POWER OF ATTORNEY


	KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that the undersigned hereby constitutes
and appoints Byron Milstead and John R. Detwiler, and each of them, his 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 Credence System Corporation (the "Company"), any and
all Forms 3, 4 and 5 required to be filed  by the undersigned 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 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 the 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 his discretion.

	The undersigned hereby grants to each such attorney-in-fact full power and authority
to do and perform all and every act and thing whatsoever requisite, necessary, and 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 his 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 no such attorney-in-fact, in serving in such capacity
at the request of the undersigned, is hereby assuming, nor is the Company hereby assuming,
any of the undersigned's responsibilities to comply with Section 16 of the Securities and
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 holdings
of and transactions in the securities issued by the Company, unless earlier revoked by the
undersigned in a signed writing delivered to the foregoing attorney-in-fact.

	IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has caused this Power of Attorney to be executed
as of this 28th day of May, 2004.


					/s/  Brett Hooper
					Signature

					Brett Hooper
					Print Name