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                                  UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                              Washington, DC 20549

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

                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT
                       Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of
                       The Securities Exchange Act of 1934

                Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported)

                                January 21, 2005

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

                            NANOMETRICS INCORPORATED
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

          California                     1- 13470               94-2276314
          ----------                     --------               ----------
       (State or other            (Commission File Number)     (IRS Employer
jurisdiction of incorporation)                               Identification No.)

                               1550 Buckeye Drive
                           Milpitas, California 95035
          (Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)

                                 (408) 435-9600
              (Registrant's telephone number, including area code)

                                       N/A
          (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

Check  the  appropriate  box  below  if the  Form  8-K  filing  is  intended  to
simultaneously  satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the
following   provisions  (see  General   Instruction  A.2.  below):  

[x]  Written  communications  pursuant to Rule 425 under the  Securities Act (17
     CFR 230.425)

[ ]  Soliciting  material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR
     240.14a-12)

[ ]  Pre-commencement   communications  pursuant  to  Rule  14d-2(b)  under  the
     Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

[ ]  Pre-commencement   communications  pursuant  to  Rule  13e-4(c)  under  the
     Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

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Item 1.01.  Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement

On January 21, 2005,  Nanometrics  Incorporated,  a California  corporation (the
"Company"),  Major League Merger  Corporation  ("Merger Sub 1"), a  wholly-owned
subsidiary  of the Company  and a Minnesota  corporation,  Minor  League  Merger
Corporation  ("Merger Sub 2"), a  wholly-owned  subsidiary  of the Company and a
Delaware corporation, and August Technology Corporation, a Minnesota corporation
("August"), entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger and Reorganization (the
"Merger Agreement"),  as announced in the attached joint press release. Pursuant
to the terms and subject to the  conditions  set forth in the Merger  Agreement,
the Company will merge with and into Merger Sub 2 (the "Migratory Merger"), with
Merger Sub 2 continuing as the surviving  corporation  (following  the Migratory
Merger, Merger Sub 2 is referred to herein as "Nanometrics Delaware"). Following
the  Migratory  Merger,  Merger  Sub 1 will  merge  with  and into  August  (the
"Acquisition  Merger",  and together with the Migratory Merger,  the "Mergers"),
with August continuing as the surviving  corporation and becoming a wholly owned
subsidiary of Nanometrics Delaware.  At that time,  Nanometrics Delaware will be
renamed  August  Nanometrics  Inc.  The Board of  Directors  of the  Company has
approved the Migratory Merger,  the Acquisition  Merger and the Merger Agreement
and has recommended that the Company's shareholders approve the Migratory Merger
and the Acquisition Merger.

In connection with the Migratory Merger, each share of Company common stock that
is  outstanding at the effective  time of the Migratory  Merger (the  "Migratory
Merger  Effective  Time") will be  converted  into one share of common  stock of
Nanometrics  Delaware.  Each outstanding option to purchase Company common stock
will be  converted  at the  Migratory  Merger  Effective  Time into an option to
acquire  Nanometrics  Delaware  common stock and shall  continue to have, and be
subject to, the same terms and conditions as are in effect  immediately prior to
the Migratory Merger Effective Time.

In connection  with the  Acquisition  Merger,  each share of August common stock
that is  outstanding  at the  effective  time  of the  Acquisition  Merger  (the
"Acquisition Merger Effective Time") will be converted into the right to receive
0.6401 shares of common stock of Nanometrics  Delaware.  Each outstanding option
to purchase  August  common stock will be converted  at the  Acquisition  Merger
Effective Time into an option to acquire  Nanometrics  Delaware common stock and
shall  continue to have, and be subject to, the same terms and conditions as are
in  effect  immediately  prior to the  Acquisition  Merger  Effective  Time.  No
fractional  shares of  Nanometrics  Delaware's  common stock will be issued as a
result of the share exchange pursuant to the Acquisition Merger.

The  completion  of the  Mergers  is  subject  to  various  closing  conditions,
including  obtaining the approvals of the shareholders of the Company and August
and expiration of the applicable waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act.
The Mergers are each intended to qualify as  reorganizations  for federal income
tax purposes and to provide for a tax-free exchange of shares.

"Concurrently  with the execution of the Merger Agreement,  and in consideration
thereof,  (i)  certain  shareholders  of the  Company  entered  into  individual
agreements with August  (collectively  the "Company Voting  Agreement")  whereby
each such  shareholder  agreed to vote all of the shares of the common  stock of
the Company  beneficially  owned by such  shareholder  in favor of the Migratory
Merger and the Acquisition Merger and the other transactions contemplated by the
Merger Agreement and (ii) certain shareholders of August entered into individual
agreements with the Company (collectively the "August Voting Agreement") whereby
each such  shareholder  agreed to vote all of the shares of the common  stock of
August beneficially owned by such shareholder in favor of the Acquisition Merger
and the other transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement."

The information set forth above does not purport to be complete and is qualified
in its  entirety  by  reference  to the full text of the Merger  Agreement,  the
Company Voting  Agreement anda the August Voting Agreement a copies of which are
filed herewith as Exhibits 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3, respectively,  and are incorporated
herein by  reference.  A copy of the joint  press  release is  attached  to this
Current Report as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 9.01.  Financial Statements and Exhibits

(c) Exhibits.

The following exhibits are filed herewith:

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Exhibit No.    Description
-----------    -----------

     2.1       Agreement  and Plan of  Merger  and  Reorganization  by and among
               Nanometrics Incorporated,  Major League Merger Corporation, Minor
               League Merger Corporation and August Technology Corporation dated
               January 21, 2005.

     2.2       Form  of  Voting  Agreement  by  and  between  August  Technology
               Corporation and certain shareholders of Nanometrics Incorporated.

     2.3       Form of Voting Agreement by and between Nanometrics  Incorporated
               and certain shareholders of August Technology Corporation.

     99.1      Joint Press release issued by Nanometrics Incorporated and August
               Technology Corporation dated January 21, 2005.


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                                   SIGNATURES

          Pursuant to the  requirements of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934,
the  Registrant  has duly  caused  this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

                                          NANOMETRICS INCORPORATED

Date:  January 21, 2005                By:  /s/ Paul B. Nolan
                                          ------------------------------------
                                          Paul B. Nolan
                                          Chief Financial Officer


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                                  EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit No.    Description
-----------    -----------

     2.1       Agreement  and Plan of  Merger  and  Reorganization  by and among
               Nanometrics Incorporated,  Major League Merger Corporation, Minor
               League Merger Corporation and August Technology Corporation dated
               January 21, 2005.

     2.2       Form  of  Voting  Agreement  by  and  between  August  Technology
               Corporation and certain shareholders of Nanometrics Incorporated.

     2.3       Form of Voting Agreement by and between Nanometrics  Incorporated
               and certain shareholders of August Technology Corporation.

    99.1       Joint Press release issued by Nanometrics Incorporated and August
               Technology Corporation dated January 21, 2005.