<PAGE>

     As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 17, 2000

                                                           Registration No. 333-

================================================================================

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

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

                                   ----------

                             ULTRATECH STEPPER, INC.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

            DELAWARE                                       94-3169580
  (State or other jurisdiction                 (IRS Employer Identification No.)
of incorporation or organization)

                  3050 ZANKER ROAD, SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA 95134
               (Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

                             ULTRATECH STEPPER, INC.
                  SUPPLEMENTAL STOCK OPTION/STOCK ISSUANCE PLAN
                (AS AMENDED AND RESTATED EFFECTIVE JUNE 29, 2000)
                            (Full title of the Plan)

                                   ----------

                              ARTHUR W. ZAFIROPOULO
                CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
                             ULTRATECH STEPPER, INC.
                  3050 ZANKER ROAD, SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA 95134
                     (Name and address of agent for service)

                                 (408) 321-8835
          (Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

                                   ----------

                         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(1)       per Share(2)              Price(2)                Fee
                    ----------                        -------------       ------------              --------                ---

<S>                                                  <C>                     <C>                  <C>                     <C>
Ultratech Stepper,  Inc. Supplemental Stock Option/
Stock Issuance Plan
-------------------
Common Stock, $0.001 par value                       400,000 shares          $15.25               $6,100,000.00           $1,610.40

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

(1)    This Registration Statement shall also cover any additional shares of
       Common Stock which become issuable under the Ultratech Stepper, Inc.
       Supplemental Stock Option/Stock Issuance Plan by reason of any stock
       dividend, stock split, recapitalization or other similar transaction
       effected without the Registrant's receipt of consideration which results
       in an increase in the number of the outstanding shares of Registrant's
       Common Stock.

(2)    Calculated solely for purposes of this offering under Rule 457(h) of the
       Securities Act of 1933, as amended, (the "1933 Act"), on the basis of the
       average of the high and low selling prices per share of Registrant's
       Common Stock on August 11, 2000 as reported by the Nasdaq National
       Market.

================================================================================

<PAGE>





                                     PART II

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3.  INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE

     Ultratech Stepper, Inc. (the "Registrant") hereby incorporates by reference
into this Registration Statement the following documents previously filed with
the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission"):

     (a)  The Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended
          December 31, 1999, filed with the Commission on March 27, 2000;

     (b)  The Corporation's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the fiscal
          quarters ended March 31, 2000 and June 30, 2000, filed with the
          Commission on May 15, 2000 and August 14, 2000, respectively, and;

     (c)  The Registrant's Registration Statement No. 0-22248 on Form 8-A, filed
          with the Commission on August 13, 1993 and subsequently amended on
          February 26, 1997 and February 27, 1997, pursuant to Section 12 of the
          Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "1934 Act"), in
          which there is described the terms, rights and provisions applicable
          to the Registrant's outstanding Common Stock.

     All reports and definitive proxy or information statements filed pursuant
to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the 1934 Act after the date of this
Registration Statement and prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment
which indicates that all securities offered hereby have been sold or which
deregisters all securities then remaining unsold shall be deemed to be
incorporated by reference into this Registration Statement and to be a part
hereof from the date of filing of such documents. Any statement contained in a
document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein shall be
deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this Registration Statement
to the extent that a statement contained in any subsequently filed document
which also is deemed to be incorporated by reference herein modifies or
supersedes such statement. Any such statement so modified or superseded shall
not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this
Registration Statement.

Item 4.  DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES

     Not applicable.

Item 5.  INTERESTS OF NAMED EXPERTS AND COUNSEL

     Not applicable.

Item 6.  INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS

     The Registrant's Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation limits
the liability of directors to the maximum extent permitted by the Delaware
General Corporation Law ("Delaware Law"). Delaware Law provides that directors
of a corporation will not be personally liable for monetary damages for breach
of their fiduciary duties as directors, except for liability for (i) any breach
of their duty of loyalty to the corporation or its stockholders, (ii) acts or
omissions not in good faith or that involve intentional misconduct or a knowing
violation of law, (iii) unlawful payments of dividends or unlawful stock
repurchases or redemptions as provided in Section 174 of the Delaware General
Corporation Law or (iv) any transaction from which the director derives an
improper personal benefit.


                                      II-1
<PAGE>

     The Registrant's Bylaws provide that the Registrant shall indemnify its
directors and may indemnify its officers, employees and other agents to the
fullest extent permitted by law. The Registrant believes that indemnification
under its Bylaws covers at least negligence and gross negligence on the part of
an indemnified party in connection with the defense of any action or proceeding
arising out of such party's status or service as a director, officer, employee
or other agent of the Registrant upon an undertaking by such party to repay such
advances if it is ultimately determined that such party is not entitled to
indemnification.

     The Registrant has entered into separate indemnification agreements with
each of its directors and officers. These agreements require the Registrant,
among other things, to indemnify such director or officer against certain
expenses (including attorneys' fees), judgments, fines and settlement amounts
paid by such individual in connection with any action, suit or proceeding
arising out of such individual's status or service as a director or officer of
the Registrant (other than expenses arising from willful misconduct or conduct
that is knowingly fraudulent or deliberately dishonest) and to advance expenses
incurred by such individual in connection with any proceeding against such
individual with respect to which such individual may be entitled to
indemnification by the Registrant. The Registrant believes that its Certificate
of Incorporation and Bylaw provisions and indemnification agreements are
necessary to attract and retain qualified persons as directors and officers.

Item 7.  EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION CLAIMED

     Not applicable.

Item 8.  EXHIBITS

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Exhibit Number     Exhibit
--------------     -------

<S>                <C>
     4             Instruments Defining Rights of Shareholders. Reference is
                   made to Registrant's  Registration Statement No. 0-22248
                   on Form 8-A which is incorporated herein by reference
                   pursuant to Item 3(c).
     5             Opinion and Consent of Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison LLP.
     23.1          Consent of Ernst & Young LLP, Independent Auditors.
     23.2          Consent of Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison LLP is contained in
                   Exhibit 5.
     24            Power of Attorney. Reference is made to page II-4 of this
                   Registration Statement.
     99.1          Ultratech Stepper, Inc. Supplemental Stock Option/Stock
                   Issuance Plan (As Amended and Restated Effective June 29,
                   2000).
</TABLE>

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, as amended (the "1933 Act"),
(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,
and (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 clauses (1)(i) and (1)(ii) shall not apply if 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 1934 Act that are incorporated by reference into the
Registration Statement; (2) that for the purpose of determining any liability
under the 1933 Act, 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; and (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 Registrant's Supplemental Stock Option/Stock
Issuance Plan.


                                      II-2
<PAGE>

                  B. The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for
purposes of determining any liability under the 1933 Act, each filing of the
Registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the
1934 Act that is incorporated by reference into 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 1933 Act may be permitted to directors, officers or controlling persons of
the Registrant pursuant to the indemnification provisions summarized in Item 6
above or otherwise, the Registrant has been informed that, in the opinion of the
Commission, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the
1933 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 1933 Act and
will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.


                                      II-3
<PAGE>

                                   SIGNATURES

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, 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 San Jose, State of California, on this 15th day of
August, 2000.

                                                  ULTRATECH STEPPER, INC.

                                                  By: /s/ Arthur W. Zafiropoulo
                                                      -------------------------
                                                      Arthur W. Zafiropoulo
                                                      Chairman of the Board and
                                                      Chief Executive Officer

                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS:

     That the undersigned officers and directors of Ultratech Stepper, Inc., a
Delaware corporation, do hereby constitute and appoint Arthur W. Zafiropoulo and
Bruce R. Wright, and each of them, the lawful attorneys and agents, with full
power and authority to do any and all acts and things and to execute any and all
instruments which said attorneys and agents, and any one of them, determine may
be necessary or advisable or required to enable said corporation to comply with
the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and any rules or regulations or
requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with this
Registration Statement. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing power
and authority, the powers granted include the power and authority to sign the
names of the undersigned officers and directors in the capacities indicated
below to this Registration Statement, to any and all amendments, both
pre-effective and post-effective, and supplements to this Registration
Statement, and to any and all instruments or documents filed as part of or in
conjunction with this Registration Statement or amendments or supplements
thereof, and each of the undersigned hereby ratifies and confirms all that said
attorneys and agents, or any of them, shall do or cause to be done by virtue
hereof. This Power of Attorney may be signed in several counterparts.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the undersigned has executed this Power of
Attorney as of the date indicated.

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,
this Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in
the capacities and on the dates indicated.

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
SIGNATURES                                      TITLE                                                DATE
----------------------------------------------  ----------------------------------------------  ---------------

<S>                                             <C>                                             <C>
/s/ Arthur W. Zafiropoulo                       Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive          August 15, 2000
-------------------------------------------     Officer, and Director (Principal Executive
Arthur W. Zafiropoulo                           Officer)




/s/ Bruce R. Wright                             Senior Vice President, Finance, Chief           August 15, 2000
-------------------------------------------     Financial Officer and Treasurer
Bruce R. Wright                                 (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)


                                      II-4
<PAGE>

SIGNATURES                                      TITLE                                                DATE
----------------------------------------------  ----------------------------------------------  ---------------

/s/ Gregory Harrison                            Director                                        August 15, 2000
-------------------------------------------
Gregory Harrison



/s/ Kenneth Levy                                Director                                        August 15, 2000
-------------------------------------------
Kenneth Levy




/s/ Joel F. Gemunder                            Director                                        August 15, 2000
-------------------------------------------
Joel F. Gemunder




/s/ Tommy George                                Director                                        August 15, 2000
-------------------------------------------
Tommy George




/s/ Nicholas Konidaris                          Director                                        August 15, 2000
-------------------------------------------
Nicholas Konidaris




/s/ Vincent F. Sollitto                         Director                                        August 15, 2000
-------------------------------------------
Vincent F. Sollitto
</TABLE>


                                      II-5
<PAGE>



                                  EXHIBIT INDEX

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Exhibit Number      Exhibit
--------------      -------

<S>                 <C>
    4               Instruments Defining Rights of Shareholders. Reference is
                    made to Registrant's  Registration Statement No. 0-22248 on
                    Form 8-A which is incorporated herein by reference pursuant
                    to Item 3(c).
    5               Opinion and Consent of Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison LLP.
    23.1            Consent of Ernst & Young LLP, Independent Auditors.
    23.2            Consent of Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison LLP is contained
                    in Exhibit 5.
    24              Power of Attorney. Reference is made to page II-4 of this
                    Registration Statement.
    99.1            Ultratech Stepper, Inc. Supplemental Stock Option/Stock
                    Issuance Plan (As Amended and Restated Effective June 29,
                    2000).
</TABLE>