<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0303</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4/A</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2010-05-26</periodOfReport>

    <dateOfOriginalSubmission>2010-05-26</dateOfOriginalSubmission>

    <notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0001094392</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>RUDOLPH TECHNOLOGIES INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>rtec</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001225870</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>GREIG THOMAS G</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O LIBERTY PARTNERS</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>1370 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>NEW YORK</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>NY</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>10019</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                <footnoteId id="F2"/>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2010-05-26</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>J</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
                <footnoteId id="F3"/>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>25000</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>8.37</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>50500</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F4"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">This filing amends the Form 4 filed on May 26, 2010 (the &quot;Original Form 4&quot;) to report a transaction in securities held by Liberty Partners Holdings 11, LLC. Liberty Partners, L.P. is the manager of Liberty Partners Holdings 11, LLC and PEB Associates, Inc. d/b/a Liberty Capital Partners, Inc. is the general partner of Liberty Partners, LP. Reporting Person is an officer, director and shareholder of Liberty Capital Partners, Inc. Reporting Person disclaims beneficial ownership to the extent it exceeds his pecuniary interest in the securities, and this report shall not be deemed an admission that the Reporting Person is the beneficial owner of such securities for purposes of Section 16 or any other purpose.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">The Original Form 4 is being amended (i) to include the Reporting Person's direct beneficial holdings of issuer securities as a line item in Table I and (ii) to provide the correct total number of securities beneficially owned by Reporting Person following the transaction referred to above.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">Distribution of shares to certain of its members (see note (1) above).  These 25,000 shares represent the Reporting Person's proportionate interest in the distribution.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F4">Certain Forms 4 previously filed by the Reporting Person have incorrectly reported the total number of securities beneficially owned by the Reporting Person following the transactions reported thereon.  As a result of grants of restricted stock units to the Reporting Person on 7/28/05, 7/27/06, 7/26/07, 10/23/08 and 7/30/09 (which were reported on Form 4) the Reporting Person directly beneficially held 25,500 restricted stock units prior to the distribution of shares reported here.  Following the distribution, the Reporting Person directly beneficially holds a total of 50,500 shares and restricted stock units as reported above in column 5.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>By: Robert A. Koch For: Thomas G. Greig</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2010-08-27</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
