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Organization and Significant Accounting Policies
12 Months Ended
Dec. 29, 2023
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]  
Organization and Significant Accounting Policies

1. ORGANIZATION AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Organization

Ultra Clean Holdings, Inc., (the “Company” or “UCT”) a Delaware corporation, was founded in November 2002 and became a publicly traded company on the NASDAQ Global Market in March 2004. The Company is a leading developer and supplier of critical subsystems, components, parts, and ultra-high purity cleaning and analytical services, primarily for the semiconductor industry. UCT offers its customers an integrated outsourced solution for major subassemblies, improved design-to-delivery cycle times, design for manufacturability, prototyping and part and component manufacturing, as well as tool chamber parts cleaning and coating, and micro-contamination analytical services. The Company’s Products business primarily designs, engineers and manufactures production tools, components and parts, and modules and subsystems for the semiconductor and display capital equipment markets. Products include chemical delivery modules, frame assemblies, gas delivery systems, fluid delivery systems, precision robotics, process modules, sub-fab process equipment support racks, as well as other high-level assemblies. The Company’s Services business provides ultra-high purity parts cleaning, process tool part recoating, surface encapsulation and high sensitivity micro contamination analysis primarily for the semiconductor device makers and wafer fabrication equipment markets.

Fiscal Year

The Company uses a 52-53 week fiscal year ending on the Friday nearest December 31. All references to quarters refer to fiscal quarters and all references to years refer to fiscal years.

Principles of Consolidation

The Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries and all intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated upon consolidation.

Noncontrolling interests

Noncontrolling interests are recognized to reflect the portion of the equity of the majority-owned subsidiaries which is not attributable, directly or indirectly, to the controlling stockholder. The Company’s consolidated entities include partially-owned entities, which are Cinos Co., Ltd (“Cinos Korea”), a South Korean company that provides outsourced cleaning and recycling of precision parts for the semiconductor industry through its operating facilities in South Korea and whose results the Company consolidates, and Cinos Xian Clean Technology, Ltd. (“Cinos China”), a Chinese entity that is majority owned by Cinos Korea. The interest held by others in Cinos Korea and in Cinos China are presented as noncontrolling interests in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements. The noncontrolling interests will continue to be attributed its share of gains and losses even if that attribution results in a deficit noncontrolling interests’ balance.

Segments

The Financial Accounting Standards Board’s (“FASB”) guidance regarding disclosure about segments in an enterprise and related information establishes standards for the reporting by public business enterprises of information about reportable segments, products and services, geographic areas, and major customers. The method for determining what information to report is based on the manner in which management organizes the reportable segments within the Company for making operational decisions and assessments of financial performance. The Company’s chief operating decision-maker is the Chief Executive Officer. The Company operates in two reportable segments: Products and Services. See Note 16 to the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements.

Foreign Currency Translation and Remeasurement

As of December 29, 2023, the functional currency of the Products business’ foreign subsidiaries is the U.S. Dollar except for the subsidiaries of Ham-Let (Israel-Canada) Ltd. (“Ham-Let” or “Fluid Solutions”) in United Kingdom and Netherlands, which is the local currency. The functional currency of the Services division’s foreign subsidiaries is the local currency, except for that of its Singapore, Scotland and Ireland entities, which is the U.S. Dollar.

For the Company’s foreign subsidiaries where the local currency is the functional currency, the Company translates the financial statements of these subsidiaries to U.S. Dollars using month-end exchange rates for assets and liabilities, and average exchange rates for revenue, costs and expenses. Translation gains and losses are recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income (“AOCI”) within UCT stockholders’ equity. For the Company’s foreign subsidiaries where the U.S. Dollar is the functional currency and functional currency differs from their local currency, any gains and losses resulting from the remeasurement of the assets and liabilities of these subsidiaries are recorded in other income (expense), net.

Use of Estimates

The presentation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, and disclosures of contingent liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Such estimates and assumptions include, but not limited to, inventory valuation, accounting for income taxes, business combinations, valuation of goodwill, intangible assets and long-lived assets. The Company bases its estimates and judgments on historical experience and on various other assumptions that it believes are reasonable under the circumstances. However, future events are subject to change and the best estimates and judgments routinely require adjustments. Actual amounts may differ from those estimates.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

The Company considers currency on hand, demand deposits, time deposits, and all highly liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less at the date of purchase to be cash and cash equivalents. Cash and cash equivalents are held in various financial institutions in the United States and internationally.

Concentration of Credit Risk

Financial instruments which subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist principally of cash and cash equivalents and accounts receivable. The Company sells its products and provides services primarily to semiconductor capital equipment manufacturers in the United States. The Company performs credit evaluations of its customers’ financial condition and generally requires no collateral.

The Company’s most significant customers (having individually accounted for 10% or more of revenues) and their related revenues as a percentage of total revenues were as follows:

 

Year Ended

 

 

 

2023

 

 

 

2022

 

 

 

2021

 

 

Lam Research Corporation

 

34.0

 

%

 

 

39.5

 

%

 

 

40.2

 

%

Applied Materials, Inc.

23.4

 

 

 

23.2

 

 

 

23.8

 

 

Total

 

57.4

 

%

 

 

62.7

 

%

 

 

64.0

 

%

Two customers’ accounts receivable balances, Lam Research Corporation and Applied Materials, Inc. were individually greater than 10.0% of accounts receivable as of December 29, 2023 and December 30, 2022, in the aggregate approximately 26.8% and 38.5% of accounts receivable, respectively.

Fair Value of Measurements

The Company measures its cash equivalents, derivative contracts, contingent earn-out liabilities and pension obligation at fair value on a recurring basis. Fair value is an exit price, representing the amount that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants. As such, fair value is a market-based measurement that is determined based on assumptions that market participants would use in pricing an asset or a liability. Assets and liabilities recorded at fair value are measured and classified in accordance with a three-tier fair value hierarchy based on the observability of the inputs available in the market used to measure fair value:

Level 1 — Observable inputs that reflect quoted prices (unadjusted) for identical assets or liabilities in active markets.

Level 2 — Inputs that are based upon quoted prices for similar instruments in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar instruments in markets that are not active, and model-based valuation techniques for which all significant inputs are observable in the market or can be derived from observable market data. Where applicable, these models project future cash flows and discount the future amounts to a present value using market-based observable inputs including interest rate curves, foreign exchange rates, and credit ratings.

Level 3 — Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activities.

Derivative Financial Instruments

The Company uses forward contracts to hedge a portion of, but not all, existing and anticipated foreign currency denominated transactions typically expected to occur within 24 months. The purpose of the hedge is to mitigate the effect of exchange rate fluctuations on certain foreign currency denominated costs and eventual cash flows. The Company recognizes derivative instruments as either assets or liabilities in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets at fair value. The Company records changes in the fair value of the derivatives in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Operations as other income (expense), net, or as a component of AOCI in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Inventories

Inventories are stated at the lower of cost (which approximates actual cost on a first-in, first-out basis) or net realizable value. The Company evaluates the valuation of all inventories, including raw materials, work-in-process, finished goods and spare parts on a periodic basis. Obsolete inventory or inventory in excess of management’s estimated usage is written down to its estimated market value less costs to sell, if less than its cost. Inherent in the estimates of market value are management’s estimates related to economic trends and future demand for the Company’s products.

Inventory write downs inherently involve judgments based on assumptions about expected future demand and the impact of market conditions on those assumptions. Although the Company believes that the assumptions it used in estimating inventory write downs are reasonable, significant changes in any one of the assumptions in the future could produce a significantly different result. There can be no assurances that future events and changing market conditions will not result in significant increases in inventory write downs. For further discussion of the Company’s inventories see Note 4 of Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Property, Plant and Equipment

Property, plant and equipment are stated at cost, or, in the case of equipment under finance leases, the present value of future minimum lease payments at inception of the related lease. The Company also capitalizes interest on borrowings related to eligible capital expenditures. Direct costs incurred to develop software for internal use are capitalized. Costs related to the design or maintenance of internal use software are expensed as incurred. Depreciation expense is computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of assets. Leasehold improvements are depreciated over the shorter of the estimated useful lives or the term of the lease. The estimated useful life of an asset is reassessed whenever applicable facts and circumstances indicate a change in the estimated useful life of such asset has occurred. For further discussion of the Company’s property, plant and equipment see Note 4 of Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Long-lived Assets

The Company evaluates long-lived assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying value of an asset group may not be recoverable. The Company assesses the fair value of the assets based on the amount of the undiscounted future cash flows that the assets are expected to generate and recognizes an impairment loss when estimated undiscounted future cash flows expected to result from the use of the asset are less than the carrying value of the asset. If the Company identifies an impairment, the Company reduces the carrying value of the group of assets to comparable market values, when available and appropriate, or to its estimated fair value based on a discounted cash flow approach.

At the end of fiscal years 2023, 2022 and 2021, the Company assessed the carrying value of its long-lived assets, including property, plant and equipment as well as its intangible assets and concluded that no impairment was required.

Leases

The Company determines if an arrangement is a lease, or contains a lease, at the inception of the arrangement and reassesses that conclusion if the arrangement is modified. When the Company determines the arrangement is a lease, or

contains a lease, at lease inception, it then determines whether the lease is an operating lease or a finance lease. Operating and finance leases with lease terms of greater than one year result in the Company recording a right-of-use (“ROU”) asset and lease liability on its balance sheet. ROU assets represent the Company’s right to use an underlying asset for the lease term and lease liabilities represent its obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. Operating and finance lease ROU assets and liabilities are initially recognized based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term. In determining the present value of lease payments, the Company uses the implicit interest rate if readily determinable or when the implicit interest rate is not readily determinable, the Company uses its incremental borrowing rate.

The incremental borrowing rate is not a commonly quoted rate and is derived through a combination of inputs including the Company’s credit rating and the impact of full collateralization. The incremental borrowing rate is based on the Company’s collateralized borrowing capabilities over a similar term of the lease payments. The Company utilizes the incremental borrowing rate based on bank loan rates at the respective locations for leases where appropriate and the consolidated group bank loan rate where the Company does not have local bank financings.

The operating lease ROU asset also includes any lease payments made in advance and is reduced by any lease incentives. Specific lease terms used in computing the ROU assets and lease liabilities may include options to extend or terminate the lease when the Company believes it is reasonably certain that it will exercise that option. Lease expense for operating lease payments is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term. The Company has elected not to recognize ROU assets and lease liabilities that arise from short-term (12 months or less) leases for any class of underlying asset. Operating leases are included in operating lease ROU assets, other current liabilities, and long-term operating lease liabilities on the Company’s consolidated balance sheet. The Company’s finance leases at December 29, 2023 were not significant. For further discussion of the Company’s leases see Note 14 of Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Goodwill and Indefinite Lived Intangible Assets

Goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets are not amortized but are reviewed for impairment annually or more frequently if indicators of potential impairment exist. Intangible assets are presented at cost, net of accumulated amortization, and are amortized on either a straight-line method or on an accelerated method over their estimated future discounted cash flows. The Company reviews goodwill and purchased intangible assets with indefinite lives for impairment annually and whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying value of an asset may not be recoverable, such as when reductions in demand or significant economic slowdowns in the semiconductor industry are present. There were no impairments of the Company’s goodwill and purchased intangible assets in fiscal year 2023. For further discussion of the Company’s goodwill and intangible assets see Note 6 of Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Deferred Debt Issuance Costs

Debt issuance costs incurred in connection with obtaining debt financing are deferred and presented as a direct deduction from Bank Borrowings in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets. Deferred costs are amortized on an effective interest method basis over the contractual term.

Defined Benefit Pension Plan

The Company has several noncontributory defined benefit pension plans covering substantially all of the employees of two of its foreign entities upon termination of their employee services. The benefits for these plans are based on expected years of service and average compensation. The net period costs are recognized as employees render the services necessary to earn the postretirement benefits. The Company records annual amounts relating to the pension plan based on calculations that incorporate various actuarial and other assumptions, including discount rates, mortality, assumed rates of return, compensation increases and turnover rates. The Company reviews its assumptions on an annual basis and makes modifications to the assumptions based on current and expected rates of return and trends when it is appropriate to do so. The effect of modifications to those assumptions is recorded in accumulated other comprehensive gain (loss) and amortized to net periodic cost over future periods using the corridor method. The Company believes that the assumptions utilized in recording its obligations under the plan are reasonable based on its experience and market conditions. For further discussion of the Company’s defined benefit pension plan see Note 9 of Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Revenue Recognition

Revenue is recognized when the Company satisfies performance obligations as evidenced by the transfer of control of the promised goods or services is transferred to the Company’s customers, in an amount that reflects the consideration the Company expects to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services. The Company performs the following five steps to determine when to recognize revenue: (1) identification of the contract(s) with its customers, (2) identification of the performance obligations in the contract, (3) determination of the transaction price, (4) allocation of the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract, and (5) recognition of revenue when, or as, a performance obligation is satisfied. The Company infrequently sells certain finished goods inventory on a bill and hold basis. The terms of the bill and hold agreement provide that title to the specified inventory is transferred to the customer prior to shipment and the Company has the right to payment (prior to physical delivery) which results in recorded revenue as determined under the revenue recognition standard. For further discussion of the Company’s revenue recognition see Note 13 of Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Shipping and Handling Costs

Shipping and handling costs are included as a component of cost of revenues.

Research and Development Costs

Research and development costs are expensed as incurred.

Stock-Based Compensation Expense

The Company maintains stock-based compensation plans which allow for the issuance of equity-based awards to directors and certain employees. These equity-based awards include restricted stock awards (“RSAs”), performance stock units (“PSUs”) and restricted stock units (“RSUs”). The RSAs and RSUs use the closing price of stock price on the day preceding the grant date as a proxy for fair value and compensation expense. The PSUs contain market conditions, and compensation expense is measured using a Monte Carlo simulation model and recognized over the requisite service period based on the expected market performance as of the grant date. The Company also maintains an employee stock purchase plan (“ESPP”) that provides for the issuance of shares to all eligible employees of the Company at a discounted price. For further discussion of the Company’s employees stock plans see Note 12 of Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Government Subsidies

Government subsidies are recognized where there is reasonable assurance that the subsidy will be received and all attached conditions will be complied with. When the subsidy relates to an expense item, it is recognized as income on a systematic basis over the periods that the related costs, for which it is intended to compensate, are expensed. When the subsidy relates to an asset, it is recognized as income in equal amounts over the expected useful life of the related asset. When the subsidy does not relate to specific expenses or assets, the income is accounted for in the period where there is reasonable assurance that the subsidy will be received. For further discussion of the Company’s government subsidies see Note 17 of Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Income Taxes

The Company utilizes the asset and liability method of accounting for income taxes, under which deferred taxes are determined based on the temporary differences between the financial statement and tax basis of assets and liabilities using tax rates expected to be in effect during the years in which the basis differences reverse. Deferred income taxes arise from temporary differences between the tax basis of assets and liabilities and their reported amounts in the financial statements, which will result in taxable or deductible amounts in the future. In evaluating our ability to realize our deferred tax assets within the jurisdiction from which they arise, we consider all available positive and negative evidence, including scheduled reversals of deferred tax liabilities, projected future taxable income, tax-planning strategies, and results of recent operations. In projecting future taxable income, we begin with historical results and incorporate assumptions about the amount of future federal, state, and foreign pretax operating income adjusted for items that do not have tax consequences. The assumptions about future taxable income require significant judgment and are consistent with the plans and estimates we are using to manage the underlying businesses. In evaluating the objective evidence that historical results provide, we consider recent cumulative income (loss). A valuation allowance is recorded when it is more likely than not that some of the deferred tax assets will not be realized.

Income tax positions must meet a more likely than not recognition threshold to be recognized. The Company recognizes tax benefits from uncertain tax positions only if it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained on examination by the taxing authorities, based on the technical merits of the position. The tax benefits recognized in the financial statements from such positions are then measured based on the largest benefit that has a greater than 50% likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement. The Company recognizes potential accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits within the consolidated statements of income as income tax expense.

The Company accounts for Global Intangible Low-Taxed Income as period costs when incurred. For further discussion of the Company’s income taxes see Note 8 of Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

Net Income (Loss) per Share

Basic net income per share is computed by dividing net income by the weighted average number of shares outstanding for the period. Diluted net income per share is calculated by dividing net income by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding and common equivalent shares from dilutive restricted stock using the treasury stock method, except when such shares are anti-dilutive. In accordance with Accounting Standards Codification 718, the assumed proceeds under the treasury stock method include the average unrecognized compensation expense of in-the-money stock options and restricted stock units. This results in the assumed buyback of additional shares, thereby reducing the dilutive impact of equity awards. For further information of the Company’s income per share see Note 15 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

Business Combinations

The Company recognizes assets acquired (including goodwill and identifiable intangible assets), liabilities assumed and noncontrolling interest at fair value on the acquisition date. Subsequent changes to the fair value of such assets acquired and liabilities assumed are recognized in earnings, after the expiration of the measurement period, a period not to exceed 12 months from the acquisition date. Acquisition-related expenses and acquisition-related restructuring costs are recognized in earnings in the period in which they are incurred. For further discussion of the Company’s business combinations see Note 2 of Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

Accounting Standards Recently Adopted

The Company did not adopt any new accounting standards during fiscal year 2023 that had a significant impact on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements.

Accounting Standards Not Yet Adopted

In November 2023, FASB issued Accounting Standard Update (ASU) No. 2023-07, Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures, which requires a public entity to disclose significant segment expenses and other segment items on an annual and interim basis and provide in interim periods all disclosures about a reportable segment’s profit or loss and assets that are currently required annually. The ASU does not change how a public entity identifies its operating segments, aggregates them, or applies the quantitative thresholds to determine its reportable segments. The new standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024, with early adoption permitted. A public entity should

apply the amendments in this ASU retrospectively to all prior periods presented in the financial statements. The Company expects this ASU to only impact its disclosures with no impact to its results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.

In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU No. 2023-09, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures, which amends the guidance in ASC 740, Income Taxes. ASU No. 2023-09 is intended to improve the transparency of income tax disclosures by requiring (1) consistent categories and greater disaggregation of information in the rate reconciliation and (2) income taxes paid disaggregated by jurisdiction. It also includes certain other amendments to improve the effectiveness of income tax disclosures. The guidance is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2024. Early adoption is permitted for annual financial statements that have not yet been issued or made available for issuance. ASU No. 2023-09 should be applied on a prospective basis, but retrospective application is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the potential impact of adopting this new guidance on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.