EQUITY AND CASH COMPENSATION UNDER THE PPG AGREEMENTS

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Long Term Commitment Excluding Unconditional Purchase Obligation [Abstract]

EQUITY AND CASH COMPENSATION UNDER THE PPG AGREEMENTS

11. EQUITY AND CASH COMPENSATION UNDER THE PPG AGREEMENTS:

On September 22, 2011, the Company entered into an Amended and Restated OLED Materials Supply and Service Agreement with PPG (the New OLED Materials Agreement), which replaced the original OLED Materials Agreement with PPG effective as of October 1, 2011. The term of the New OLED Materials Agreement ran through December 31, 2015 and shall be automatically renewed for additional one year terms, unless terminated by the Company by providing prior notice of one year or terminated by PPG by providing prior notice of two years. The agreement was automatically renewed through December 31, 2019. The New OLED Materials Agreement contains provisions that are substantially similar to those of the original OLED Materials Agreement. Under the New OLED Materials Agreement, PPG continues to assist the Company in developing its proprietary OLED materials and supplying the Company with those materials for evaluation purposes and for resale to its customers.

Under the New OLED Materials Agreement, the Company compensates PPG on a cost-plus basis for the services provided during each calendar quarter. The Company is required to pay for some of these services in all cash. Up to 50% of the remaining services are payable, at the Company’s sole discretion, in cash or shares of the Company’s common stock, with the balance payable in cash. The actual number of shares of common stock issuable to PPG is determined based on the average closing price for the Company’s common stock during a specified number of days prior to the end of each calendar half-year period ending on March 31 and September 30. If, however, this average closing price is less than $20.00, the Company is required to compensate PPG in cash. No shares were issued for services to PPG for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016.

The Company is also required to reimburse PPG for raw materials used for research and development. The Company records the purchases of these raw materials as a current asset until such materials are used for research and development efforts.

The Company recorded research and development expense of $771,000, $1.7 million and $2.3 million for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively, in relation to the cash portion of the reimbursement of expenses and work performed by PPG, excluding amounts paid for commercial chemicals.