10-Q 1 rtec10q_q201.htm RUDOLPH TECHNOLOGIES, INC. FORM 10Q 6/30/01 Form_10Q_601
 
 
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
 


FORM 10-Q

(MARK ONE)

   [X]    QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES
             EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
             For the quarterly period ended: June 30, 2001

OR

    [_]    TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES
             EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
             For the transition period from              to
 
Commission File No. 000-27965
 
 
RUDOLPH TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
 
DELAWARE 22-3531208
(State or Other Jurisdiction of (I.R.S. Employer
Incorporation or Organization) Identification Number)
 
One Rudolph Road,
Flanders, New Jersey  07836
(Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)
 
(973) 691-1300
(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)
 
 


 

        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 [_]
 
        The number of outstanding shares of the Registrant's Common Stock on August 6, 2001 was 16,082,121.

 

 

PART I    FINANCIAL INFORMATION
 
 
Item 1.
Financial Statements
 
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets at June 30, 2001 and December 31, 2000
 
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations for the three and six  months ended June 30, 2001 and 2000
 
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the six months ended June 30, 2001 and 2000
 
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements
Item 2.
Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
Item 3.
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk

 

PART II    OTHER INFORMATION

Item 4.
Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders
Item 6.
Exhibits and Reports on Form 8-K

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 
 
PART I   FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Item 1.   Financial Statements
 
RUDOLPH TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
 
(In Thousands)
(Unaudited)
 
 
June 30,
2001
December 31,
2000
ASSETS
Current assets:
     Cash and cash equivalents $ 86,636 $ 29,736
     Accounts receivable, net 26,823 27,132
     Inventories 25,259 23,773
     Prepaid expenses and other current assets 1,909 4,527
          Total current assets 140,627 85,168
Net property, plant and equipment 5,359 3,824
Intangibles 2,351 2,520
Deferred taxes 6,121 6,628
Other assets 325 414
          Total assets $ 154,783 $ 98,554

LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY

Current liabilities:
     Accounts payable and accrued liabilities $ 6,329 $ 7,062
     Other current liabilities 9,343 7,919
          Total current liabilities 15,672 14,981
Other long-term liabilities 45 65
          Total liabilities 15,717 15,046
Commitments and contingencies
Stockholders' equity
     Common stock 16 15
     Additional paid-in capital 132,759 87,385
     Other comprehensive loss (312) (275)
     Accumulated earnings/(deficit) 6,603 (3,617)
          Total stockholders' equity 139,066 83,508
          Total liabilities and stockholders' equity $ 154,783 $ 98,554
 
 
 
 
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
 
 

 


 
 
 

 
 
 
RUDOLPH TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
 
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(In Thousands, Except Share Data)
(Unaudited)
 
 

Three Months Ended
June 30,

Six Months Ended
June 30,

2001

2000

2001 2000
Revenues $ 23,088 $ 19,901 $ 53,649 $ 35,743
Cost of revenues 11,089 9,234 24,902 17,202
          Gross profit

11,999

10,667

28,747 18,541
Operating expenses:
          Research and development 3,481 1,966 6,427 3,706
          Selling, general and administrative 2,760 3,213 7,501 6,292
          Amortization 85 85 169 169
                    Total operating expenses

6,326

5,264

14,097 10,167
Operating income 5,673 5,403 14,650 8,374
Interest income and other, net

(860)

(545)

(1,575) (1,044)
Income before income taxes and cumulative effect on prior years of the application of SAB 101 6,533 5,948 16,225 9,418
Provision (benefit) for income taxes 2,416 (2,564) 6,006 (1,235)
Cumulative effect on prior years of the application of SAB 101, net of tax of $924 - - - 1,458
Net income $  4,117 $  8,512 $ 10,219 $  9,195
Net income per share:
          Basic $  0.26 $ 0.58 $ 0.65 $ 0.63
          Diluted $ 0.25 $ 0.54 $ 0.62 $ 0.58
Weighted average shares outstanding:
          Basic 16,039,391 14,730,631 15,703,506 14,707,850
          Diluted 16,712,286 15,756,738 16,386,236 15,820,062
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
RUDOLPH TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
 
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(In Thousands)
(Unaudited)
 
Six Months Ended
June 30,
2001 2000
Cash flows from operating activities:
     Net income $ 10,219 $ 9,195
     Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided 
        by (used in) operating activities:
          Amortization 169 169
          Depreciation 430 301
          Tax benefit for exercise of employee stock options 1,535 -
          Provision for doubtful accounts (50) 38
          Deferred income taxes 1,716 (4,199)
          Decrease (increase) in assets:
               Accounts receivable 334 (8,973)
               Income taxes receivable 1,349 -
               Inventories (1,530) (4,240)
               Prepaid expenses and other 196 163
          Increase (decrease) in liabilities:
               Accounts payable (1,300) 886
               Accrued liabilities (8) 531
               Income taxes payable 593 177
               Deferred revenue 1,833 3,579
               Other liabilities (415) 220
                         Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities 15,071 (2,153)
Cash flows from investing activities:
          Purchase of property, plant and equipment (1,962) (404)
          Proceeds from disposal of property, plant
            and equipment
- 16
                         Net cash used in investing activities (1,962) (388)
Cash flows from financing activities:
          Proceeds from sale of common stock,
            net of expenses
42,031 -
          Exercise of employee stock options and employee
            stock purchase plan
1,808 47
                         Net cash provided by financing activities 43,839 47
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash (48) 2
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents 56,900 (2,492)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period 29,736 35,076
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period $ 86,636 $ 32,584
 
 
 
 
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 


 

 
 
RUDOLPH TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
 
NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(In Thousands, Except Share Data)
 
 
NOTE 1.    Basis of Presentation

        The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared by Rudolph Technologies, Inc. (the "Company") and in the opinion of management reflect all adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring accruals, necessary for their fair presentation in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.   Preparing financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes.  Actual amounts could differ materially from those amounts.  The results for the three and six month periods ended June 30, 2001 are not necessarily indicative of results to be expected for the entire year.  This financial information should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and the notes thereto included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2000.

 
NOTE 2.   Accounts Receivable
 
        Accounts receivable are net of the allowance for doubtful accounts of $393 and $443 as of June 30, 2001 and December 31, 2000, respectively.
 
 
NOTE 3.    Inventories
 
June 30, December 31,
2001 2000
Materials

$ 16,104

$ 10,701
Work-in-process

6,154

11,295
Finished goods

3,001

1,777
     Total inventories

$ 25,259

$ 23,773

 
      
 
NOTE 4.   Property, Plant and Equipment
June 30, December 31,
2001 2000
Land and building

$ 2,389

$ 1,639
Machinery and equipment

1,401

882
Furniture and fixtures

1,034

864
Computer equipment

2,146

1,643
Leasehold improvements

847

832

7,817

5,860
Accumulated depreciation

(2,458)

(2,036)
     Net property, plant and equipment

$ 5,359

$ 3,824

 

NOTE 5.   Comprehensive Income

        The disclosures required by Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 130, "Reporting Comprehensive Income" ("SFAS 130") have been included below.   The difference between net income and comprehensive income for the Company is due to currency translation adjustments.  The effects of income taxes on comprehensive income was not material.
 
        For the three and six months ended June 30, 2001 comprehensive income amounted to $4,050 and $10,182, respectively.  Comprehensive income for the three and six months ended June 30, 2000 was $8,506 and $9,197, respectively.

 

NOTE 6.   Income Per Share
 
        Basic income per share is calculated using the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period.  Diluted earnings per share is computed in the same manner and also gives effect to all dilutive common equivalent shares outstanding during the period.  Dilutive common equivalent shares consist of stock options for the three and six months ended June 30, 2001 and June 30, 2000.  During the three and six months ended June 30, 2001 and the three and six months ended June 30, 2000, there were stock options with exercise prices above the average fair market value of the Company's common stock for the respective periods which were excluded from the computation of diluted earnings per share due to the anti-dilutive nature of these options.  The weighted average number of stock options excluded from the computation of diluted earnings per share during the three and six months ended June 30, 2001 were 24,562 and 23,032, respectively.  For the three and six months ended June 30, 2000 the weighted average number of stock options excluded from the computation of diluted earnings per share were 31,267 and 13,789, respectively.  
 
        The Company's basic and diluted net income per share amounts are as follows:
Three Months Ended Six Months Ended
June 30, June 30,
2001 2000 2001 2000
Numerator:
     Net income $ 4,117 $ 8,512 $ 10,219 $ 9,195
Denominator:
     Basic net income per share - weighted
        average shares outstanding
16,039,391 14,730,631 15,703,506 14,707,850
     Effect of potential dilutive securities:
        Employee stock options - dilutive shares 672,895 1,026,107 682,730 1,112,212
     Diluted net income per share - weighted
        average shares outstanding
16,712,286 15,756,738 16,386,236 15,820,062
Net income per share:
     Basic $ 0.26 $ 0.58 $ 0.65 $ 0.63
     Diluted $ 0.25 $ 0.54 $ 0.62 $ 0.58
 
NOTE 7.   Contingencies
 
        The Company is presently involved in a patent interference proceeding with Therma-Wave, Inc. in the United States Patent Office.  In this proceeding, the Company is defending its patent rights with respect to some of the multiple angle, multiple wavelength ellipsometry technology it uses in its transparent thin film measurement systems.  Therma-Wave requested that the proceeding be initiated in 1993 by filing a reissue application for one of its own patents, in which it sought to broaden the original issued claims.  The proceeding was initiated by the Patent Office in June 1998.
 
        Preliminary motions and statements have been filed and depositions taken.   In November 1999 the Patent Office denied the Company's request to dismiss the proceedings.   If the Company loses the interference, a reissue patent will be granted to Therma-Wave permitting Therma-Wave to assert patent rights against the ellipsometers the Company uses in its transparent thin film measurement systems.  In that event, the Company could assert a defense of intervening rights against Therma-Wave's reissued patent since the Company relied on the restricted claims of Therma-Wave's original patent.   If the intervening rights defense and other defenses fail, the Company would either have to pay future royalties to Therma-Wave or redesign its transparent thin film measurement systems.  Management is unable to estimate the ultimate resolution of this matter.  However, should the Company be required to pay royalties or redesign its products, it could have a material adverse effect on the Company's business, financial condition and results of operations.
 
        In addition, from time to time the Company is subject to legal proceedings and claims in the ordinary course of business.  Other than the Therma-Wave, Inc. patent interference proceeding discussed above, we are not involved in any material legal proceedings.
 
 
NOTE 8.   Geographic Reporting and Customer Concentration
 
        Revenue by geographic region:

Three Months Ended

Six Months Ended

June 30,

June 30,

2001 2000 2001 2000
United States $   7,839 $   9,036 $ 26,473 $16,770
Asia 8,402 7,450 18,703 12,952
Europe 4,934 3,413 6,560 6,014
Other 1,913 2 1,913 7
     Total $ 23,088 $ 19,901 $ 53,649 $35,743
 
 
        Customers comprising 10% or more of revenue:
Six Months Ended
June 30,
2001 2000
A 40.4% 25.6%
B 8.5% 11.7%
 
 
NOTE 9. Recent Accounting Pronouncements
 
        During June 1998, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 133 "Accounting for Derivative Investments and Hedging Activities" ("SFAS 133").  The Company does not utilize derivatives thus SFAS 133 had no impact on the Company's operations or financial position.
 
        In June 2001, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued SFAS No. 141, "Business Combinations" (effective July 1, 2001) and SFAS No. 142, "Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets" (effective for the Company on January 1, 2002).  SFAS No. 141 prohibits pooling-of-interests accounting for acquisitions.  SFAS No. 142 specifies that goodwill and some intangible assets will no longer be amortized but instead will be subject to periodic impairment testing.  The Company is in the process of evaluating the financial statement impact of adoption of SFAS No. 142.

 

 


 

Item 2.   Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations  
 
        Certain statements in this current report on Form 10-Q are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21C of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.  Forward looking statements may be identified by the words "anticipate", "believe", "expect", "intend", "will" and similar expressions, as they relate to us or our management.
 
        The forward looking statements contained herein reflect our current views with respect to future events and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions.   Actual results may differ materially from those projected in such forward looking statements for a number of factors, risks and uncertainties, including the risk factors set forth in this current report on Form 10-Q and in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2000.
 
Results of Operations for the Three and Six Month Periods Ended June 30, 2001 and 2000
 
        Revenues.     Our revenues are derived from the sale of our metrology systems, services and spare parts.  Our revenues were $23.1 million and $53.6 million for the three and six month periods ended June 30, 2001, compared to $19.9 million  and $35.7 million for the same periods in the prior year, representing an increase of 16% and 50% for the respective periods.  This change was primarily due to increases in unit volume shipments of our MetaPULSE product line to existing customers and expanded sales of new products.
 
       Cost of Revenues and Gross Profit.     Cost of revenues consists of the labor, material and overhead costs of manufacturing our systems, spare parts cost and the cost associated with our worldwide service support infrastructure.  Our gross profit was $12.0 million and $28.7 million for the three and six month periods ended June 30, 2001, compared to $10.7 million and $18.5 million for the same periods in the prior year.  Our gross profit represented 52% and 54% of our revenues for the three and six month periods ended June 30, 2001, compared to 54% and 52% of our revenues for the same periods in the prior year.   The decrease in gross profit as a percentage of revenue for the three month period ended June 30, 2001 compared to June 30, 2000 is the result of higher customer service organization and fixed manufacturing costs.
 
        Research and Development.     Research and development expenditures consist primarily of salaries and related expenses of employees engaged in research, design and development activities.  They also include consulting fees, prototype equipment expenses and the cost of related supplies.  Our research and development expenses were $3.5 million and $6.4 million for the three and six month periods ended June 30, 2001, compared to $2.0 million and $3.7 million for the same periods in the prior year.  As a percentage of revenue, research and development expense represented 15% and 12% of our  revenues for the three and six month periods ended June 30, 2001, compared to 10% of our revenues for both of the same periods in the prior year.  The percentage of revenue and dollar increase in research and development expenses resulted from higher personnel related and parts cost associated with new product development and facilities expansion.
 
        Selling, General and Administrative.     Selling, general and administrative expense is primarily comprised of salaries and related costs for sales, marketing, and general and administrative personnel, as well as commissions, royalties for licensed technology and other non-personnel related expenses.  Our selling, general and administrative expense was $2.8 million and $7.5 million for the three and six month periods ended June 30, 2001, compared to $3.2 million and $6.3 million for the same periods of the prior year.  Selling, general and administrative expense represented 12% and 14% of our revenues for the three and six month periods ended June 30, 2001, compared to 16% and 18% of our revenues for the same periods of the prior year.  The dollar decrease in selling, general and administrative expense from the three month period ended June 30, 2000 to the three month period ended June 30, 2001 is due primarily to cost cutting initiatives, such as, travel limitation, employee reductions and salary freezes as well as the completion of system projects.  The decrease in selling, general and administrative expense as a percentage of revenues resulted from higher revenues in the three and six month periods ended June 30, 2001.
 
        Amortization.      Amortization expense is related to the core technology and goodwill we acquired from our predecessor company in 1996.  Amortization expense was $0.1 million and $0.2 million for each of the three and six month periods ended June 30, 2001 and 2000.
 
        Interest income and other, net.     Interest income and other, net was $0.9 million and $1.6 million for the three and six month periods ended June 30, 2001, compared to $0.5 million and $1.0 million for the same periods in the prior year.   The increase in interest income earned by us in the three and six month periods ended June 30, 2001 was the result of investing the net proceeds from our follow-on public offering of common stock not immediately needed to support our operations. 
 
        Income Taxes.     We use the liability method of accounting for income taxes prescribed by Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 109 "Accounting for Income Taxes".  During the second quarter 2000, we recorded a $4.8 million tax benefit in connection with the reversal of the deferred tax valuation allowance.  We anticipate our effective tax rate for the year to be approximately 37%.
   
        Liquidity and Capital Resources
 
        At June 30, 2001, we had $86.6 million of cash and cash equivalents and $125.0 million in working capital.  At December 31, 2000 we had $29.7 million of cash and cash equivalents and $70.2 million in working capital.
 
       For the six month period ended June 30, 2001, operating activities provided $15.1 million in cash.   Net cash used for operating activities was $2.2 million for the six month period ended June 30, 2000.  The net cash provided by operating activities during the six month period ended June 30, 2001 was primarily a result of net income of $10.2 million, a decrease in deferred revenue of $1.8 million, a tax benefit for the exercise of employee stock options of $1.5 million, and the receipt of an income tax receivable of $1.3 million.  The net cash used in operating activities for the six month period ended June 30, 2000 was primarily to fund an increase in accounts receivable of $9.0 million and inventories of $4.2 million, partially offset by an increase in deferred revenue of $3.6 million and net income of $9.2 million.  Net cash used in investing activities during the six month period ended June 30, 2001 includes capital expenditures of $2.0 million primarily to fund building renovations on our corporate headquarters, internal training tools and to purchase computer equipment necessary for our operations.  Net cash used in investing activities during the six month period ended June 30, 2000 of $0.4 million was primarily for the purchase of software and related computer equipment.  Net cash provided by financing activities for the six month period ended June 30, 2001 of $43.8 million was primarily due to the completion of our follow-on public offering of 1,000,000 shares of common stock at $45.00 per share.  Net proceeds to us after the underwriter's discount and other fees amounted to $42.0 million.
 
        Our future capital requirements will depend on many factors, including the timing and amount of our revenues and our investment commitments, which will affect our ability to generate additional cash.  We believe that our existing cash and cash equivalents will be sufficient to meet our anticipated cash requirements for working capital and capital expenditures for the foreseeable future.  Thereafter, if cash generated from operations and financing activities is insufficient to satisfy our working capital requirements, we may seek additional funding through bank borrowings, sales of securities or other means.   There can be no assurance that we will be able to raise any such capital on terms acceptable to us or at all.
 
Factors that May Affect Future Results
 
      
Cyclicality in the semiconductor device industry has led to substantial decreases in demand for our systems and may from time to time continue to do so
 
        Our operating results will be subject to significant variation due to the cyclical nature of the semiconductor device industry.  We believe the semiconductor device industry is currently experiencing a downturn.  While we are not able to predict the duration or severity of this downturn or the effect it may have on our operating results, past downturns have seriously harmed our operating results.  Our business depends upon the capital expenditures of semiconductor device manufacturers, which, in turn, depend upon the current and anticipated market demand for semiconductors and products using semiconductors.  The semiconductor device industry is cyclical and has historically experienced periodic downturns, which have often resulted in substantial decreases in the semiconductor device industry's demand for capital equipment, including its thin film metrology equipment.  There is typically a six to twelve month lag between a change in the economic condition of the semiconductor device industry and the resulting change in the level of capital expenditures by semiconductor device manufacturers.  In most cases, the resulting decrease in capital expenditures has been more pronounced than the precipitating downturn in semiconductor device industry revenues.  The semiconductor device industry experienced a downturn in 1998, during which industry revenues declined by an estimated 8.4% as reported by World Semiconductor Trade Statistics, Inc.  Our revenues decreased from $35.3 million in 1997 to $20.1 million in 1998.  This downturn and any future downturn in the semiconductor device industry, or any failure of that industry to continue capital expenditures, may seriously harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
 
 
We obtain some of the components and subassemblies included in our systems from a single source or a limited group of suppliers, and the partial or complete loss of one of these suppliers could cause production delays and a substantial loss of revenues
 
        We obtain some of the components and subassemblies included in our systems from a single supplier or a limited group of suppliers.  We do not have long-term contracts with many of our suppliers.  Our dependence on sole source suppliers of components exposes us to several risks, including a potential inability to obtain an adequate supply of components, price increases, late deliveries and poor component quality.   Disruption or termination of the supply of these components could delay shipments of our systems, damage our customer relationships and reduce our sales.  From time to time in the past, we have experienced temporary difficulties in receiving shipments from our suppliers.  The lead time required for shipments of some of our components can be as long as four months.  In addition, the lead time required to qualify new suppliers for lasers could be as long as a year, and the lead time required to qualify new suppliers of other components could be as long as nine months.  If we are unable to accurately predict our component needs, or if our component supply is disrupted, we may miss market opportunities by not being able to meet the demand for our systems.  Further, a significant increase in the price of one or more of these components or subassemblies included in our systems could seriously harm our results of operations.
 
Our operating results have in the past varied and probably will in the future continue to vary significantly from quarter to quarter, causing volatility in our stock price
 
        Our quarterly operating results have varied significantly in the past and may continue to do so in the future, which could cause our stock price to decline.  Some of the factors that may influence our operating results and subject our stock to extreme price and volume fluctuations include:
 
            - changes in customer demand for our systems, which is influenced by economic conditions in the
            semiconductor device industry, demand for products that use semiconductors, market acceptance
            of our systems and those of our customers and changes in our product offerings;
 
            - seasonal variations in customer demand, including the tendency of European sales to slow
            significantly in the third quarter of each year;
 
            - the timing, cancellation or delay of customer orders and shipments;
 
            - product development costs, including increased research, development, engineering and marketing
            expenses associated with our introduction of new products and product enhancements; and
 
            - the levels of our fixed expenses, including research and development costs associated with product
            development, relative to our revenue levels.
 
For example, prior to the second quarter of 1999, we had not reported net income since our predecessor company was acquired by our management and a group of investors in June 1996.  We reported a net loss available to common stockholders for the first quarter of 1999 of $0.7 million and for 1998 of $14.6 million.  If we suffer losses in the future and are not able to maintain profitability, our business will suffer and the price of our common stock will substantially decline.
 
Our revenue may vary significantly each quarter due to relatively small fluctuations in our unit sales
 
        During any quarter, a significant portion of our revenue may be derived from the sale of a relatively small number of systems.  Our transparent film measurement systems range in price from approximately $200,000 to $1.0 million per system and our opaque film measurement systems range in price from approximately $900,000 to $1.6 million per system.   Accordingly, a small change in the number of systems we sell may also cause significant changes in our operating results.  This, in turn, could cause fluctuations in the market price of our common stock.
 
Variations in the amount of time it takes for us to sell our systems may cause fluctuations in our operating results, which could cause our stock price to decline
 
        Variations in the length of our sales cycles could cause our revenues, and thus our business, financial condition and operating results, to fluctuate widely from period to period.  This variation could cause our stock price to decline.  Our customers generally take a long time to evaluate our film metrology systems and many people are involved in the evaluation process.  We expend significant resources educating and providing information to our prospective customers regarding the uses and benefits of our systems in the semiconductor fabrication process.  The length of time it takes for us to make a sale depends upon many factors, including:
 
        - the efforts of our sales force and our independent sales representatives and distributors;
 
        - the complexity of the customer's fabrication processes;
 
        - the internal technical capabilities and sophistication of the customer;
 
        - the customer's budgetary constraints; and
 
        - the quality and sophistication of the customer's current metrology equipment.
 
        Because of the number of factors influencing the sales process, the period  between our initial contact with a customer and the time when we recognize revenue from that customer, if ever, varies widely in length.  Our sales cycles, including the time it takes for us to build a product to customer specifications after receiving an order, typically range from six to 15 months.  Sometimes our sales cycles can be much longer, particularly with customers in Japan.  During these cycles, we commit substantial resources to our sales efforts in advance of receiving any revenue, and we may never receive any revenue from a customer despite our sales efforts.
 
        If we do make a sale, our customers often purchase only one of our systems, and then evaluate its performance for a lengthy period before purchasing any more of our systems.  The number of additional products a customer purchases, if any, depends on many factors, including a customer's capacity requirements. The period between a customer's initial purchase and any subsequent purchases can vary from six months to a year or longer, and variations in the length of this period could cause further fluctuations in our operating results and possibly in our stock price.
 
Our largest customers account for a significant portion of our revenues, and our revenues would significantly decline if one or more of these customers were to purchase significantly fewer of our systems or they delayed or cancelled a large order
 
        We operate in the highly concentrated, capital intensive semiconductor device manufacturing industry.  Historically, a significant portion of our revenues in each quarter and year has been derived from sales to relatively few customers, and we expect this trend to continue.  If any of our key customers were to purchase significantly fewer of our systems in the future, or if a large order were delayed or cancelled, our revenues would significantly decline.  Accordingly, we expect that we will continue to depend on a small number of large customers for a significant portion of our revenues for at least the next several years.  In addition, as large semiconductor device manufacturers seek to establish closer relationships with their suppliers, we expect that our customer base will become even more concentrated.
 
If we are not successful in developing new and enhanced products for the semiconductor device manufacturing industry we will lose market share to our competitors
 
        We operate in an industry that is subject to evolving industry standards, rapid technological changes, rapid changes in consumer demands and the rapid introduction of new, higher performance systems with shorter product life cycles.  To be competitive in our demanding market, we must continually design, develop and introduce in a timely manner new film metrology systems that meet the performance and price demands of semiconductor device manufacturers.  We must also continue to refine our current systems so that they remain competitive.  We may experience difficulties or delays in our development efforts with respect to new systems, and we may not ultimately be successful in developing them.  Any significant delay in releasing new systems could adversely affect our reputation, give a competitor a first-to-market advantage or cause a competitor to achieve greater market share.
 
Even if we are able to successfully develop new products, if these products do not gain general market acceptance we will not be able to generate revenues and recover our research and development costs
 
        Metrology product development is inherently risky because it is difficult to foresee developments in semiconductor device manufacturing technology, coordinate technical personnel and identify and eliminate metrology system design flaws.  We recently developed our MatrixMetrology systems, which are thin film metrology systems specifically designed for use in the CMP, etch, diffusion and other portions of the semiconductor device manufacturing process where we do not currently have significant market share.   Any new systems introduced by us may not achieve a significant degree of market acceptance or, once accepted, may fail to sell well for any significant period.
 
        We expect to spend a significant amount of time and resources to develop new systems and refine existing systems.  In light of the long product development cycles inherent in our industry, these expenditures will be made well in advance of the prospect of deriving revenue from the sale of new systems.  Our ability to commercially introduce and successfully market new systems is subject to a wide variety of challenges during this development cycle, including start-up bugs, design defects and other matters that could delay introduction of these systems.  In addition, since our customers are not obligated by long-term contracts to purchase our systems, our anticipated product orders may not materialize, or orders that do materialize may be cancelled.  As a result, if we do not achieve market acceptance of new products, we may not be able to realize sufficient sales of our systems in order to recoup research and development expenditures.
 
Even if we are able to develop new products that gain market acceptance, sales of new products could impair our ability to sell existing product lines
 
        Competition from our new MatrixMetrology systems could have a negative effect on sales of our other transparent thin film metrology systems, including our SpectraLASER and FOCUS systems, and the prices we could charge for these systems.  We may also divert sales and marketing resources from our current systems in order to successfully launch and promote our new MatrixMetrology systems.  This diversion of resources could have a further negative effect on sales of our current systems.
 
If our relationships with our large customers deteriorate, our product development activities could be jeopardized
 
        The success of our product development efforts depends on our ability to anticipate market trends and the price, performance and functionality requirements of semiconductor device manufacturers.  In order to anticipate these trends and ensure that critical development projects proceed in a coordinated manner, we must continue to collaborate closely with our largest customers.  Our relationships with these and other customers provide us with access to valuable information regarding trends in the semiconductor device industry, which enables us to better plan our product development activities.   If our current relationships with our large customers are impaired, or if we are unable to develop similar collaborative relationships with important customers in the future, our long-term ability to produce commercially successful systems will be impaired.
 
Our ability to reduce costs is limited by our ongoing need to invest in research and development
 
        Our industry is characterized by the need for continual investment in research and development as well as customer service and support. As a result of our need to maintain our spending levels in these areas, our operating results could be materially harmed if our revenues fall below expectations.  In addition, because of our emphasis on research and development and technological innovation, our operating costs may increase further in the future.  We expect our level of research and development expenses to increase in absolute dollar terms for at least the next several years.
 
We may fail to adequately protect our intellectual property and, therefore, lose our competitive advantage
 
    Our future success and competitive position depend in part upon our ability to obtain and maintain proprietary technology for our principal product families, and we rely, in part, on patent, trade secret and trademark law to protect that technology.  If we fail to adequately protect our intellectual property, it will be easier for our competitors to sell competing products.  We own or have licensed a number of patents relating to our transparent and opaque thin film metrology systems, and have filed applications for additional patents.  Any of our pending patent applications may be rejected, and we may not in the future be able to develop additional proprietary technology that is patentable.   In addition, the patents we do own or that have been issued or licensed to us may not provide us with competitive advantages and may be challenged by third parties.   Third parties may also design around these patents.
 
        In addition to patent protection, we rely upon trade secret protection for our confidential and proprietary information and technology.  We routinely enter into confidentiality agreements with our employees.  However, in the event that these agreements may be breached, we may not have adequate remedies.  Our confidential and proprietary information and technology might also be independently developed by or become otherwise known to third parties.
 
Successful infringement claims by third parties could result in substantial damages, lost product sales and the loss of important intellectual property rights by us
 
        Our commercial success depends in part on our ability to avoid infringing or misappropriating patents or other proprietary rights owned by third parties.  From time to time we may receive communications from third parties asserting that our products or systems infringe, or may infringe, the proprietary rights of these third parties.  These claims of infringement may lead to protracted and costly litigation which could require us to pay substantial damages or have the sale of our products or systems stopped by an injunction. Infringement claims could also cause product or system delays or require us to redesign our products or systems, and these delays could result in the loss of substantial revenues.  We may also be required to obtain a license from the third party or cease activities utilizing the third party's proprietary rights.  We may not be able to enter into such a license or such license may not be available on commercially reasonable terms.  The loss of important intellectual property rights could therefore prevent our ability to sell our systems, or make the sale of such systems more expensive for us.
 
Protection of our intellectual property rights, or the efforts of third parties to enforce their own intellectual property rights against us, has in the past resulted and may in the future result in costly and time-consuming litigation
 
        We may be required to initiate litigation in order to enforce any patents issued to or licensed by us, or to determine the scope or validity of a third party's patent or other proprietary rights.  In addition, we may be subject to lawsuits by third parties seeking to enforce their own intellectual property rights.  Any such litigation, regardless of outcome, could be expensive and time consuming, and could subject us to significant liabilities or require us to re-engineer our product or obtain expensive licenses from third parties.
 
        For example, we are presently involved in a patent interference proceeding with a competitor, Therma-Wave, Inc., in the United States Patent Office.  In this proceeding, we are defending our patent rights with respect to some of the multiple angle, multiple wavelength ellipsometry technology we use in our transparent thin film measurement systems.  Therma-Wave requested the proceeding be initiated in 1993 by filing a reissue application for one of its own patents, and the proceeding was initiated in June 1998.  In November 1999, the patent office denied our request to dismiss the proceedings.  If we lose the interference, a reissue patent will be granted to Therma-Wave permitting Therma-Wave to assert patent rights against the ellipsometers we use in our transparent thin film measurement systems.  In that event, we would either have to pay future royalties to Therma-Wave or redesign our transparent thin film measurement systems.  Either of these events could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.  In addition, in a letter dated February 10, 1998, Therma-Wave asked us to review our technology for possible infringement of several of Therma-Wave's patents.  We denied any such infringement in a letter to Therma-Wave dated March 10, 1998.  In a letter dated March 13, 1998, Therma-Wave requested further information regarding the basis for our belief that our technology did not infringe Therma-Wave's patents.  Although we do not believe that we are infringing any of Therma-Wave's patents, Therma-Wave could nevertheless initiate an infringement action against us, which would be costly and distracting regardless of its outcome.
 
        In a letter dated December 3, 1998, Axic, Inc. asked us to review our technology for possible infringement of one of Axic's patents.  We denied any such infringement in a letter to Axic dated December 22, 1998.  There has been no further correspondence between us and Axic regarding its patent infringement claims.
 
Our efforts to protect our intellectual property may be less effective in some foreign countries where intellectual property rights are not as well protected as in the United States
 
        The laws of some foreign countries do not protect our proprietary rights to as great an extent as do the laws of the United States, and many U. S. companies have encountered substantial problems in protecting their proprietary rights against infringement in such countries, some of which are countries in which we have sold and continue to sell systems.  For example, Taiwan is not a signatory of the Patent Cooperation Treaty, which is designed to specify rules and methods for defending intellectual property internationally.  The publication of a patent in Taiwan prior to the filing of a patent in Taiwan would invalidate the ability of a company to obtain a patent in Taiwan.  Similarly, in contrast to the United States where the contents of patents remain confidential during the patent prosecution process, the contents of a patent are published upon filing which provides competitors an advance view of the contents of a patent application prior to the establishment of patent rights.  There is a risk that our means of protecting our proprietary rights may not be adequate in these countries.  For example, our competitors in these countries may independently develop similar technology or duplicate our systems.  If we fail to adequately protect our intellectual property in these countries, it would be easier for our competitors to sell competing products in those countries.
 
Our current and potential competitors have significantly greater resources than we do, and increased competition could impair sales of our products or cause us to reduce our prices
 
        The market for semiconductor capital equipment is highly competitive.  We face substantial competition from established companies in each of the markets we serve.   We principally compete with KLA-Tencor, Philips Analytical Instruments and Therma-Wave.  We compete to a lesser extent with companies such as Dai Nippon Screen, Nanometrics and Sopra.  Each of our product lines also competes with products that use different metrology techniques.  Some of our competitors have greater financial, engineering, manufacturing and marketing resources, broader product offerings and service capabilities and larger installed customer bases than we do.  As a result, our competitors may be able to respond more quickly to new or emerging technologies or market developments by devoting greater resources to the development, promotion and sale of products which could impair sales of our products.  Moreover, there has been significant merger and acquisition activity among our competitors and potential competitors, particularly during the last downturn in the semiconductor device and semiconductor capital equipment industries.  These transactions by our competitors and potential competitors may provide them with a competitive advantage over us by enabling them to rapidly expand their product offerings and service capabilities to meet a broader range of customer needs.  Many of our customers and potential customers in the semiconductor device manufacturing industry are large companies that require global support and service for their semiconductor capital equipment.  While we believe that our global support and service infrastructure is sufficient to meet the needs of our customers and potential customers, our larger competitors have more extensive infrastructures than we do, which could place us at a disadvantage when competing for the business of global semiconductor device manufacturers.
 
        Many of our competitors are investing heavily in the development of new systems that will compete directly with ours.  We have from time to time selectively reduced prices on our systems in order to protect our market share, and competitive pressures may necessitate further price reductions.  We expect our competitors in each product area to continue to improve the design and performance of their products and to introduce new products with competitive prices and performance characteristics.  Such product introductions by our competitors would likely cause us to decrease the prices of our systems and increase the level of discounts we grant our customers.
 
Because of the high cost of switching equipment vendors in our markets, it is sometimes difficult for us to win customers from our competitors even if our systems are superior to theirs
 
        We believe that once a semiconductor device manufacturer has selected one vendor's capital equipment for a production-line application, the manufacturer generally relies upon that capital equipment and, to the extent possible, subsequent generations of the same vendor's equipment, for the life of the application.  Once a vendor's equipment has been installed in a production line application, a semiconductor device manufacturer must often make substantial technical modifications and may experience production-line downtime in order to switch to another vendor's equipment.  Accordingly, unless our systems offer performance or cost advantages that outweigh a customer's expense of switching to our systems, it will be difficult for us to achieve significant sales to that customer once it has selected another vendor's capital equipment for an application.
 
We must attract and retain key personnel with knowledge of semiconductor device manufacturing and metrology equipment to help support our future growth, and competition for such personnel in our industry is high
 
        Our success depends to a significant degree upon the continued contributions of our key management, engineering, sales and marketing, customer support, finance and manufacturing personnel.  The loss of any of these key personnel, who would be extremely difficult to replace, could harm our business and operating results.  During downturns in our industry, we have often experienced significant employee attrition, and we may experience further attrition in the event of a future downturn.  Although we have employment and noncompetition agreements with key members of our senior management team, including Messrs. McLaughlin, Loiterman and Roth, these individuals or other key employees may nevertheless leave our company.  We do not have key person life insurance on any of our executives.  In addition, to support our future growth, we will need to attract and retain additional qualified employees.  Competition for such personnel in our industry is intense, and we may not be successful in attracting and retaining qualified employees.
 
We manufacture all of our systems at a single facility, and any prolonged disruption in the operations of that facility could have a material adverse effect on our revenues
 
        We produce all of our systems in our manufacturing facility located in Ledgewood, New Jersey.   Our manufacturing processes are highly complex and require sophisticated and costly equipment and a specially designed facility.  As a result, any prolonged disruption in the operations of our manufacturing facility, whether due to technical or labor difficulties, destruction of or damage as a result of a fire or any other reason, could seriously harm our ability to satisfy our customer order deadlines.  If we cannot timely deliver our systems, our revenues could be adversely affected.
 
We rely upon independent sales representatives and distributors for a significant portion of our sales, and a disruption in our relationships with these representatives or distributors could have a negative impact on our sales in Japan, China and Singapore
 
        Historically, a substantial portion of our sales have been made through independent sales representatives and distributors.  We expect that sales through independent sales representatives and distributors will represent a material portion of our sales for the next several years.   In particular, all of our sales in Japan will continue to be made through an independent distributor for the next several years.  In addition, all our sales in China will continue to be made through independent sales representatives.   In some locations, including Japan, our independent sales representatives or distributors also provide field service to our customers.  The activities of these representatives and distributors are not within our control.  A reduction in the sales or service efforts or financial viability of any of our independent sales representatives and distributors, or a termination of our relationships with them, could harm our sales, our financial results and our ability to support our customers.   Although we believe that we maintain good relations with our independent sales representatives and distributors, such relationships may nevertheless deteriorate in the future.
 
Because we derive a significant portion of our revenues from sales in Asia, our sales and results of operations could be adversely affected by the instability of Asian economies 
 
        Countries in the Asia Pacific region, including Japan, Korea and Taiwan, each of which accounted for a significant portion of our business in that region, have experienced currency, banking and equity market weaknesses in the past.  We expect that turbulence in the Asian markets could adversely affect our sales in future periods.
Due to our significant level of international sales, we are subject to operational, financial and political risks such as unexpected changes in regulatory requirements, tariffs, political and economic instability, outbreaks of hostilities, adverse tax consequences and difficulties in managing foreign sales representatives and foreign branch operations
 
       We anticipate that international sales will account for a significant portion of our revenue for at least the next five years.  Due to the significant level of our international sales, we are subject to material risks which include:
 
        Unexpected changes in regulatory requirements including tariffs and other market barriers.   The semiconductor device industry is a high-visibility industry in many of the European and Asian countries in which we sell our products.  Because the governments of these countries have provided extensive financial support to our semiconductor device manufacturing customers in these countries, we believe that our customers could be disproportionately affected by any trade embargoes, excise taxes or other restrictions imposed by their governments on trade with United States companies such as ourselves. Any such restrictions could lead to a reduction in our sales to customers in these countries.
 
        Political and economic instability.  There is considerable political instability in Taiwan related to its disputes with China and in South Korea related to its disputes with North Korea.  In addition, several Asian countries, particularly Japan, have recently experienced significant economic instability.  An outbreak of hostilities or other political upheaval in Taiwan or South Korea, or an economic downturn in Japan, would likely harm the operations of our customers in these countries, causing our sales to suffer.  The effect of such events on our revenues could be material because we derive substantial revenues from sales to semiconductor device foundries in Taiwan such as TSMC and UMC, from memory chip manufacturers in South Korea such as Hyundai and Samsung, and from semiconductor device manufacturers in Japan such as NEC and Toshiba.
 
       Difficulties in staffing and managing foreign branch operations.  During periods of tension between the governments of the United States and other countries, it is often difficult for United States companies such as ourselves to staff and manage operations in such countries.  We have only recently established a direct sales force in Europe, and we are continuing to build our sales infrastructure in that region.  Because our European sales operations are new and our sales employees in Europe have only recently begun working for us, these operations could be particularly susceptible to any periods of tension that may arise between the United States and any European country in which we operate.
 
Since a substantial portion of our revenues are derived from sales in other countries yet are denominated in U.S. dollars, we could experience a significant decline in sales or experience collection problems in the event the dollar becomes more expensive relative to local currencies
 
        A substantial portion of our international sales are denominated in U.S. dollars.  As a result, if the dollar rises in value in relation to foreign currencies, our systems will become more expensive to customers outside the United States and less competitive with systems produced by competitors outside the United States. Such conditions could negatively impact our international sales.  Foreign sales also expose us to collection risk in the event it becomes more expensive for our foreign customers to convert their local currencies into U.S. dollars.
 
If we choose to acquire new and complementary businesses, products or technologies instead of developing them ourselves, we may be unable to complete these acquisitions or may not be able to successfully integrate an acquired business in a cost-effective and non-disruptive manner
 
        Our success depends on our ability to continually enhance and broaden our product offerings in response to changing technologies, customer demands and competitive pressures.  To this end, we may choose to acquire new and complementary businesses, products, or technologies instead of developing them ourselves.  We may, however, face competition for acquisition targets from larger and more established companies with greater financial resources, making it more difficult for us to complete acquisitions.  We do not know if we will be able to complete any acquisitions, or whether we will be able to successfully integrate any acquired business, operate it profitably or retain its key employees.  Integrating any business, product or technology we acquire could be expensive and time-consuming, could disrupt our ongoing business and could distract our management.  In addition, in order to finance any acquisitions, we might need to raise additional funds through public or private equity or debt financings.  In that event, we could be forced to obtain financing on terms that are not favorable to us and, in the case of equity financing, that result in dilution to our stockholders.  If we are unable to integrate any acquired entities, products or technologies effectively, our business, financial condition and operating results will suffer.  In addition, any amortization of goodwill or other assets or charges resulting from the costs of acquisitions could harm our business and operating results.
 
If we deliver systems with defects, our credibility will be harmed and the sales and market acceptance of our systems will decrease
 
        Our systems are complex and sometimes have contained errors, defects and bugs when introduced. If we deliver systems with errors, defects or bugs, our credibility and the market acceptance and sales of our systems could be harmed.  Further, if our systems contain errors, defects or bugs, we may be required to expend significant capital and resources to alleviate such problems.  Defects could also lead to product liability as a result of product liability lawsuits against us or against our customers.  We have agreed to indemnify our customers in some circumstances against liability arising from defects in our systems.  Our product liability policy currently provides only $2.0 million of coverage per claim with an overall umbrella limit of $4.0 million.  In the event of a successful product liability claim, we could be obligated to pay damages significantly in excess of our product liability insurance limits.
 
Provisions of our charter documents and Delaware law could discourage potential acquisition proposals and could delay, deter or prevent a change in control of our company
 
        Provisions of our certificate of incorporation and bylaws may inhibit changes in control of our company not approved by our board of directors.  These provisions also limit the circumstances in which a premium can be paid for the common stock, and in which a proxy contest for control of our board may be initiated.
 
        These provisions provide for:
 
        - a prohibition on stockholder actions through written consent;
 
        - a requirement that special meetings of stockholders be called only by our
        chief executive officer or board of directors;
 
        - advance notice requirements for stockholder proposals and director
        nominations by stockholders;
 
        - limitations on the ability of stockholders to amend, alter or repeal our by-laws; and
 
        - the authority of our board to issue, without stockholder approval, preferred stock
        with such terms as the board may determine.
 
        We will also be afforded the protections of Section 203 of the Delaware  General Corporation Law, which could have similar effects.

 

 


 

 

Item 3.  Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk

   Interest Rate Risk

        Our exposure to market risk for changes in interest rates relates primarily to our investment portfolio.  We do not use derivative financial instruments in our investment portfolio.  We place our investments with high credit quality issuers and by policy, are averse to principal loss and ensure the safety and preservation of our invested funds by limiting default risk, market risk and reinvestment risk.  As of June 30, 2001, our investments consisted primarily of commercial paper and municipal securities that mature in less than three months.
 
    Foreign Currency Risk
 
        We do not use foreign currency forward exchange contracts or purchased currency options to hedge local currency cash flows or for trading purposes.  All sales arrangements with international customers are denominated in U.S. dollars.  We have branch operations in Taiwan, Singapore and Korea and a subsidiary in Europe, which are subject to currency fluctuations.  These foreign branches are limited in their operations and level of investment so that the risk of currency fluctuations is not expected to be material.

 

 


 
 
PART II    OTHER INFORMATION

 

Item 4.   Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders 
 
We held our Annual Meeting of Stockholders on May 22, 2001. Out of 16,005,529 shares of Common Stock entitled to vote at such meeting, there were present in person or by proxy 14,470,934 shares.  At the Annual Meeting, the stockholders of Rudolph Technologies, Inc. approved the following matters: 

(a) The elections of Daniel H. Berry, Stephen J. Fisher and Richard F. Spanier as directors of Rudolph Technologies, Inc. for the ensuing year and until their successors are elected.  The vote for the nominated directors was as follows: 

             Daniel H. Berry, 14,451,447 votes cast for and 19,487 votes withheld;
             Stephen J. Fisher, 14,451,447 votes cast for and 19,487 votes withheld;
             Richard F. Spanier, 14,451,447 votes cast for and 19,487 votes withheld.
The following is a list of our directors who did not stand for election at such Annual Meeting:  Paul Craig, Paul F. McLaughlin, Carl E. Ring, Jr., David Belluck and Aubrey C. Tobey.
(b) The ratification of the appointment of Arthur Andersen LLP as independent public auditors of the Company for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2001.  14,459,046 votes were cast for and 9,743 votes were cast against with 2,145 votes abstaining.

 

Item 6.   Exhibits and Reports on Form 8-K
(a) Exhibits
None.

(b) Reports on Form 8-K

1.    On April 25, 2001, the Company filed a Current Report on Form 8-K to report, under Item 4., the change in its independent accountants from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP to Arthur Andersen, LLP.

2.    On May 18, 2001, the Company filed a Current Report on Form 8-K/A to amend the Current Report on Form 8-K filed on April 25, 2001.

 


 

 

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, thereunto duly authorized
 
                                                                                                          Rudolph Technologies, Inc.
 
Date: August 14, 2001
                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                          By:  /s/ Paul F. McLaughlin                                
                                                                                                                                      Paul F. McLaughlin
                                                                                                                       Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
 
Date: August 14, 2001
                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                          By:   /s/ Steven R. Roth                                     
                                                                                                                                           Steven R. Roth
                                                                                                                    Vice President, Chief Financial Officer