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): July 13, 1999

                               CREE RESEARCH, INC.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

     North Carolina               0-21154                    56-1572719
     (State or other       (Commission File No.)          I.R.S. Employer
      jurisdiction                                     Identification Number
    of incorporation)

                4600 Silicon Drive, Durham, North Carolina 27703
                    (Address of principal executive offices)

                                (919) 313-5300
             (Registrant's telephone number, including area code)

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





Item 5. Other Events.

     On July 13,  1999,  Cree  Research,  Inc.  (the  "Company")  issued a press
release  announcing a two-for-one split of its outstanding common stock ("Common
Stock").  The stock  split will be  effected by an  amendment  to the  Company's
Articles of  Incorporation  to be  effective  at 5:00 p.m. EDT on July 26, 1999.
Upon the  effectiveness  of the amendment,  each issued and unissued  authorized
share of Common  Stock,  $0.005  par value per  share,  shall  automatically  be
changed into two whole shares of Common Stock, $0.0025 par value per share. Each
Common  Stock   certificate   properly  issued  by  the  Company  prior  to  the
effectiveness  of the amendment  which remains  outstanding  on that date shall,
upon and after such effectiveness, and without any requirement for action by the
holder thereof, be deemed a certificate  evidencing a number of shares of Common
Stock,  $0.0025 par value per share, equal to the number of shares stated on the
face of such certificate,  without regard to any par value amount stated on such
certificate.  The Company will issue,  on or about July 30, 1999, to each person
who is a record holder of Common Stock upon the  effectiveness of the amendment,
a certificate  evidencing the additional  shares of Common Stock  resulting from
the stock split. A copy of the press release is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.01
and incorporated by reference herein.

      In accordance  with Rule 416(b)  promulgated  under the  Securities Act of
1933, as amended (the  "Securities  Act"),  the number of shares of Common Stock
registered for sale under the Securities  Act by the  Registration  Statement on
Form S-8 (File No. 33-98958),  filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
(the  "Commission") on November 3, 1995, and the Registration  Statement on Form
S-3 (File No.  33-98728)  as filed with the  Commission  on October 27, 1995 and
amended  on  December  12,  1995 and  December  19,  1995,  will be deemed to be
increased by the stock split to cover the additional  shares  resulting from the
application  of the  stock  split  to the  registered  shares  of  Common  Stock
remaining  unsold under the  Registration  Statements  as of July 26, 1999.  The
foregoing Registration Statements, which incorporate this current report on Form
8-K, are hereby amended pursuant to Rule 416(b) promulgated under the Securities
Act to increase the number of shares of Common Stock  registered  thereunder  to
reflect the effects of the stock split.

Item 7.

      (c)   Exhibits

      Exhibit No.           Description of Exhibit

      99.01                 Press release dated July 13, 1999.





                                   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.

                                       CREE RESEARCH, INC.

                                    By:   /s/ Cynthia B. Merrell
                                       ----------------------------------------
Dated: July 13, 1999                   Cynthia B. Merrell
                                       Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer





                                  EXHIBIT INDEX

      Exhibit No.           Description of Exhibit

      99.01                 Press release dated July 13, 1999