EXHIBIT 24
POWER OF ATTORNEY

	Know all by these presents, that the undersigned hereby constitutes
and appoints each of Barry L. Harmon, J. Michael Dodson, and Kim Moore signing
singly, the undersigned's true and lawful attorney-in-fact to:
(1) execute for and on behalf of the undersigned, in the undersigned's capacity
as an officer and/or director of Electro Scientific Industries, Inc. (the
"Company"), Forms 3, 4 and 5 in accordance with Section 16(a) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the rules thereunder.  (2) do and perform
 any and all acts for and on behalf of the undersigned which may be necessary
or desirable to complete and execute any such Form 3, 4 or 5, complete and
execute any amendment or amendments thereto, and timely file such form with
the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and any stock exchange
or similar authority; and (3) take any other action of any type whatsoever in
connection with the foregoing which, in the opinion of such attorney-in-fact,
may be of benefit to, in the best interest of, or legally required by, the
undersigned, it being understood that the documents executed by such
attorney-in-fact on behalf of the undersigned pursuant to this Power of
Attorney shall be in such form and shall contain such terms and conditions
as such attorney-in-fact may approve in such attorney-in-fact's discretion.

The undersigned hereby grants to each such attorney-in-fact full power and
authority to do and perform any and every act and thing whatsoever requisite,
necessary, or proper to be done in the exercise of any of the rights and powers
herein granted, as fully to all intents and purposes as the undersigned might
or could do if personally present, with full power of substitution or
revocation, hereby ratifying and confirming all that such attorney-in-fact,
or such attorney-in-fact's substitute or substitutes, shall lawfully do or
cause to be done by virtue of this power of attorney and the rights and
powers herein granted.  The undersigned acknowledges that the foregoing
attorneys-in-fact, in serving in such capacity at the request of the
undersigned, are not assuming, nor is the Company assuming, any of the
undersigned's responsibilities to comply with Section 16 of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934.

This Power of Attorney shall remain in full force and effect until the
undersigned is no longer required to file Forms 3, 4 and 5 with respect to
the undersigned's holding of and transactions in securities issued by the
Company, unless earlier revoked by the undersigned in a signed writing
delivered to the foregoing attorneys-in-fact.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has caused this Power of Attorney to
be executed as of this 12th day of August, 2003.


					/s/  Vernon B. Ryles, Jr.