<PAGE>   1
   As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 12, 1999

                                                 Registration No. 333-__________

                       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 identification number)
 of incorporation or organization)

                3050 Bowers Avenue, Santa Clara, California 95054
               (Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

             APPLIED MATERIALS, INC. EMPLOYEES' STOCK PURCHASE PLAN

                            (Full title of the plan)

                                Joseph J. Sweeney
                             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) 727-5555

                                    Copy to:
                                 John E. Aguirre
                      Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, PC
                               650 Page Mill Road
                           Palo Alto, California 94304

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
=================================================================================================
                                         Proposed Maximum   Proposed Maximum
 Title of Securities     Amount to be     Offering Price        Aggregate          Amount of
  to be Registered        Registered        Per Share*       Offering Price*   Registration Fee*
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                    <C>                  <C>              <C>                  <C>
Common Stock**, and    8,000,000 shares     $81.00           $648,000,000.00      $180,144.00
Options to Purchase
Common Stock
=================================================================================================
</TABLE>

*       Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee on
        the basis of $81.00 per share, the average of the high and low prices
        for the Common Stock on October 8, 1999 as reported by Nasdaq.

**      Includes associated rights (the "Rights") to purchase preferred stock.
        Until the occurrence of certain prescribed events, none of which has
        occurred, the Rights are not exercisable.


<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) the latest annual report of Applied Materials, Inc. (the
"Registrant") 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 Registrant pursuant to Sections 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act
since the end of the fiscal year covered by the annual report referred to in
clause (i) above; and (iii) the description of the Registrant's common stock set
forth in the Registrant'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 Registrant 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 provides for
indemnification of the Registrant's directors, officers, employees and other
agents to the maximum extent permitted by Delaware Law. In addition, the
Registrant has entered into indemnification agreements with its directors and
certain of its officers.

ITEM 7. EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION CLAIMED

Inapplicable.

ITEM 8. EXHIBITS

4.1     Applied Materials, Inc. Employees' Stock Purchase Plan, as amended (and
        incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 of the Registrant's
        Registration Statement on Form S-8, Commission File No. 33-63847, filed
        with the Commission on October 31, 1995).

5.1     Opinion of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, PC.



                                       2
<PAGE>   3

23.1    Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.

23.2    Consent of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, PC is included in Exhibit
        5.1 to this Registration Statement.

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 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 an
employee benefit 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.



                                       3
<PAGE>   4

        (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 28th day of
September, 1999.

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
dates indicated.

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
               Signature                            Title                         Date
<S>                                      <C>                               <C>
Principal Executive Officer:

        /s/ James C. Morgan
-------------------------------------
            James C. Morgan              Chairman of the Board and         September 28, 1999
                                         Chief Executive Officer

Principal Financial Officer:

        /s/ Joseph R. Bronson            Senior Vice President,            September 28, 1999
-------------------------------------    Office of the President,
            Joseph R. Bronson            Chief Financial Officer and
                                         Chief Administrative Officer

Principal Accounting Officer:

        /s/ Michael K. O'Farrell         Vice President, Global            September 28, 1999
-------------------------------------    Controller, Chief
           Michael K. O'Farrell          Accounting Officer and
                                         Assistant Secretary
</TABLE>


                                       5
<PAGE>   6


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

                *                        Director                          September 28, 1999
-------------------------------------
            James C. Morgan

                *                        Director                          September 28, 1999
-------------------------------------
            Dan Maydan

                *                        Director                          September 28, 1999
-------------------------------------
        Michael H. Armacost

                *                        Director                          September 28, 1999
-------------------------------------
          Deborah A. Coleman

                *                        Director                          September 28, 1999
-------------------------------------
        Herbert M. Dwight, Jr.

                *                        Director                          September 28, 1999
-------------------------------------
           Philip V. Gerdine

                *                        Director                          September 28, 1999
-------------------------------------
          Tsuyoshi Kawanishi

                 *                       Director                          September 28, 1999
-------------------------------------
              Paul R. Low

                 *                       Director                          September 28, 1999
-------------------------------------
            Alfred J. Stein

*By     /s/ James C. Morgan
    ----------------------------------
            James C. Morgan
           Attorney-in-Fact
</TABLE>

A majority of the members of the Board of Directors.



                                       6
<PAGE>   7
                                  EXHIBIT INDEX

4.1     Applied Materials, Inc. Employees' Stock Purchase Plan, as amended (and
        incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 of the Registrant's
        Registration Statement on Form S-8, Commission File No. 33-63847, filed
        with the Commission on October 31, 1995).

5.1     Opinion of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, PC.

23.1    Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.

23.2    Consent of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, PC is included in Exhibit
        5.1 to this Registration Statement.

24.1    Power of Attorney of Directors.



                                       7
[{"type": "S-8", "sequence": "1", "description": "FORM S-8", "secsgml_size_bytes": 14015}]
{"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": "333-88779", "film-number": "99726409"}, "business-address": {"street1": "3050 BOWERS AVE", "city": "SANTA CLARA", "state": "CA", "zip": "95054", "phone": "4085632682"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "3050 BOWERS AVE", "city": "SANTA CLARA", "state": "CA", "zip": "95054"}, "former-company": {"former-conformed-name": "APPLIED MATERIALS TECHNOLOGY INC", "date-changed": "19730319"}}
1
   As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 12, 1999

                                                 Registration No. 333-__________

                       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 identification number)
 of incorporation or organization)

                3050 Bowers Avenue, Santa Clara, California 95054
               (Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

             APPLIED MATERIALS, INC. EMPLOYEES' STOCK PURCHASE PLAN

                            (Full title of the plan)

                                Joseph J. Sweeney
                             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) 727-5555

                                    Copy to:
                                 John E. Aguirre
                      Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, PC
                               650 Page Mill Road
                           Palo Alto, California 94304
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
=================================================================================================
                                         Proposed Maximum   Proposed Maximum
 Title of Securities     Amount to be     Offering Price        Aggregate          Amount of
  to be Registered        Registered        Per Share*       Offering Price*   Registration Fee*
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock**, and    8,000,000 shares     $81.00           $648,000,000.00      $180,144.00
Options to Purchase
Common Stock
=================================================================================================
*       Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee on
        the basis of $81.00 per share, the average of the high and low prices
        for the Common Stock on October 8, 1999 as reported by Nasdaq.

**      Includes associated rights (the "Rights") to purchase preferred stock.
        Until the occurrence of certain prescribed events, none of which has
        occurred, the Rights are not exercisable.
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) the latest annual report of Applied Materials, Inc. (the
"Registrant") 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 Registrant pursuant to Sections 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act
since the end of the fiscal year covered by the annual report referred to in
clause (i) above; and (iii) the description of the Registrant's common stock set
forth in the Registrant'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 Registrant 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 provides for
indemnification of the Registrant's directors, officers, employees and other
agents to the maximum extent permitted by Delaware Law. In addition, the
Registrant has entered into indemnification agreements with its directors and
certain of its officers.

ITEM 7. EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION CLAIMED

Inapplicable.

ITEM 8. EXHIBITS

4.1     Applied Materials, Inc. Employees' Stock Purchase Plan, as amended (and
        incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 of the Registrant's
        Registration Statement on Form S-8, Commission File No. 33-63847, filed
        with the Commission on October 31, 1995).

5.1     Opinion of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, PC.

                                       2
3

23.1    Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.

23.2    Consent of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, PC is included in Exhibit
        5.1 to this Registration Statement.

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 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 an
employee benefit 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.

                                       3
4

        (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 28th day of
September, 1999.

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
dates indicated.
Signature                            Title                         Date
Principal Executive Officer:

        /s/ James C. Morgan
-------------------------------------
            James C. Morgan              Chairman of the Board and         September 28, 1999
                                         Chief Executive Officer

Principal Financial Officer:

        /s/ Joseph R. Bronson            Senior Vice President,            September 28, 1999
-------------------------------------    Office of the President,
            Joseph R. Bronson            Chief Financial Officer and
                                         Chief Administrative Officer

Principal Accounting Officer:

        /s/ Michael K. O'Farrell         Vice President, Global            September 28, 1999
-------------------------------------    Controller, Chief
           Michael K. O'Farrell          Accounting Officer and
                                         Assistant Secretary
5
6
Directors:

                *                        Director                          September 28, 1999
-------------------------------------
            James C. Morgan

                *                        Director                          September 28, 1999
-------------------------------------
            Dan Maydan

                *                        Director                          September 28, 1999
-------------------------------------
        Michael H. Armacost

                *                        Director                          September 28, 1999
-------------------------------------
          Deborah A. Coleman

                *                        Director                          September 28, 1999
-------------------------------------
        Herbert M. Dwight, Jr.

                *                        Director                          September 28, 1999
-------------------------------------
           Philip V. Gerdine

                *                        Director                          September 28, 1999
-------------------------------------
          Tsuyoshi Kawanishi

                 *                       Director                          September 28, 1999
-------------------------------------
              Paul R. Low

                 *                       Director                          September 28, 1999
-------------------------------------
            Alfred J. Stein

*By     /s/ James C. Morgan
    ----------------------------------
            James C. Morgan
           Attorney-in-Fact
A majority of the members of the Board of Directors.

                                       6
7
                                  EXHIBIT INDEX

4.1     Applied Materials, Inc. Employees' Stock Purchase Plan, as amended (and
        incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 of the Registrant's
        Registration Statement on Form S-8, Commission File No. 33-63847, filed
        with the Commission on October 31, 1995).

5.1     Opinion of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, PC.

23.1    Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.

23.2    Consent of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, PC is included in Exhibit
        5.1 to this Registration Statement.

24.1    Power of Attorney of Directors.

                                       7