executive’s Base Salary will be reviewed from time to time in accordance with the established procedures of the Company for adjusting salaries for similarly situated employees and may be adjusted in the sole discretion of the Company.

B. Bonus. Executive shall be eligible for an annual target incentive bonus equal to Sixty Percent (60%) of his then-current Base Salary (“Target Bonus”), based on Executive’s achievement of performance objectives determined by the Company.

C. Benefits. Executive shall be eligible to participate in the benefits made generally available by the Company to similarly-situated executives, in accordance with the benefit plans established by the Company, and as may be amended from time to time in the Company’s sole discretion.

D. Expenses. The Company shall reimburse Executive for reasonable business expenses incurred in the performance of Executive’s duties hereunder in accordance with the Company’s expense reimbursement guidelines.

A. At-Will Termination by Company. Executive’s employment with the Company shall be “at-will” at all times. The Company may terminate Executive’s employment with the Company at any time, without any advance notice, for any reason or no reason at all, notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in or arising from any statements, policies or practices of the Company relating to the employment, discipline or termination of its employees. Upon and after such termination, all obligations of the Company under this Agreement shall cease, except as otherwise provided herein

B. Terminations of Employment. For all purposes under this Agreement, “termination” shall mean a “separation from service” as that term is defined in Code Section 409A(a)(2)(A)(i) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) and Treas. Regs. Section 1.409A-1(h), and as amplified by any other official guidance, and other forms of the word “termination” as used herein, such as “terminate” and “terminated”, shall be construed accordingly. The payment of any amounts to Executive following his termination of employment shall be delayed to the extent necessary to comply with Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i) of the Code (relating to payments made to certain “specified employees” of certain publicly-traded companies) and in such event, any such amount to which Executive would otherwise be entitled during the six (6) month period immediately following his termination of employment will be paid on the first business day following the expiration of such six (6) month period.

C. Separation Benefits. Except in situations where the employment of Executive is terminated For Cause, By Death or By Disability (as defined in Section IV below), in the event that the Company terminates Executive’s employment at any time, Executive will be eligible to receive the following benefits (collectively, “Separation Benefits”):

1. an amount equal to (i) One Hundred Percent (100%) of Executive’s then-current Base Salary, plus (ii) One Hundred Percent (100%) of Executive’s annual Target Bonus, with payments to commence within ninety (90) days following Executive’s termination of employment and to be payable in substantially equal monthly installments over the twelve (12) month period following the date of such termination (“Salary Continuation Period”);

2. continued vesting of Executive’s stock options until the earlier of (a) the end of the Salary Continuation Period or (b) the date Executive begins other employment, and a period of twelve (12) months thereafter to exercise such vested options; provided, however, that the continued vesting and exercisability of Executive’s options shall not extend beyond the earlier of the original maximum term of the option or 10 years from the date of grant of such stock option; and

3. if Executive elects to continue his medical coverage under the Consolidated Omnibus Reconciliation Act (“COBRA”), the Company shall pay the premiums for

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Executive’s COBRA coverage until the earlier of (a) the end of the Salary Continuation Period or (b) the date Executive becomes covered under another employer’s health plan.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, if Executive begins other employment during the Salary Continuation Period, all vesting of Executive’s stock options shall cease. Executive shall not be eligible to participate in the Company’s deferred compensation, cash or deferred arrangement under Code Section 401(k), or employee stock purchase plans during the Salary Continuation Period.

Executive’s eligibility for the foregoing Separation Benefits is conditioned on (a) Executive remaining available during the Salary Continuation Period to consult with the Company regarding matters for which he previously had responsibility as a Company executive; (b) Executive having first signed a release agreement in the form attached as Exhibit A and within the time limits prescribed under such release agreement, and (c) Executive’s agreement not to compete with the Company, or its successors or assigns, during the Salary Continuation Period. If Executive engages in any business activity competitive with the Company or its successors or assigns during the Salary Continuation Period, all Separation Benefits immediately shall cease.

A. Termination for Cause. For purposes of this Agreement, “For Cause” shall mean: (i) Executive commits a crime involving dishonesty, breach of trust, or physical harm to any person; (ii) Executive willfully engages in conduct that is in bad faith and materially injurious to the Company, including but not limited to, misappropriation of trade secrets, fraud or embezzlement; (iii) Executive commits a material breach of this Agreement, which breach is not cured within twenty days after written notice to Executive from the Company; (iv) Executive willfully refuses to implement or follow a lawful policy or directive of the Company, which breach is not cured within twenty days after written notice to Executive from the Company; or (v) Executive engages in misfeasance or malfeasance demonstrated by a pattern of failure to perform job duties diligently and professionally. The Company may terminate Executive’s employment For Cause at any time, without any advance notice. The Company shall pay to Executive all compensation to which Executive is entitled up through the date of termination, subject to any other rights or remedies of the Company under law; and thereafter all obligations of the Company under this Agreement shall cease.

B. By Death. Executive’s employment shall terminate automatically upon Executive’s death. The Company shall pay to Executive’s beneficiaries or estate, as appropriate, any compensation then due and owing. Thereafter all obligations of the Company under this Agreement shall cease. Nothing in this Section shall affect any entitlement of Executive’s heirs or devisees to the benefits of any life insurance plan or other applicable benefits.

C. By Disability. If Executive becomes eligible for the Company’s long term disability benefits or if, in the sole opinion of the Company, Executive is unable to carry out the responsibilities and functions of the position held by Executive by reason of any physical or mental impairment for more than ninety consecutive days or more than one hundred and twenty

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days in any twelve-month period, then, to the extent permitted by law, the Company may terminate Executive’s employment. The Company shall pay to Executive all compensation to which Executive is entitled up through the date of termination, and thereafter all obligations of the Company under this Agreement shall cease.