<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>424B3
<SEQUENCE>1
<FILENAME>0001.txt
<DESCRIPTION>PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT NO. 18
<TEXT>

<PAGE>

Prospectus Supplement No. 18                    Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3)
dated November 8, 2000                                Registration No. 333-30540
(to Prospectus dated April 24, 2000)                         Cusip No. 501242AE1


                                 $175,000,000

                      KULICKE AND SOFFA INDUSTRIES, INC.

              4 3/4% Convertible Subordinated Notes due 2006 and
            the Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the Notes


     The following table supplements and amends the information set forth on
pages 30 to 33 in the prospectus under Selling Securityholders with respect to
the selling securityholders and the principal amount of notes beneficially owned
by such selling securityholders that may be offered and sold pursuant to the
prospectus dated April 24, 2000. This prospectus supplement is not complete
without, and may not be delivered or utilized except in connection with, the
prospectus.

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

                           Principal Amount                         Number of             Number of
                            at Maturity of                          Shares of             Shares of
                          Notes Beneficially     Percentage        Common Stock          Common Stock       Percentage of
                            Owned that May        of Notes         Owned Prior             that May          Common Stock
         Name                  Be Sold           Outstanding     to the Offering         Be Sold (1)        Outstanding (2)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                      <C>                   <C>              <C>                 <C>                     <C>
First Union Securities        $1,050,000              *               45,852               45,852                *
 Inc.
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</TABLE>
* Less than 1%

(1)  Assumes conversion of all of the holder's notes at a conversion price of
     $22.8997 per share of common stock (adjusted to reflect the 2-for-1 split
     of the common stock effective as of July 31, 2000). However, this
     conversion price will be subject to further adjustment as described under
     "Description of Notes-Conversion of Notes." As a result, the amount of
     common stock issuable upon conversion of the notes may increase or decrease
     in the future.

(2)  Calculated based on Rule 13d-3(d)(i) of the Exchange Act using 48,702,411
     shares of common stock outstanding as of August 31, 2000. In calculating
     this amount, we treated as outstanding the number of shares of common stock
     issuable upon conversion of all of that particular holder's notes. However,
     we did not assume the conversion of any other holder's notes.

     Because the selling securityholders listed above and in the prospectus
under the caption Selling Securityholders may, pursuant to the prospectus, as
supplemented, offer all or some portion of the notes, no estimate can be given
as to the amount of notes that will be held by the selling securityholders upon
termination of any such sales.

     Furthermore, the selling securityholders identified in the table set forth
in the prospectus under the caption Selling Securityholders may have sold,
transferred or otherwise disposed of all or a portion of their notes or common
stock since the date on which they provided us with information regarding their
notes or common stock, and we have not made any independent inquiries as to the
foregoing.

     Unless otherwise noted, all information provided in this prospectus
supplement is as of November 8, 2000.

</TEXT>
</DOCUMENT>