EQUITY AND CASH COMPENSATION UNDER THE PPG AGREEMENTS

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2019

Long Term Commitment Excluding Unconditional Purchase Obligation [Abstract]

EQUITY AND CASH COMPENSATION UNDER THE PPG AGREEMENTS

10. 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 Industries (the New OLED Materials Agreement), which replaced the original OLED Materials Agreement with PPG Industries 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 Industries 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 Industries 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 Industries 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 Industries in cash. No shares were issued for services to PPG for the three or nine months ended September 30, 2019 or 2018.

The Company is also required to reimburse PPG Industries 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 $580,000 and $203,000 for the three months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively, and $941,000 and $403,000 for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively, in relation to the cash portion of the reimbursement of expenses and work performed by PPG Industries, excluding amounts paid for commercial chemicals.