SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549
                                    FORM 10-K

(Mark One)
[ X ]     ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE SECURITIES
          EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
          [FEE REQUIRED]
        
[   ]     TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE SECURITIES
          EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
          [NO FEE REQUIRED]
      
    FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED JUNE 28, 1998          COMMISSION FILE NO. 0-14864

                          LINEAR TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
             (EXACT NAME OF REGISTRANT AS SPECIFIED IN ITS CHARTER)

           CALIFORNIA                                         94-2778785
 (STATE OR OTHER JURISDICTION OF                           (I.R.S. EMPLOYER
 INCORPORATION OR ORGANIZATION)                           IDENTIFICATION NO.)

         1630 MCCARTHY BOULEVARD                            95035-7417
          MILPITAS, CALIFORNIA                              (ZIP CODE)
(ADDRESS OF PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICES)

REGISTRANT'S TELEPHONE NUMBER, INCLUDING AREA CODE:       (408) 432-1900

           Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
                                      NONE
           Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
                           COMMON STOCK, NO PAR VALUE
                                (TITLE OF CLASS)

         Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant (1) has filed all reports
required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the  Securities  Exchange  Act of
1934  during  the  preceding  12 months  (or for such  shorter  period  that the
Registrant was required to file such reports),  and (2) has been subject to such
filing requirements for the past 90 days.

                                    Yes X    No
                                       ---
         Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent  filers  pursuant to
Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained  herein,  and will not be contained,
to the best of the  Registrant's  knowledge,  in definitive proxy or information
statements  incorporated  by  reference  in Part  III of this  Form  10-K or any
amendment to this Form 10-K. [X]
         The aggregate  market value of voting stock held by  non-affiliates  of
the Registrant was  approximately  $4,317,512,700 as of September 8, 1998, based
upon the closing sale price on the Nasdaq  National  Market System  reported for
such date.  Shares of common stock held by each officer and director and by each
person who owns 5% or more of the outstanding common stock have been excluded in
that  such  persons  may be  deemed  to be  affiliates.  This  determination  of
affiliate  status  is not  necessarily  a  conclusive  determination  for  other
purposes.
         There were 76,969,585  shares of the  Registrant's  common stock issued
and outstanding as of September 8, 1998.

                      DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE:

(1)     Items 1 and 2 of Part I,  Items 5, 6, 7 and 8 of Part II, and Item 14(a)
        1. of Part IV incorporate  information by reference from Exhibit 13.1 to
        this  Form  10-K  which  contains   certain   information   included  in
        Registrant's  Annual  Report to  Shareholders  for the fiscal year ended
        June 28, 1998.
(2)     Items 10, 11 and 12 of Part III  incorporate  information  by  reference
        from the definitive proxy statement (the "1998 Proxy Statement") for the
        Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held on November 4, 1998.





                                     PART I

Item 1.        Business

General

         Linear   Technology   Corporation   (together  with  its   consolidated
subsidiaries,  "Linear Technology" or the "Company")  designs,  manufactures and
markets a broad line of standard high performance  linear  integrated  circuits.
Applications for the Company's products include telecommunications, notebook and
desktop computers, video/multimedia,  computer peripherals, cellular telephones,
industrial,  automotive  and process  controls,  network and factory  automation
products and satellites. The Company was organized and incorporated in 1981 by a
management  team with  significant  experience  in the design,  manufacture  and
marketing of linear  circuits.  The Company  competes  primarily on the basis of
performance, functional value, quality, reliability and service.

The linear circuit industry

         Semiconductor  components  are the electronic  building  blocks used in
electronic  systems and  equipment.  These  components  are classified as either
discrete  devices (such as individual  transistors)  or integrated  circuits (in
which a number of  transistors  and other  elements  are combined to form a more
complicated electronic circuit). Integrated circuits ("ICs") may be divided into
two general categories,  digital and linear (or analog).  Digital circuits, such
as memory  devices and  microprocessors,  generally  process  on-off  electrical
signals, represented by binary digits, "1" and "0." In contrast, linear circuits
monitor,  condition,  amplify or transform  continuous analog signals associated
with physical properties, such as temperature, pressure, weight, light, sound or
speed, and play an important role in bridging between real world phenomena and a
variety of electronic  systems.  Linear circuits also provide voltage regulation
and power control to electronic systems, especially in hand-held battery powered
systems.

         According to World Semiconductor Trade Statistics, worldwide monolithic
linear integrated circuit sales,  estimated to be approximately $19.8 billion in
1997, represent approximately 16% of the total integrated circuit market. Linear
Technology  competes  primarily  in the  non-consumer  segment  of the linear IC
market, which was approximately 71% of the total monolithic linear IC market for
1997.

         The Company  believes that several  factors  generally  distinguish the
linear integrated circuit business from the digital circuit business, including:

                  Importance  of  Individual  Design  Contribution.  The Company
           believes that the  creativity of  individual  design  engineers is of
           particular importance in the linear circuit industry. The design of a
           linear integrated  circuit  generally  involves a greater variety and
           less repetition of circuit elements than digital design. In addition,
           the interaction of linear circuit elements is complex,  and the exact
           placement  of  these  elements  in the  circuit  is  critical  to the
           circuit's precision and performance.  Computer-aided  engineering and
           design  tools for linear  circuits  are not as  accurate  in modeling
           circuits as those tools used for  designing  digital  circuits.  As a
           result,  the contributions of a relatively small number of individual
           design engineers are generally of greater importance in the design of
           linear circuits than in the design of digital circuits.

                  Smaller Capital Requirements.  Digital circuit design attempts
           to minimize  device size and  maximize  speed by  increasing  circuit
           densities.  The process  technology  necessary for increased  density
           requires very expensive  wafer  fabrication  equipment.  In contrast,
           linear circuit  design  focuses on precise  matching and placement of
           circuit  elements,  and linear  circuits  often require large feature
           sizes to achieve precision and high voltage  operation.  Accordingly,
           the linear circuit  manufacturing  process generally requires smaller
           initial capital expenditures, particularly for photomasking equipment
           and  clean  room  facilities,   and  less  frequent   replacement  of
           manufacturing equipment because the equipment has, to date, been less
           vulnerable to technological obsolescence.

                  Market Diversity;  Relative Pricing Stability.  Because of the
           varied  applications  for linear  circuits,  manufacturers  typically
           offer a greater  variety of device types to a more  diverse  group of
           customers, who typically have smaller volume requirements per device.
           As a result,  linear circuit

                                       2


           manufacturers  are often less dependent upon  particular  products or
           customers,  linear circuit markets are generally more fragmented, and
           competition  within  those  markets  tends to be more  diffused.  The
           Company  believes that  competition  in the linear  circuit market is
           particularly  dependent upon performance,  functional value, quality,
           reliability  and service.  As a result,  linear  circuit  pricing has
           generally been more stable than most digital circuit pricing.

                  Less Japanese And Other Asian Competition.  To date,  Japanese
           and other Asian  firms have  concentrated  their  efforts on the high
           volume digital and consumer  linear  markets,  as opposed to the high
           performance end of the linear circuit market served by the Company.

         The Semiconductor Industry. The semiconductor industry is characterized
by  rapid  technological  change,  price  erosion,   cyclical  market  patterns,
occasional  shortages  of  materials,   capacity   constraints,   variations  in
manufacturing  efficiencies,  and significant expenditures for capital equipment
and  product  development.  Furthermore,  new product  introductions  and patent
protection of existing products are critical factors for future sales growth and
sustained profitability. Although the Company believes that the high performance
segment  of the  linear  circuit  market is  generally  less  affected  by price
erosion,  cyclical  market  patterns and  significant  expenditures  for capital
equipment  and product  development  than other  semiconductor  market  sectors,
future operating results may reflect  substantial period to period  fluctuations
due to these or other factors.

         Although  the  Company   believes  that  it  has  the  product   lines,
manufacturing  facilities and technical and financial  resources for its current
operations,  sales and profitability can be significantly  affected by the above
and other factors.  Additionally, the Company's common stock could be subject to
significant  price  volatility  should  sales and/or  earnings  fail to meet the
expectations of the investment community.

Products and markets

         Linear  Technology  produces a wide range of products  for a variety of
customers  and  markets.  The Company  emphasizes  standard  products to address
larger  markets and to reduce the risk of  dependency  upon a single  customer's
requirements.  The Company  targets the high  performance  segment of the linear
circuit market.  "High  performance" is characterized by higher precision,  both
high power or micropower,  higher speed, more subsystem  integration on a single
chip and many other special  features.  The Company focuses virtually all of its
design efforts on proprietary  products which, at the time of introduction,  are
original designs by the Company offering unique characteristics  differentiating
them from those offered by  competitors.  For fiscal 1998,  sales of proprietary
products were approximately 95% of the Company's net sales.

         Although the types and mix of linear products vary by application,  the
principal product categories are as follows:

         Amplifiers - These circuits  amplify the voltage or output current of a
device. The amplification  represents the ratio of the output voltage or current
to the input voltage or current.  The most widely used device is the operational
amplifier due to its versatility and precision.

         High Speed  Amplifiers - These  amplifiers are used to amplify  signals
above  5MHz for  applications  such as  video,  fast data  acquisition  and data
communication.

         Voltage Regulators - Voltage regulators control the voltage of a device
or circuit at a specified level. This category of product consists  primarily of
two types,  the linear  regulator  and the switch  mode  regulator.  Switch mode
regulators  are also used to  convert  voltage up or down  within an  electronic
system for power management.

         Voltage  References - These  circuits  serve as  electronic  benchmarks
providing  a constant  voltage for system  usage.  Precision  references  have a
constant output independent of input, temperature changes or time.

         Interface  -  Interface  circuits  act as an  intermediary  to transfer
signals  between  or  within  electronic  systems.  These  circuits  are used in
computers, modems, instruments and remote data acquisition systems.

                                       3


         Data Converters - These circuits  change linear  (analog)  signals into
digital  signals,  or vice versa,  and are often referred to as data acquisition
subsystems, A/D converters and D/A converters. The accuracy and speed with which
the analog  signal is converted to its digital  counterpart  is considered a key
characteristic for these devices.

         Other  -  Other   linear   circuits   include   buffers,   comparators,
sample-and-hold devices, and switched capacitor filters, which are used to limit
and/or  manipulate  signals in such  applications as cellular  telephones,  base
stations, navigation system instrumentation and detection circuitry.

         Linear   circuits   are  used  in   various   applications   including:
telecommunications,  notebook and desktop computers, video/multimedia,  computer
peripherals,  cellular telephones,  industrial, automotive and process controls,
network and factory automation products and satellites.  The Company focuses its
product development and marketing efforts on high performance applications where
the Company  believes  it can  position  itself  competitively  with  respect to
product performance and functional value.

The following table sets forth,  with respect to each of the market areas served
by the Company, examples of specific end applications of the Company's products.

                                       4





Market                 End Applications/Products                               Example Product Families
- ------                 -------------------------                               ------------------------
                                                                         
                                                                     ----
Industrial Process     Flow or rate metering                            |
     Control           Position/pressure/                               |
                         temperature sensing and control                |
                       Robotics                                         |
                       Energy management                                |
                       Process control data communication               |
                       Network and factory automation                   |
                                                                        |      Data acquisition products
                                                                        |      High performance operational
                                                                        |          amplifiers
                                                                        |      Interface (RS 485/232) products
                                                                        |      Instrumentation amplifiers
Instrumentation/       Curve tracers                                  -------  Linear voltage regulators
     Measurement       Logic analyzers                                  |      Line drivers
                       EKG, CAT scanners                                |      Line receivers
                       Multimeters                                      |      Precision comparators
                       Network analyzers                                |      Precision voltage references
                       Oscilloscopes                                    |      Switched capacitor filters
                       Scales                                           |      Switching voltage regulators
                       Test equipment                                   |      Voltage references
                       Voltmeters                                       |
                                                                        |
                                                                        |
Military/Space         Communications                                   |
                       Displays                                         |
                       Firing control                                   |
                       Ground support equipment                         |
                       Guidance control                                 |
                       Radar systems                                    |
                       Sonar systems                                    |
                       Surveillance equipment                           |
                       Satellites                                   __ _|

                                                                     ----
                                                                        |
Telecommunications     Cellular phones                                  |      DC - DC converters
                       Cells and basestations                           |      V.35 transceiver
                       Pagers                                           |      High-speed amplifiers
                       Modems/fax machines                              |      Line drivers
                       PBX                                              |      Line receivers
                       Global positioning systems                       |      Low noise operational amplifiers
                       T1 telecommunication                            ------  Micropower products
                       High bit rate digital subscriber loop            |      Power management
                       Asymetric digital subscriber loop                |      Switched capacitor filters
                       Channel service unit/data service unit           |      Voltage references
                                                                        |      Voltage regulators
                                                                        |      Data acquisition products
                                                                        |      Hot Swap controllers
                                                                     ___|      Multi-protocol circuits



                                       5





Market                 End Applications/Products                               Example Product Families
- ------                 -------------------------                               ------------------------
                                                                         
                                                                     - --
Computer/Data          Communications/interface modems                  |      Battery charging
     Processing        DC - DC converters                               |      DC - DC converters
                       Disk drives                                      |      Data acquisition products
                       Notebook computers                               |      Linear voltage regulators
                       Desktop computers                                |      Line drivers
                       Monitors                                         |      Line receivers
                       Plotters                                         ------ Micropower products
                       Printers                                         |      Precision operational amplifiers
                       Power supplies                                   |      Precision voltage references
                       Personal digital assistance systems              |      Switched capacitor filters
                       Battery chargers                                 |      Switching voltage regulators
                       Video/multimedia                                 |      PCMCIA power switching
                                                                    _ __|      Power management


Marketing and customers

         The Company markets its products worldwide, primarily through a network
of independent sales  representatives and electronics  distributors,  to a broad
range of  customers  in  diverse  industries.  In certain  limited  geographical
markets the Company has direct  sales  staff.  The Company  sells to over 15,000
Original Equipment  Manufacturer  (OEM) customers,  many of which purchase on an
individual purchase order basis,  rather than pursuant to long-term  agreements.
The Company's two largest domestic  distributors  accounted for 25%, 26% and 20%
of net sales for fiscal 1998, 1997 and 1996, respectively.  Distributors are not
end  customers,  but rather  serve as a channel of sale to many end users of the
Company's  products.  No other distributor or customer accounted for 10% or more
of net sales for fiscal 1998, 1997 or 1996.

         The Company has agreements with 16 independent sales representatives in
the United States and 2 in Canada. Commissions are paid to sales representatives
upon shipments  either  directly from the Company or through  distributors.  The
Company has agreements with 5 independent  distributors in the United States,  2
in Canada, 18 in Europe, 3 in Japan, 2 each in Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan,  and
1 each in Singapore, South Africa, Philippines, India, Israel and Australia. The
Company's  distributors purchase the Company's products for resale to customers.
Additionally,  domestic  distributors  often sell competitors'  products.  Under
certain  agreements,  the Company's domestic  distributors are entitled to price
rebates on  inventory  if the  Company  lowers the prices of its  products.  The
agreements also generally permit  distributors to exchange up to 5% of purchases
semi-annually.  See  Note  1  of  Notes  to  Consolidated  Financial  Statements
incorporated  by  reference to Exhibit  13.1 of this Form 10-K,  which  contains
certain   information   included  in  the   Company's   1998  Annual  Report  to
Shareholders.

         The  Company's   sales   organization  is  divided  into  domestic  and
international  regions, with sales managers based at the Company's  headquarters
and in the metropolitan areas of Boston, Philadelphia, Raleigh, Chicago, Dallas,
Austin, Houston, Los Angeles, Irvine,  London,  Stockholm,  Dusseldorf,  Munich,
Stuttgart,  Paris,  Singapore,  Tokyo,  Taipei and Seoul. The Company's products
typically require a sophisticated technical sales effort.

         During  fiscal  1998,  1997 and 1996,  export  sales were  primarily to
Europe,  Japan and Asia and  represented  approximately  52%, 49% and 52% of net
sales,  respectively.  Because most of the Company's export sales are billed and
payable in United  States  dollars,  export  sales are  generally  not  directly
subject to fluctuating currency exchange rates. A strengthening of the dollar in
relation to other currencies may,  however,  create pricing  pressure.  Although
export sales are subject to certain control restrictions,  including approval by
the Office of Export Administration of the United States Department of Commerce,
the Company  has not  experienced  any  material  difficulties  relating to such
restrictions.

         The  Company's  backlog of released  and firm orders was  approximately
$64.3  million at June 28, 1998 as compared with $67.0 million at June 29, 1997.
In addition to its backlog, the Company had $29.1 million of product sold to and
held by domestic  distributors  at June 28, 1998 as compared to $25.9 million at
June 29, 1997. Generally,  shipments to domestic distributors are not recognized
as sales  until the  distributor  has sold the  products to its  customers.  The
Company  expects to ship virtually all of its backlog as of June 28, 1998 during
fiscal 1999. The Company defines  backlog as consisting of distributor  stocking
orders and OEM orders for which a delivery schedule

                                       6


has been specified by the OEM customer for product  shipment  within six months.
Although the Company receives volume purchase orders,  most such purchase orders
are cancelable by the customer without  significant  penalty.  Lead time for the
release  of  purchase  orders  depends  upon  the  scheduling  practices  of the
individual  customer,  so the rate of booking  new orders  varies  from month to
month. The ordering practices of many semiconductor customers has shifted from a
practice of placing orders with delivery dates  extending over several months to
the practice of placing orders with shorter delivery dates.  Also, the Company's
agreements  with  certain  distributors  provide for limited  price  protection.
Consequently,  the  Company  does not  believe  that its  backlog at any time is
necessarily representative of actual sales for any succeeding period.

         In the operating  history of the Company,  seasonality  of business has
not been a material  factor,  although the results of  operations  for the first
fiscal quarter of each year are impacted  slightly by customary summer holidays,
particularly in Europe.

         The Company warrants that its products,  until they are incorporated in
other  products,  are free from defects in workmanship and materials and conform
to the Company's published specifications.  Warranty expense has been nominal to
date.

Manufacturing

         The  Company's  wafer  fabrication  and  manufacturing  facilities  are
located  at  its  headquarters  in  Milpitas,   California,  and  at  its  wafer
fabrication  plant in Camas,  Washington.  Each  facility  was built to  Company
specifications to support a number of sophisticated  process technologies and to
satisfy rigorous quality assurance and reliability requirements of United States
military  specifications  and  major  worldwide  OEM  customers.  The  Company's
Milpitas and Singapore facilities have received ISO9001 certification.

         The Company's wafer fabrication  facility located in Camas,  Washington
commenced manufacturing  operations in the second half of fiscal 1997. The Camas
wafer  fabrication  facility is used to produce six-inch diameter wafers for use
in the  production  of the  Company's  devices;  the  Company's  Milpitas  wafer
fabrication plant produces four-inch diameter wafers. The Company currently uses
similar manufacturing  processes in both its Milpitas and Camas facilities.  The
Company plans to build another fabrication facility near its existing facilities
in California  during fiscal 1999. This new fabrication plant is not expected to
be completed  until fiscal 2000.  The Company also has the ability to expand the
manufacturing  capacity of the Camas facility as needed to meet its future wafer
requirements.

         The Company's  basic process  technologies  include high speed bipolar,
high  gain,  low  noise   bipolar,   silicon  gate   complementary   metal-oxide
semiconductor   ("CMOS")  and  BiCMOS  processes.   The  Company  also  has  two
proprietary complementary bipolar processes. The Company's bipolar processes are
typically used in linear circuits where high voltages,  high power, low noise or
effective  component matching is necessary.  The Company's  proprietary  silicon
gate CMOS  processes  provide  switch  characteristics  required for many linear
circuit  functions,  as well as an efficient  mechanism for combining linear and
digital  circuits on the same chip.  The Company's CMOS processes were developed
to  address  the  specific   requirements  of  linear  circuit  functions.   The
complementary  bipolar  processes  were developed to address higher speed analog
functions.  The  Company's  basic  processes  can be  combined  with a number of
adjunct processes to create a diversity of IC components. The accompanying chart
provides a brief overview of the Company's IC process capabilities:

                                       7



                                            PROCESS CAPABILITIES


Process Families                 Benefit/Market Advantage                        Product Application
- ----------------                 ------------------------                        -------------------
                                                                           
P-Well SiGate CMOS               General purpose, stability                      Switches, filters, data conversion,
                                 chopper amplifiers

N-Well SiGate CMOS               Speed, density, stability                       Switches, data conversion

BICMOS                           Speed, density, stability, flexibility          Data conversion

High Power Bipolar               Power (100 watts), high current                 Linear and smart power products,
                                 (10 amps)                                       switching regulators

Low Noise Bipolar                Precision, low current, low noise,              Op amps, voltage references
                                 high gain

High Speed Bipolar               Fast, wideband, video high data                 Op amps, video, comparators,
                                 rate                                            switching regulators

JFETS                            Speed, precision, low current                   Op amps, switches, sample and
                                                                                 hold

Rad - Hard                       Total dose radiation hardened                   All space products

Complementary Bipolar            Speed, low distortion, precision                Op amps, video amps, converters

CMOS/ Thin Films                 Stability, precision                            Filters, data conversion

High Voltage CMOS                High voltage general-purpose,                   Switches, chopper amplifiers
                                 compatible with Bipolar

Bipolar/Thin Films               Precision, stability, matching                  Converters, amplifiers



         The Company  emphasizes  quality and  reliability  from initial product
design through  manufacturing,  packaging and testing. The Company's design team
focuses on fault  tolerant  design and optimum  location of circuit  elements to
enhance reliability.  Linear Technology's wafer fabrication facilities have been
designed to minimize wafer handling and the impact of operator error through the
use of  microprocessor-controlled  equipment.  The Company has obtained  Defense
Supply Center,  Columbus (DSCC) qualification to participate in high reliability
JAN38510 (class B) military business.  The Company has also received Jan Class S
Microcircuit  Certification,  which enables the Company to manufacture  products
intended  for use in space or for critical  applications  where  replacement  is
extremely difficult or impossible and where reliability is imperative.

         The  Company is  certified  to comply  with the  ISO9001  international
quality standard. This certification covers the Company's design,  manufacturing
and  service  organizations  and  is an  important  standard  especially  in the
European  marketplace.   The  Company  has  received   MIL-PRF-38535   Qualified
Manufacturers Listing (QML) certification for military products from DSCC.

         Processed wafers are sent to either the Company's  assembly facility in
Penang,  Malaysia  or to offshore  independent  assembly  contractors  where the
wafers are separated into individual circuits and packaged.  The Penang facility
opened in October 1994 and services  approximately  two-thirds  of the Company's
assembly requirements for plastic packages.  Significant assembly subcontractors
used by the Company are Carsem(M) Sdn,  Carsem  Semiconductor  Sdn and Unisem(M)
Sdn located in Malaysia. The Company also maintains domestic assembly operations
to satisfy  particular  customer  requirements,  especially  those for  military
applications, and to provide rapid turnaround for new product development.

                                       8


         After  assembly,  most  products  are sent to the  Company's  Singapore
facility for final testing,  inspection and packaging as required. Some products
are returned to Milpitas for the same back-end processing.

         Linear  Technology from time to time has experienced  competition  from
other manufacturers seeking assembly of circuits by independent contractors. The
Company  currently  believes that alternative  foreign assembly sources could be
obtained without significant interruption.  Foreign assembly is subject to risks
normally  associated  with  foreign  operations,   including  changes  in  local
governmental  policies,  currency  fluctuations,  transportation  delays and the
imposition of export controls or increased import tariffs.

         From time to time  certain  materials,  including  silicon  wafers  and
plastic molding  compounds,  have been in short supply.  To date the Company has
experienced no delays in obtaining raw materials  which have adversely  affected
production.  As  is  typical  in  the  industry,  the  Company  must  allow  for
significant lead times in delivery of its materials.

         Manufacturing of individual  products,  from wafer fabrication  through
final  testing,  may take from ten to sixteen  weeks.  Since the Company sells a
wide  variety of device  types,  and  customers  typically  expect  delivery  of
products within a short period of time following order, the Company  maintains a
substantial work-in-process and finished goods inventory.

         Based on its anticipated production requirements,  the Company believes
it will have  sufficient  available  resources  and  manufacturing  capacity for
fiscal 1999.

Patents, licenses and trademarks

         The Company has been awarded 91 United States patents, and has filed 66
additional patent applications. Although the Company believes that these patents
and patent applications may have value, the Company's future success will depend
primarily  upon the technical  abilities and creative  skills of its  personnel,
rather than on its patents.

         As is common in the  semiconductor  industry,  the Company has at times
been notified of claims that it may be infringing  patents issued to others.  If
it appears  necessary or  desirable,  the Company may seek  licenses  under such
patents,  although there can be no assurance that all necessary  licenses can be
obtained by the Company on acceptable terms.

         In  addition,  from time to time the Company may  negotiate  with other
companies  to license  patents,  products or process  technology  for use in its
business.

Government sales

         The Company currently has no material U.S. Government contracts.

Competition

         Linear  Technology  competes  in the high  performance  segment  of the
linear  market.  The  Company's   competitors  include  Analog  Devices,   Inc.,
Burr-Brown  Corporation,   Maxim  Integrated  Products,  Inc.,  Motorola,  Inc.,
National Semiconductor Corporation and Texas Instruments, Inc. Competition among
manufacturers  of linear  integrated  circuits  is  intense,  and certain of the
Company's  competitors  may have  significantly  greater  financial,  technical,
manufacturing and marketing  resources than the Company.  The principal elements
of  competition  include  product  performance,  functional  value,  quality and
reliability, technical service and support, price, diversity of product line and
delivery  capabilities.  The Company believes it competes favorably with respect
to these factors,  although it may be at a disadvantage  in comparison to larger
companies with broader product lines and greater  technical  service and support
capabilities.

                                       9


Research and development

         The  Company's  ability to compete  depends in part upon its  continued
introduction of technologically  innovative  products on a timely basis.  Linear
Technology's  product  development  strategy emphasizes a broad line of standard
products to address a diversity of customer applications. The Company's research
and development  efforts are directed primarily at designing and introducing new
products  and,  to a  lesser  extent,  developing  new  processes  and  advanced
packaging.

         As of June 28,  1998,  the  Company  had 156  employees  engaged in new
product design at its Milpitas  facility.  In addition,  at fiscal year end, the
Company had 12 employees at its  Singapore  design  center,  18 employees at its
Boston design center and 9 employees at its new Colorado design center opened in
fiscal 1997.

         For  the  fiscal  years  1998,   1997  and  1996,   the  Company  spent
approximately $46.2 million, $35.4 million and $31.1 million,  respectively,  on
research and development.

Environmental regulation

         Federal,  state  and local  regulations  impose  various  environmental
controls on the storage,  use,  discharge and disposal of certain  chemicals and
gases used in  semiconductor  processing.  The  Company's  facilities  have been
designed to comply with these  regulations,  and the Company  believes  that its
activities  conform  to present  environmental  regulations.  Increasing  public
attention has, however,  been focused on the environmental impact of electronics
manufacturing  operations.  While the  Company to date has not  experienced  any
materially adverse business effects from environmental regulations, there can be
no assurance  that changes in such  regulations  will not require the Company to
acquire costly remediation  equipment or to incur substantial expenses to comply
with such  regulations.  Any failure by semiconductor  companies,  including the
Company, to control the storage,  use or disposal of, or adequately restrict the
discharge  of  hazardous  substances  could  also  subject  them to  significant
liabilities.

Employees

         As of June 28, 1998, the Company had 2,155 employees,  including 159 in
marketing  and sales,  448 in  research,  development  and  engineering  related
functions,  1,470  in  manufacturing  and  production,  and  78  in  management,
administration  and finance.  The Company's success depends upon a number of key
employees,  the loss of whom could  adversely  impact the  Company.  The Company
believes  that its future  success will depend in large part upon its ability to
attract,  retain and motivate highly skilled employees.  In the San Jose/Silicon
Valley area, where the Company's principal  facilities are located,  competition
for such employees is intense.

         The Company has never had a work stoppage, no employees are represented
by a labor organization,  and the Company considers its employee relations to be
good.

Executive Officers of the Registrant

         The  executive  officers of the Company,  and their ages as of June 28,
1998, are as follows:

Name                            Age              Position
- ----                            ---              --------
                                           
Robert H. Swanson, Jr. .........  59             President, Director and Chief Executive Officer
Paul Chantalat..................  48             Vice President Quality and Reliability
Paul Coghlan....................  53             Vice President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer
Timothy D. Cox..................  50             Vice President of North American Sales
Clive B. Davies.................  55             Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
Robert C. Dobkin................  54             Vice President of Engineering
Sean T. Hurley..................  60             Vice President of Operations
Louis Di Nardo..................  39             Vice President of Marketing
Hans J. Zapf....................  58             Vice President of International Sales
Arthur F. Schneiderman..........  56             Secretary


                                       10


         Mr. Swanson, a founder of the Company,  has served as President,  Chief
Executive  Officer  and a director  of the Company  since its  incorporation  in
September  1981.  From  August  1968 to July 1981,  he was  employed  in various
positions at National Semiconductor Corporation ("National"),  a manufacturer of
integrated circuits,  including Vice President and General Manager of the Linear
Integrated  Circuit Operation and Managing Director in Europe. Mr. Swanson has a
BS degree in Industrial Engineering from Northeastern University.

         Mr.  Chantalat has served as Vice President of Quality and  Reliability
since  July  1991.  From  January  1989 to July 1991,  he held the  position  of
Director of Quality and Reliability.  From July 1983 to January 1989 he held the
position of Manager of Quality and Reliability. From February 1976 to July 1983,
he was employed in various positions at National, where his most recent position
was Group Manager of Manufacturing Quality Engineering. Mr. Chantalat received a
BS and an MS in  Electrical  Engineering  from  Stanford  University in 1970 and
1972, respectively.

         Mr. Coghlan has served as Vice President of Finance and Chief Financial
Officer of the Company since December 1986.  From October 1981 until joining the
Company, he was employed in various positions at GenRad, Inc., a manufacturer of
automated test  equipment,  including  Corporate  Controller,  Vice President of
Corporate  Quality and most recently Vice  President and General  Manager of the
Structural Test Products Division.  Before joining GenRad, Inc., Mr. Coghlan was
associated  with Price  Waterhouse  & Company  in the  United  States and Paris,
France for twelve years.  Mr. Coghlan  received a BA from Boston College in 1966
and an MBA from Babson College in 1968.

         Mr. Cox was appointed  Vice  President of North  American Sales in July
1991.  From  February  1991 to July 1991 he held the  position  of  Director  of
National Sales. From January 1990 to February 1991, and February 1983 to October
1987 he was employed at National where his most recent  position was Director of
Northwestern  Sales.  From October 1987 to June 1989,  he was Vice  President of
Sales for Micro Linear.  Prior to 1983,  Mr. Cox was employed for seven years as
Vice  President & Principal  of Micro Sales Inc. Mr. Cox received a BSEE in 1970
from Valparaiso Technical Institute, Valparaiso, Indiana.

         Dr.  Davies has served as Vice  President and Chief  Operating  Officer
since January 1989. From July 1982 to January 1989, Dr. Davies held the position
of Vice President of Quality,  Reliability and Customer Service. From April 1971
to July 1982, he was employed in various positions at National,  including Group
Director for Advanced  Technology,  Group Managing Director of the Singapore and
Hong Kong  Manufacturing  Operations  and Business  Director of Standard  Linear
Integrated Circuit  Operations.  Dr. Davies received a B.Sc. (Honors) in Physics
in 1964 and a Ph.D. in Physics in 1967 from the University of Reading, England.

         Mr. Dobkin,  a founder of the Company,  has served as Vice President of
Engineering since its incorporation in September 1981. From January 1969 to July
1981,  he was employed in various  positions at National,  where his most recent
position was Director of Advanced Circuit Development.  Mr. Dobkin has extensive
experience  in linear  circuit  design.  Mr. Dobkin  attended the  Massachusetts
Institute of Technology.

         Mr.  Hurley has served as Vice  President of  Operations  since January
1989. From January 1973 to January 1989 he was employed in various  positions at
National,  most  recently  as  Director  of Linear  Operations.  Before  joining
National,  Mr. Hurley was Director of European Operations for Applied Materials,
Inc. Mr. Hurley  received a B.S. in Chemistry in 1961 and an M.S. in Solid State
Physics in 1965 from the University of London.

         Mr. Di Nardo was  appointed  Vice  President  of  Marketing in January,
1997. Prior to this appointment he held the position of Manager of North America
Distribution since 1992.  Previously he held several management positions in the
northeastern United States since joining the Company in 1988. From 1981 to 1988,
Mr. Di Nardo held several sales management  positions in the mid-Atlantic states
area with Analog Devices,  Inc. Mr. Di Nardo received a B.S. degree from Ursinus
College, Pennsylvania in 1981.

         Mr. Zapf was appointed  Vice President of  International  Sales in July
1991.  From June 1982 to July 1991, he was Director of  International  Marketing
and  Sales.  From  September  1972 to June  1982,  Mr.  Zapf was  with  Teledyne
Semiconductor  where he held  several  management  positions  in Europe  and the
United  States  including  Vice  President  of  Marketing  and  Sales.  Prior to
September  1972, Mr. Zapf worked as a designer for Brown Boveri in  Switzerland.
Mr. Zapf holds an MSEE degree from Zurich University.

                                       11


         Mr. Schneiderman has served as Secretary of the Company since September
1981.  He is an  attorney  and a  member  of the law  firm of  Wilson,  Sonsini,
Goodrich & Rosati, Professional Corporation, general counsel to the Company.

Item 2.  Properties

         In  Milpitas,  California,  the  Company  owns the land and a  building
totaling   approximately  40,600  square  feet  used  for  its  four-inch  wafer
fabrication  lines and adjunct  support  services.  The Company leases two other
buildings in the same business  complex:  a 43,000 square foot building used for
testing, shipping and administration,  and a 60,000 square foot building used to
house  primarily  circuit  design  activities.  During fiscal 1996,  the Company
purchased  neighboring  land and two  buildings  totaling  approximately  57,000
square feet that it had previously  leased.  The Company demolished the existing
buildings and is constructing a new 70,000 square foot  administration  building
on this land that it  intends  to occupy  during  fiscal  1999.  The  Company is
negotiating  purchase  of a  96,000  square  foot  building  near  its  existing
facilities  in Milpitas,  California.  This  building will be converted to a new
wafer fabrication plant expected to be completed in fiscal 2000.

         The Company  occupies a 72,000  square foot  manufacturing  facility in
Singapore.  Test and packaging  operations  are performed at this facility along
with certain design and product distribution activity. The Company has a 30-year
lease on the land where the plant is located  that  commenced  in 1994,  with an
option to extend for an additional 30 years.

         In 1994,  the Company  opened a 55,000  square foot  assembly  plant in
Penang,  Malaysia.  The Company has a 60-year  lease on the land where the plant
was constructed.

         During  fiscal 1996,  the Company  completed  construction  of a 60,000
square foot facility on land it owns in Camas, Washington. This facility is used
to  fabricate  six-inch  wafers.  Manufacturing  operations  commenced  at  this
facility in the second half of fiscal 1997.

         The Company  leases  design  facilities  located in  Colorado  Springs,
Colorado and the metropolitan area of Boston, Massachusetts. In fiscal 1999, the
Company  intends to purchase land in the Boston  metropolitan  area and commence
construction  of a new design  center.  The Company  leases sales offices in the
areas of Boston,  Philadelphia,  Raleigh,  Chicago, Dallas, Austin, Houston, San
Jose, Los Angeles, Irvine, London,  Stockholm,  Dusseldorf,  Munich,  Stuttgart,
Paris,  Tokyo,  Taipei and Seoul. See Note 3 of Notes to Consolidated  Financial
Statements  incorporated  by  reference  to Exhibit 13.1 of this Form 10-K which
contains  certain  information  included in the Company's  1998 Annual Report to
Shareholders.

Item 3.  Legal Proceedings

         The  Company  is  involved  in  various  legal  actions  arising in the
ordinary course of business. While the outcome of such matters is uncertain, the
Company  believes that these matters will not have a material  adverse effect on
the Company's financial condition or results of operations.

Item 4.  Submission of Matter to a Vote of Security Holders

         Not applicable.

                                       12


                                     PART II

Item 5.  Market  for the  Registrant's  Common  Equity and  Related  Stockholder
         Matters

         The  information  required by the Item is  incorporated by reference to
the section entitled  "Quarterly  Results and Stock Market Data" of Exhibit 13.1
to  this  Form  10-K  which  contains  certain   information   included  in  the
Registrant's 1998 Annual Report to Shareholders.

Item 6.  Selected Financial Data

         The  information  required by the Item is  incorporated by reference to
the section entitled "Selected Financial Information/Five-Year Trend" of Exhibit
13.1 to this  Form 10-K  which  contains  certain  information  included  in the
Registrant's 1998 Annual Report to Shareholders.

Item 7.  Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results
         of Operations


         The  information  required by the Item is  incorporated by reference to
the  section  entitled  "Management's  Discussion  and  Analysis  of  Results of
Operations  and  Financial  Condition"  of Exhibit  13.1 to this Form 10-K which
contains certain information  included in the Registrant's 1998 Annual Report to
Shareholders.

Item 8.  Financial Statements and Supplementary Data

         Consolidated  Financial  Statements  of Linear  Technology  at June 28,
1998, and June 29, 1997 and for each of the three years in the period ended June
28, 1998,  the report of Ernst & Young LLP,  independent  auditors,  thereon and
unaudited  quarterly  financial data for the two year period ended June 28, 1998
are  incorporated  by reference to Exhibit 13.1 of this Form 10-K which contains
certain  information   included  in  the  Registrant's  1998  Annual  Report  to
Shareholders.

Item 9.  Changes  in  and  Disagreements  with  Accountants  on  Accounting  and
         Financial Disclosure

         Not applicable.

                                       13


                                    PART III

Item 10. Directors and Executive Officers of the Registrant

         The  information  required by this item for the Company's  directors is
incorporated  by  reference  to the 1998  Proxy  Statement,  under  the  caption
"Election of  Directors,"  and for the  executive  officers of the Company,  the
information is included in Part I hereof under the caption  "Executive  Officers
of the Registrant."

Item 11. Executive Compensation

         Incorporated  by  reference  to the 1998 Proxy  Statement,  the section
titled "Executive Compensation."


Item 12. Security  Ownership  of Certain  Beneficial  Owners  and Management

         Incorporated  by  reference  to the 1998 Proxy  Statement,  the section
titled  "Record Date and Voting  Securities"  and the section  titled  "Security
Ownership."

Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions

         Not applicable.

                                       14


                                     PART IV

Item 14. Exhibits,  Financial Statements, Schedules, and  Reports on Form 8-K

(a)  1.  Financial Statements

                  The financial  statements listed in the accompanying  Index to
         Consolidated  Financial  Statements  are  filed as part of this  Annual
         Report.

     2.  Schedules

                  The financial statement schedule listed in Item 14(d) is filed
         as part of this Annual Report.

                  All other schedules are omitted since the information required
         by  the  schedule  is not  applicable,  or is not  present  in  amounts
         sufficient  to require  submission  of the  schedule,  or  because  the
         information   required  is  included  in  the  Consolidated   Financial
         Statements and notes thereto.

     3.  Exhibits

                  The  exhibits  listed in Item  14(c) are filed as part of this
         Annual  Report.  Each  compensatory  plan required to be filed has been
         indicated in Item 14(c).

(b) Reports on Form 8-K.

         None

(c)   Exhibits

3.1      Articles of Incorporation of Registrant, as amended.(1)

3.3      Bylaws of Registrant, as amended.(3)

10.1     1981 Incentive Stock Option Plan, as amended,  and form of Stock Option
         Agreements,    as   amended   (including    Restricted    StockPurchase
         Agreement).(*)(5)

10.11    Agreement   to  Build  and  Lease   dated   January  8,  1986   between
         Callahan-Pentz Properties, McCarthy Six and the Registrant.(2)

10.25    1986 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, as amended, and form of Subscription
         Agreement.(*)(4)

10.35    1988 Stock Option  Plan,  as amended,  form of  Incentive  Stock Option
         Agreement, as amended, and form of Nonstatutory Stock Option Agreement,
         as amended.(*)(8)

10.36    Form of Indemnification Agreement.(3)

10.45    Land  lease  dated  March  30,  1993  between  the  Registrant  and the
         Singapore Housing and Development Board.(6)

10.46    Land lease dated  November  20, 1993  between  the  Registrant  and the
         Penang Development Corporation. (7)

10.47    1996  Incentive  Stock  Option  Plan,  form of  Incentive  Stock Option
         Agreement and form of Nonstatutory Stock Option Agreement.(*) (9)

10.48    1996 Senior Executive Bonus Plan.(*) (9)

                                       15


13.1     Certain  information  included  in the  Registrant's  Annual  Report to
         Shareholders for the fiscal year ended June 28, 1998.

21.1     Subsidiaries of Registrant.

23.1     Consent of Ernst & Young LLP, Independent Auditors. (see page 21)

24.1     Power of Attorney. (see page 18)

27.1     Financial Data Schedule for the year ended June 28, 1998

27.2     Financial Data Schedule for the year ended June 29, 1997 (Restated)

27.3     Financial Data Schedule for the year ended June 30 , 1996 (Restated)

27.4     Financial  Data  Schedule for the three months ended  December 29, 1996
         (Restated)

27.5     Financial  Data Schedule for the three months ended  September 29, 1996
         (Restated)


(d)      Financial  Statement  Schedule filed as a part of this Annual Report is
         listed below:

Schedule
Number   Description
- ------   -----------

II       Valuation and qualifying accounts.

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

(Footnotes to Item 14 (c))

(*)  The item listed is a compensatory plan of the Company.

(1)      Incorporated  by reference to  identically  numbered  exhibit  filed in
         response to Item 14(a)(3) "Exhibits," of the Company's Annual Report on
         Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended July 2, 1995.

(2)      Incorporated  by reference to  identically  numbered  exhibits filed in
         response to Item 16(a),  "Exhibits," of the  Registrant's  Registration
         Statement on Form S-1 and  Amendment  No. 1 and Amendment No. 2 thereto
         (File No. 33-4766), which became effective on May 28, 1986.

(3)      Incorporated  by reference to  identically  numbered  exhibit  filed in
         response  to  Item 6,  "Exhibits  and  Reports  on  Form  8-K,"  of the
         Registrant's  Quarterly  Report  on Form  10-Q  for the  quarter  ended
         October 2, 1988.

(4)      Incorporated  by reference to  identically  numbered  exhibit  filed in
         response  to  Item 6,  "Exhibits  and  Reports  on  Form  8-K,"  of the
         Registrant's  Quarterly  Report  on Form  10-Q  for the  quarter  ended
         December 28, 1997.

(5)      Incorporated  by reference to  identically  numbered  exhibit  filed in
         response  to  Item 6,  "Exhibits  and  Reports  on  Form  8-K,"  of the
         Registrant's  Quarterly  Report  on Form  10-Q  for the  quarter  ended
         December 30, 1990.

(6)      Incorporated  by reference to  identically  numbered  exhibit  filed in
         response to Item 14(a)(3) "Exhibits," of the Registrant's Annual Report
         on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 27, 1993.

(7)      Incorporated  by reference to  identically  numbered  exhibit  filed in
         response to Item 14(a)(3) "Exhibits," of the Registrant's Annual Report
         on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended July 3, 1994.

                                       16


(8)      Incorporated  by reference to  identically  numbered  exhibit  filed in
         response  to  Item 6,  "Exhibits  and  Reports  on  Form  8-K,"  of the
         Registrant's  Quarterly  Report  on Form  10-Q  for the  quarter  ended
         October 2, 1994.

(9)      Incorporated  by reference to  identically  numbered  exhibit  filed in
         response  to  Item 6,  "Exhibits  and  Reports  on  Form  8-K,"  of the
         Registrant's  Quarterly  Report  on Form  10-Q  for the  quarter  ended
         December 29, 1996.



                          LINEAR TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION

                   INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
                                  (Item 14(a)1)


                                                                                        Page Reference to
                                                                                        Exhibit 13.1
                                                                                     
Consolidated balance sheets at June 28, 1998 and June 29, 1997                          E13.1-7

Consolidated statements of income for each of the three
years in the period ended June 28, 1998                                                 E13.1-6

Consolidated statements of shareholders' equity for each of
the three years in the period ended June 28, 1998                                       E13.1-9

Consolidated statements of cash flows for each of the three
years in the period ended June 28, 1998                                                 E13.1-8

Notes to consolidated financial statements                                              E13.1-10 to
                                                                                        E13.1-16

Report of Ernst & Young LLP, independent auditors                                       E13.1-17


         The  Consolidated  Financial  Statements  listed in the above index are
hereby  incorporated  by  reference  to  Exhibit  13.1 of this Form  10-K  which
contains  certain  information  included in the  Registrant's  Annual  Report to
Shareholders for the year ended June 28, 1998.

                                       17


                                   SIGNATURES

         Pursuant to the  requirements of Section 13 or 15 (d) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934,  the  registrant  has duly caused this Annual Report to be
signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.


                          LINEAR TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
                          -----------------------------
                                  (Registrant)

                         By: /s/ Robert H. Swanson, Jr.
                         ------------------------------
                             Robert H. Swanson, Jr.
                               President and Chief
                                Executive Officer
                               September 21, 1998

                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

         Know all persons by these  presents,  that each person whose  signature
appears below constitutes and appoints Robert H. Swanson,  Jr. and Paul Coghlan,
jointly  and  severally,   his   attorneys-in-fact,   each  with  the  power  of
substitution,  for him in any and all capacities, to sign any amendments to this
Report on Form  10-K,  and to file the same,  with  exhibits  thereto  and other
documents in connection therewith,  with the Securities and Exchange Commission,
hereby ratifying and confirming all that each of said attorneys-in-fact,  or his
substitute or substitutes, may do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

         Pursuant to the  requirements  of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934,
this  report has been  signed  below by the  following  persons on behalf of the
registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

/s/ Robert H. Swanson, Jr.             /s/ Paul Coghlan
- --------------------------             ----------------
Robert H. Swanson, Jr.                 Paul Coghlan
President and Chief Executive          Vice President of Finance and Chief
Officer (Principal Executive           Financial Officer (Principal Financial
Officer) and Director                  Officer and Principal Accounting Officer)
September 21, 1998                     September 21, 1998

/s/ David S. Lee                       /s/ Thomas S. Volpe
- ----------------                       -------------------
David S. Lee                           Thomas S. Volpe
Director                               Director
September 21, 1998                     September 21, 1998

/s/ Leo T. McCarthy                    /s/ Richard M. Moley
- -------------------                    --------------------
Leo T. McCarthy                        Richard M. Moley
Director                               Director
September 21, 1998                     September 21, 1998

                                       18


                                                        SCHEDULE II


                                                LINEAR TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION

                                              VALUATION AND QUALIFYING ACCOUNTS
                                                   (Dollars in thousands)

                                                                   Additions
                                                  Balance at       Charged to                        Balance at
                                                  Beginning        Costs and                           End of
                                                  of Period        Expenses         Deductions(1)      Period
                                                  ---------        --------         -------------      ------
                                                                                            
Allowance for doubtful accounts:

Year ended June 30, 1996.................             $728             $60               $12            $776
                                                      ====             ===               ===            ====

Year ended June 29, 1997.................             $776             $30               $ 3            $803
                                                      ====             ===               ===            ====

Year ended June 28, 1998.................             $803             $--               $--            $803
                                                      ====             ===               ===            ====

<FN>
(1)  Write-offs of doubtful accounts.
</FN>


                                       19