<PAGE>   1
    As Filed With The Securities And Exchange Commission on November 15, 1995

                                                   Registration No. 33-

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM S-8
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                      UNDER
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

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

                             APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
               (Exact name of issuer as specified in its charter)

            Delaware                                         94-1655526
  (State or other jurisdiction                            (I.R.S. employer
of incorporation or organization)                      identification number)
                                      
                3050 Bowers Avenue, Santa Clara, California 95054
               (Address of principal executive offices)(Zip Code)

                           1995 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN
                            (Full title of the plan)

                                 James C. Morgan
                             Applied Materials, Inc.
                3050 Bowers Avenue, Santa Clara, California 95054
                     (Name and address of agent for service)

   Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service: (408) 748-5555

                                    Copy to:
                              John E. Aguirre, Esq.
                         Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe
                               400 Sansome Street
                         San Francisco, California 94111


                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
========================================================================================
                                         Proposed         Proposed
 Title of                                Maximum           Maximum
Securities             Amount            Offering         Aggregate           Amount of
  to be                to be              Price           Offering          Registration
Registered           Registered         Per Share*         Price*               Fee*   
- ----------           ----------         ----------        ---------         ------------
<S>               <C>                    <C>           <C>                   <C>       
Common Stock      8,800,000 shares       $47.1875      $415,250,000.00       $83,050.00

========================================================================================
</TABLE>

*   Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee on the
basis of $47.1875 per share, the average of the high and low prices for the
Common Stock on November 14, 1995, as reported by NASDAQ.


<PAGE>   2
               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

ITEM 3.  INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE

The following documents are incorporated by reference in this registration
statement: (i) Applied Materials, Inc.'s (the "Company") latest annual report
filed pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
as amended (the "Exchange Act"); (ii) all other reports filed by the Company
pursuant to Sections 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act since the end of the
fiscal year covered by the Company's latest annual report; and (iii) the
description of the Company's common stock set forth in the Company's
Registration Statement on Form 8-A relating thereto, including any amendment or
report filed for the purpose of updating such description. All documents filed
by the Company after the date of this registration statement pursuant to
Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14, and 15(d) of the Exchange Act, prior to the filing of
a post-effective amendment (that indicates all securities offered have been sold
or deregisters all securities then remaining unsold), shall be deemed to be
incorporated by reference in this registration statement and to be a part hereof
from the date of filing of such documents.

ITEM 4.  DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES

Inapplicable.

ITEM 5.  INTERESTS OF NAMED EXPERTS AND COUNSEL

Inapplicable.

ITEM 6.  INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS

Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (the "Delaware Law")
authorizes a court to award, or a corporation's board of directors to grant,
indemnity to directors and officers in terms sufficiently broad to permit such
indemnification under certain circumstances for liabilities (including
reimbursement for expenses incurred) arising under the Securities Act of 1933,
as amended. The Registrant's Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws provide for
indemnification of the Registrant's directors, officers, employees and other
agents to the maximum extent permitted by the Delaware Law. In addition, the
Registrant has entered into indemnification agreements with its officers and
directors.

ITEM 7.  EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION CLAIMED

Inapplicable.

                                        2
<PAGE>   3
ITEM 8.  EXHIBITS

4.1      The Applied Materials, Inc. 1995 Equity Incentive Plan (incorporated by
         reference to Exhibit 10.22 to the Registrant's Quarterly Report on Form
         10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended April 30, 1995, Commission File No.
         1-2964).

5.1      Opinion of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe.

23.1     Consent of Price Waterhouse LLP.

23.2     Consent of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe is included in Exhibit 5.1.

24.1     Power of Attorney of Directors.

ITEM 9.  UNDERTAKINGS

         (a)  The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

              (1)  To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being
made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:

                   (i) To include any prospectus required by section 10(a)(3) of
the Securities Act of 1933;

                   (ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising
after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent
post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate,
represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration
statement;

                   (iii) To include any material information with respect to the
plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or
any material change to such information in the registration statement;

              Provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) do not
apply if the registration statement is on Form S-3 or Form S-8 and the
information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those
paragraphs is contained in periodic reports filed by the registrant pursuant to
section 13 or section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are
incorporated by reference in the registration statement.

              (2)  That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be
a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
offering of

                                       3
<PAGE>   4
such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide
offering thereof.

              (3)  To remove from registration by means of a post-effective
amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the
termination of the offering.

         (b)  The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of
determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933 each filing of the
registrant's annual report pursuant to section 13(a) or section 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of the
Plan's annual report pursuant to section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934) that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be
deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered
therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be
the initial bona fide offering thereof.

         (c)  Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the
Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling
persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise,
the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and
Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed
in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for
indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the
registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling
person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or
proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in
connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in
the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent,
submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such
indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will
be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

                                        4
<PAGE>   5
                                   Signatures

THE REGISTRANT

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant
certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the
requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this registration
statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the City of Santa Clara, State of California on the 14th day of
November, 1995.

APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
     (Registrant)


    /s/ James C. Morgan        
- ------------------------------
        James C. Morgan
     Chairman of the Board and
      Chief Executive Officer

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration
statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the
dated indicated.

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
       Signature                                 Title                   Date

<S>                                          <C>                   <C> 
Principal Executive Officer:

   /s/ James C. Morgan      
- ---------------------------------------
       James C. Morgan                       Chairman of the       November 14, 1995
                                             Board Chief
                                             Executive Officer

Principal Financial Officer:

  /s/ Gerald F. Taylor      
- ---------------------------------------
      Gerald F. Taylor                       Senior Vice           November 14, 1995
                                             President and
                                             Chief Financial
                                             Officer

Principal Accounting Officer:

   /s/ Michael K. O'Farrell 
- ---------------------------------------
       Michael K. O'Farrell                  Vice President        November 14, 1995
                                             and Corporate
                                             Controller
</TABLE>

                                        5
<PAGE>   6

<TABLE>
<S>                                          <C>                   <C> 
 Directors:

*/s/ James C. Morgan         
- ---------------------------------------
     James C. Morgan                         Director              November 14, 1995
                             

- ---------------------------------------
     Michael Armacost                        Director              November 14, 1995


*/s/ James W. Bagley         
- ---------------------------------------
     James W. Bagley                         Director              November 14, 1995


*/s/ Herbert M. Dwight, Jr.  
- ---------------------------------------
     Herbert M. Dwight, Jr.                  Director              November 14, 1995



*/s/ George B. Farnsworth    
- ---------------------------------------
     George B. Farnsworth                    Director              November 14, 1995


*/s/ Philip V. Gerdine       
- ---------------------------------------
     Philip V. Gerdine                       Director              November 14, 1995


*/s/ Tsuyoshi Kawanishi      
- ---------------------------------------
     Tsuyoshi Kawanishi                      Director              November 14, 1995


*/s/ Paul R. Low             
- ---------------------------------------
     Paul R. Low                             Director              November 14, 1995


*/s/ Dan Maydan              
- ---------------------------------------
     Dan Maydan                              Director              November 14, 1995


*/s/ Alfred J. Stein         
- ---------------------------------------
     Alfred J. Stein                         Director              November 14, 1995


*By  /s/ Donald A. Slichter  
- ---------------------------------------
    Donald A. Slichter
    Attorney-in-Fact
</TABLE>


A majority of the members of the Board of Directors.

                                       6


<PAGE>   7
                                  EXHIBIT INDEX

4.1      The Applied Materials, Inc. 1995 Equity Incentive Plan (incorporated by
         reference to Exhibit 10.22 to the Registrant's Quarterly Report on Form
         10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended April 30, 1995, Commission File No.
         1-2964).

5.1      Opinion of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe.

23.1     Consent of Price Waterhouse LLP.

23.2     Consent of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe is included in Exhibit 5.1.

24.1     Power of Attorney of Directors.

                                        7
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{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "APPLIED MATERIALS INC /DE", "cik": "0000006951", "assigned-sic": "3559", "irs-number": "941655526", "state-of-incorporation": "DE", "fiscal-year-end": "1026"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "033-64285", "film-number": "95593841"}, "business-address": {"street1": "3050 BOWERS AVE", "city": "SANTA CLARA", "state": "CA", "zip": "95054", "phone": "4087275555"}, "former-company": {"former-conformed-name": "APPLIED MATERIALS TECHNOLOGY INC", "date-changed": "19730319"}}
1
    As Filed With The Securities And Exchange Commission on November 15, 1995

                                                   Registration No. 33-

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM S-8
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                      UNDER
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

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

                             APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
               (Exact name of issuer as specified in its charter)

            Delaware                                         94-1655526
  (State or other jurisdiction                            (I.R.S. employer
of incorporation or organization)                      identification number)
                                      
                3050 Bowers Avenue, Santa Clara, California 95054
               (Address of principal executive offices)(Zip Code)

                           1995 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN
                            (Full title of the plan)

                                 James C. Morgan
                             Applied Materials, Inc.
                3050 Bowers Avenue, Santa Clara, California 95054
                     (Name and address of agent for service)

   Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service: (408) 748-5555

                                    Copy to:
                              John E. Aguirre, Esq.
                         Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe
                               400 Sansome Street
                         San Francisco, California 94111

                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
========================================================================================
                                         Proposed         Proposed
 Title of                                Maximum           Maximum
Securities             Amount            Offering         Aggregate           Amount of
  to be                to be              Price           Offering          Registration
Registered           Registered         Per Share*         Price*               Fee*   
- ----------           ----------         ----------        ---------         ------------
Common Stock      8,800,000 shares       $47.1875      $415,250,000.00       $83,050.00

========================================================================================
*   Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee on the
basis of $47.1875 per share, the average of the high and low prices for the
Common Stock on November 14, 1995, as reported by NASDAQ.
2
               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

ITEM 3.  INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE

The following documents are incorporated by reference in this registration
statement: (i) Applied Materials, Inc.'s (the "Company") latest annual report
filed pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
as amended (the "Exchange Act"); (ii) all other reports filed by the Company
pursuant to Sections 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act since the end of the
fiscal year covered by the Company's latest annual report; and (iii) the
description of the Company's common stock set forth in the Company's
Registration Statement on Form 8-A relating thereto, including any amendment or
report filed for the purpose of updating such description. All documents filed
by the Company after the date of this registration statement pursuant to
Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14, and 15(d) of the Exchange Act, prior to the filing of
a post-effective amendment (that indicates all securities offered have been sold
or deregisters all securities then remaining unsold), shall be deemed to be
incorporated by reference in this registration statement and to be a part hereof
from the date of filing of such documents.

ITEM 4.  DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES

Inapplicable.

ITEM 5.  INTERESTS OF NAMED EXPERTS AND COUNSEL

Inapplicable.

ITEM 6.  INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS

Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (the "Delaware Law")
authorizes a court to award, or a corporation's board of directors to grant,
indemnity to directors and officers in terms sufficiently broad to permit such
indemnification under certain circumstances for liabilities (including
reimbursement for expenses incurred) arising under the Securities Act of 1933,
as amended. The Registrant's Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws provide for
indemnification of the Registrant's directors, officers, employees and other
agents to the maximum extent permitted by the Delaware Law. In addition, the
Registrant has entered into indemnification agreements with its officers and
directors.

ITEM 7.  EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION CLAIMED

Inapplicable.

                                        2
3
ITEM 8.  EXHIBITS

4.1      The Applied Materials, Inc. 1995 Equity Incentive Plan (incorporated by
         reference to Exhibit 10.22 to the Registrant's Quarterly Report on Form
         10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended April 30, 1995, Commission File No.
         1-2964).

5.1      Opinion of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe.

23.1     Consent of Price Waterhouse LLP.

23.2     Consent of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe is included in Exhibit 5.1.

24.1     Power of Attorney of Directors.

ITEM 9.  UNDERTAKINGS

         (a)  The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

              (1)  To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being
made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:

                   (i) To include any prospectus required by section 10(a)(3) of
the Securities Act of 1933;

                   (ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising
after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent
post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate,
represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration
statement;

                   (iii) To include any material information with respect to the
plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or
any material change to such information in the registration statement;

              Provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) do not
apply if the registration statement is on Form S-3 or Form S-8 and the
information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those
paragraphs is contained in periodic reports filed by the registrant pursuant to
section 13 or section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are
incorporated by reference in the registration statement.

              (2)  That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be
a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
offering of

                                       3
4
such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide
offering thereof.

              (3)  To remove from registration by means of a post-effective
amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the
termination of the offering.

         (b)  The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of
determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933 each filing of the
registrant's annual report pursuant to section 13(a) or section 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of the
Plan's annual report pursuant to section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934) that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be
deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered
therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be
the initial bona fide offering thereof.

         (c)  Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the
Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling
persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise,
the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and
Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed
in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for
indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the
registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling
person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or
proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in
connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in
the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent,
submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such
indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will
be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

                                        4
5
                                   Signatures

THE REGISTRANT

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant
certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the
requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this registration
statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the City of Santa Clara, State of California on the 14th day of
November, 1995.

APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
     (Registrant)

    /s/ James C. Morgan        
- ------------------------------
        James C. Morgan
     Chairman of the Board and
      Chief Executive Officer

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration
statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the
dated indicated.
Signature                                 Title                   Date
Principal Executive Officer:

   /s/ James C. Morgan      
- ---------------------------------------
       James C. Morgan                       Chairman of the       November 14, 1995
                                             Board Chief
                                             Executive Officer

Principal Financial Officer:

  /s/ Gerald F. Taylor      
- ---------------------------------------
      Gerald F. Taylor                       Senior Vice           November 14, 1995
                                             President and
                                             Chief Financial
                                             Officer

Principal Accounting Officer:

   /s/ Michael K. O'Farrell 
- ---------------------------------------
       Michael K. O'Farrell                  Vice President        November 14, 1995
                                             and Corporate
                                             Controller
5
6
Directors:

*/s/ James C. Morgan         
- ---------------------------------------
     James C. Morgan                         Director              November 14, 1995
                             

- ---------------------------------------
     Michael Armacost                        Director              November 14, 1995

*/s/ James W. Bagley         
- ---------------------------------------
     James W. Bagley                         Director              November 14, 1995

*/s/ Herbert M. Dwight, Jr.  
- ---------------------------------------
     Herbert M. Dwight, Jr.                  Director              November 14, 1995

*/s/ George B. Farnsworth    
- ---------------------------------------
     George B. Farnsworth                    Director              November 14, 1995

*/s/ Philip V. Gerdine       
- ---------------------------------------
     Philip V. Gerdine                       Director              November 14, 1995

*/s/ Tsuyoshi Kawanishi      
- ---------------------------------------
     Tsuyoshi Kawanishi                      Director              November 14, 1995

*/s/ Paul R. Low             
- ---------------------------------------
     Paul R. Low                             Director              November 14, 1995

*/s/ Dan Maydan              
- ---------------------------------------
     Dan Maydan                              Director              November 14, 1995

*/s/ Alfred J. Stein         
- ---------------------------------------
     Alfred J. Stein                         Director              November 14, 1995

*By  /s/ Donald A. Slichter  
- ---------------------------------------
    Donald A. Slichter
    Attorney-in-Fact
A majority of the members of the Board of Directors.

                                       6
7
                                  EXHIBIT INDEX

4.1      The Applied Materials, Inc. 1995 Equity Incentive Plan (incorporated by
         reference to Exhibit 10.22 to the Registrant's Quarterly Report on Form
         10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended April 30, 1995, Commission File No.
         1-2964).

5.1      Opinion of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe.

23.1     Consent of Price Waterhouse LLP.

23.2     Consent of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe is included in Exhibit 5.1.

24.1     Power of Attorney of Directors.

                                        7