Organization and Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 25, 2015

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Principles of Consolidation

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 in consolidation. 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.

Foreign Currency Translation and Remeasurement

Foreign Currency Translation and Remeasurement — The Company has one foreign subsidiary whose functional currency is not its local currency or the U.S. dollar. The Company remeasures the monetary assets and liabilities of this subsidiary into its functional currency. Gains and losses from these remeasurements are recorded in interest and other income (expense), net. The Company then translates the assets and liabilities of this subsidiary into the U.S. dollar. Gains and losses from these translations are recognized in foreign currency translation included in accumulated other comprehensive income (AOCI) within stockholders’ equity. For the Company’s foreign subsidiaries where the U.S. dollar is the functional currency, any gains and losses resulting from the translation of the assets and liabilities of these subsidiaries are recorded in interest and other income (expense), net.

Use of Accounting Estimates

Use of Accounting Estimates — The presentation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America 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 reserves on inventory, valuation of deferred tax assets and impairment of goodwill and other 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 adjustment. Actual amounts may differ from those estimates.

Concentration of Credit Risk

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 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.

Significant sales to customers

Significant sales to customers — The Company’s most significant customers (having accounted for 10% or more of annual sales) and their related sales as a percentage of total sales for each of the previous three years, were as follows:

	Fiscal Year Ended
	2015			2014			2013
Lam Research Corporation		50.6	%		38.0	%		33.3	%
Applied Materials, Inc.		26.4			22.8			34.7
ASM International, Inc.		—	*		14.9			12.6
Total		77.0	%		75.7	%		80.6	%

*Total sales for the period are below 10%.

Three customers’ accounts receivable balances: Lam Research Corporation, Applied Materials, Inc. and ASM International, Inc., were individually greater than 10% of accounts receivable as of December 25, 2015 and December 26, 2014 and, in the aggregate, represented approximately 84.6% and 74.0% of accounts receivable at December 25, 2015 and December 26, 2014, respectively.

Fair Value of Measurements

Fair Value of Measurements — The Company measures its cash equivalents, foreign currency and interest rate derivative contracts 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.

The fair value hierarchy requires an entity to maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs when measuring fair value. The following table summarizes, for assets or liabilities measured at fair value, the respective fair value and the classification by level of input within the fair value hierarchy (in thousands):

			Fair Value Measurement at Reporting Date Using
Description	December 25, 2015		Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1)		Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)		Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Cash and cash equivalents:
Money market fund deposits	$	640	$	640	$	—	$	—
Other liabilities:
Interest rate swap	$	23	$	—	$	23	$	—
Contingent earn-out liability	$	831	$	—	$	—	$	831

			Fair Value Measurement at Reporting Date Using
Description	December 26, 2014		Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1)		Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)		Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Cash and cash equivalents:
Money market fund deposits	$	14,396	$	14,396	$	—	$	—

Derivative Financial Instruments

Derivative Financial Instruments — 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 Income as interest and other income, net, or as a component of AOCI in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Inventories

Inventories — Inventories are stated at the lower of standard cost (which approximates actual cost on a first-in, first-out basis) or market. 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, future demand for products, and technological obsolescence of the Company’s products.

Inventory write downs inherently involve judgments as to 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.

At December 25, 2015 and December 26, 2014, inventory balances were $72.7 million and $56.9 million, respectively, net of reserves of $5.7 million and $6.5 million, respectively. The inventory write-downs are recorded as an inventory valuation allowance established on the basis of obsolete inventory or specific identified inventory in excess of estimated usage. Inventory write-downs were $2.4 million in the year ended December 25, 2015, $4.6 million, including $2.6 million of inventory written off as part of the GTAT bankruptcy in the third quarter of 2014 in the year ended December 26, 2014 and $1.5 million in the year ended December 27, 2013.

Equipment and Leasehold Improvements

Equipment and Leasehold Improvements — Equipment and leasehold improvements are stated at cost, or, in the case of equipment under capital leases, the present value of future minimum lease payments at inception of the related lease. Depreciation and amortization are computed using the straight-line method over the lesser of the estimated useful lives of the assets or the terms of the leases. Useful lives range from three to fifteen years.

Product Warranty

Product Warranty — The Company provides a warranty on its products for a period of up to two years, and provides for warranty costs at the time of sale based on historical activity. Determination of the warranty reserve requires the Company to make estimates of product return rates and expected costs to repair or replace the products under warranty. If actual return rates and/or repair and replacement costs differ significantly from these estimates, adjustments to recognize additional cost of sales may be required in future periods. The warranty reserve is included in other current liabilities on the consolidated balance sheet.

Income Taxes

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 state, federal, 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.

During the quarter ended December 25, 2015, the Company performed a twelve quarter analysis of its U.S. cumulative pretax profit position as of December 25, 2015 and, weighing both positive and negative evidence, determined that it is more likely than not that the Company will not have the ability to generate sufficient taxable income over the foreseeable future to realize its U.S. federal and state net deferred tax assets. Therefore, during the quarter ended December 25, 2015, the Company has concluded that a valuation allowance is required on its U.S. federal net deferred tax assets. Additionally, the Company concluded that the valuation allowance on its California and Oregon state net deferred tax assets in the amount of $2.8 million, as previously recorded in fiscal 2014, was still appropriate. The Company also concluded that a valuation allowance on the remaining state net deferred tax assets was required. The resulting charge to income tax expense was $15.6 million. The total U.S. federal and state valuation allowance as of December 25, 2015 was $18.4 million.

During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2015 we recorded a full valuation allowance on the deferred assets of one of our Singapore subsidiaries in the amount of $0.3 million.

During the quarter ended December 25, 2015, the Company finalized the restructuring of certain of its operations in China. This restructuring resulted in our ability to use certain net operating loss carryforwards, and, accordingly, the Company concluded that a previously accrued valuation allowance was no longer required, resulting in an income tax benefit of $2.1 million.

The Company’s ability to realize deferred tax assets depends on its ability to generate sufficient taxable income within the carryback or carry forward periods. In assessing the Company’s future taxable income, the Company considered all sources of future taxable income available to realize its deferred tax assets, including the taxable income from future reversal of existing temporary differences, carry forwards, taxable income in carryback years and tax-planning strategies. If changes occur in the assumptions underlying the Company’s tax planning strategies or in the scheduling of the reversal of its deferred tax liabilities, the valuation allowance may need to be adjusted in the future.

The Company had a total valuation allowance on its net deferred tax assets in the amount of $18.7 million and $4.2 million as of December 25, 2015 and December 26, 2014, respectively.

Income tax positions must meet a more likely than not recognition threshold to be recognized. Income tax positions that previously failed to meet the more likely than not threshold are recognized in the first subsequent financial reporting period in which that threshold is met. Previously recognized tax positions that no longer meet the more likely than not threshold are derecognized in the first subsequent financial reporting period in which that threshold is no longer met. The Company recognizes potential accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits within the consolidated statements of income as income tax expense. The calculation of tax liabilities involves significant judgment in estimating the impact of uncertainties in the application of complex tax laws. Resolution of these uncertainties in a manner inconsistent with the Company’s expectations could have a material impact on its results of operations and financial position. Management believes that it has adequately provided for any adjustments that may result from these examinations; however, the outcome of tax audits cannot be predicted with certainty.

Revenue Recognition

Revenue Recognition — Product revenue is generally recorded upon shipment. In arrangements that specify title transfer upon delivery, revenue is not recognized until the product is delivered. The Company recognizes revenue when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, shipment has occurred, price is fixed or determinable and collectability is reasonably assured. If the Company has not substantially completed a product or fulfilled the terms of a sales agreement at the time of shipment, revenue recognition is deferred until fulfillment. The Company’s standard arrangement for its customers includes a signed purchase order or contract, no right of return of delivered products and no customer acceptance provisions.

The Company assesses collectability based on the credit worthiness of the customer and past transaction history. The Company performs on-going credit evaluations of customers and generally does not require collateral from customers.

Research and Development Costs

Research and Development Costs — Research and development costs are expensed as incurred.

Net Income per Share

Net Income 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 stock options and restricted stock using the treasury stock method, except when such shares are anti-dilutive (see Note 9 to the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements).

Segments

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 considered to be the Chief Executive Officer. The Company operates in one reporting segment.

Business Combinations

Business Combinations — The Company recognizes assets acquired (including goodwill and identifiable intangible assets) and liabilities assumed 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.

Stock-based compensation

Stock-based compensation

The Company maintains stock-based compensation plans which allow for the issuance of equity-based awards to executives and certain employees. These equity-based awards include stock options, restricted stock awards and restricted stock units. 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.

Stock-based compensation expense includes compensation costs related to estimated fair values of stock options, units and awards granted. Stock-based compensation expense from stock options, restricted stock units and stock awards and the related income tax benefit recognized were $3.7 million and $0.5 million, respectively, for fiscal year 2015, $4.4 million and $1.3 million, respectively, for fiscal year 2014 and $4.7 million and $0.8 million, respectively, for fiscal year 2013.

The estimated fair value of the Company’s equity-based awards, net of expected forfeitures, is amortized over the awards’ vesting period on a straight-line basis over a weighted average period of four years for stock options, three years for restricted stock units and one year for restricted stock awards and will be adjusted for subsequent changes in estimated forfeitures and future option grants.

The stockholders of the Company approved an increase in the number of shares available for issuance under our amended and restated stock incentive plan by 1,500,000 and 3,100,000 on June 10, 2010 and May 22, 2013, respectively.

Determining Fair Value for stock based compensation

Determining Fair Value for stock based compensation

Valuation and amortization method. The Company estimates the fair value of stock options granted using the Black-Scholes option valuation model and a single option award approach. All options are amortized over the requisite service periods of the awards, which are generally the vesting periods, and are amortized using the straight-line basis method.

Expected term. The expected term of options granted represents the period of time that they are expected to be outstanding. The Company estimates the expected term of options granted based on historical exercise patterns, which the Company believes are reasonably representative of future behavior.

Expected volatility. The Company estimates the volatility of its common stock at the date of grant based on historical volatility rates of the Company’s stock over the expected term.

Risk-free interest rate. The Company bases the risk-free interest rate on the implied yield in effect at the time of option grant on U.S. Treasury zero-coupon issues with equivalent remaining term.

Dividend yield. The Company has never paid any cash dividends on its common stock and does not anticipate paying any cash dividends in the foreseeable future. Consequently, the Company uses an expected dividend yield of 0.0%.

Forfeiture rate. The Company uses historical data to estimate pre-existing forfeitures, and records stock-based compensation for those awards that are expected to vest at the time of grant and revises those estimates in subsequent periods if actual forfeitures differ from those estimates.

The exercise price of each stock option equals the market price of the Company’s stock on the date of grant. There were no employee stock option grants by the Company for years 2015, 2014 and 2013. Generally, options vest over four years and expire no later than ten years from the grant date. During fiscal years 2015, 2014 and 2013, the Company recorded $3.2 million, $3.1 million and $3.9 million, respectively, of stock-based compensation expense, net of tax, associated with employee and director stock plans and employee stock purchase plan programs. As of December 25, 2015, there was $5.6 million, net of forfeitures of $1.4 million, of unrecognized compensation cost related to employee and director stock which is expected to be recognized on a straight-line basis over a weighted average period of approximately 1.91 years, and will be adjusted for subsequent changes in estimated forfeitures and future grants.

Total stock-based compensation during the fiscal years 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively, to various expense categories was as follows (in thousands):

	Year Ended
	December 25, 2015			December 26, 2014			December 27, 2013
Cost of goods sold (1)	$	1,175		$	1,195		$	1,197
Sales and marketing		414			428			474
Research and development		202			156			290
General and administrative		1,869			2,621			2,724
		3,660			4,400			4,685
Income tax benefit		(487	)		(1,342	)		(810	)
Net stock-based compensation expense	$	3,173		$	3,058		$	3,875

(1) Stock-based compensation expenses capitalized in inventory for fiscal years 2015, 2014 and 2013 were considered immaterial.

Intangible Assets

Intangible Assets

Goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets are not amortized, but are reviewed for impairment annually. Purchased 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 accounts for intangible assets in accordance with ASC 360. 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.

Intangible assets reviews are performed to determine whether the carrying value is impaired, based on comparisons to undiscounted expected future cash flows. If this comparison indicates that there is impairment, the impaired asset is written down to fair value, which is typically calculated using: (i) quoted market prices or (ii) discounted expected future cash flows utilizing a discount rate. See Note 5 to the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for further discussion.

Goodwill is recorded as the difference, if any, between the aggregate consideration paid for an acquisition and the fair value of the net tangible and intangible assets acquired. The Company tests goodwill for impairment at the reporting unit level (operating segment or one level below an operating segment) on an annual basis in the fourth quarter of each fiscal year or more frequently if the Company believes indicators of impairment exist. The performance of the test involves a two-step process. The first step of the impairment test involves comparing the fair values of the applicable reporting units with their aggregate carrying values, including goodwill. The Company generally determines the fair value of the Company’s reporting units using the income approach methodology of valuation that includes the discounted cash flow method as well as other generally accepted valuation methodologies. If the carrying amount of a reporting unit exceeds the reporting unit’s fair value, the Company performs the second step of the goodwill impairment test to determine the amount of impairment loss. The second step of the goodwill impairment test involves comparing the implied fair value of the affected reporting unit’s goodwill with the carrying value of that goodwill. The Company would then record a charge based on the results of the second step.

Long-lived Assets

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 2015, 2014 and 2013, the Company assessed the useful lives of its long-lived assets, including property, plant and equipment as well as its intangible assets and concluded that no impairment was required.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) amended the existing accounting standards for revenue recognition. In August 2015, the FASB delayed the effective date of the amended accounting standard for revenue recognition by one year. The FASB also agreed to allow entities to choose to adopt the standard as of the original effective date. As such, the updated standard will be effective for us in the first quarter of 2018, with the option to adopt it in the first quarter of 2017. The Company is still evaluating the effect that the updated standard will have on the consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

In September 2015, the FASB issued updated guidance on the accounting for purchase accounting adjustments determined during the measurement period (i.e. up to one year after the acquisition). The new guidance requires an acquirer to recognize such adjustments in the reporting period in which the adjustment amounts are determined. Previously, such adjustments were required to be recorded on a retrospective basis. The Company has elected to early adopt this guidance beginning in the third quarter 2015 on a prospective basis. The adoption of this guidance did not have a significant impact on the condensed consolidated financial statements.

In July 2015, the FASB issued authoritative guidance that requires inventory to be measured at the lower of cost and net realizable value instead of at lower of cost or market. This guidance does not apply to inventory that is measured using last-in, first out or the retail inventory method but applies to all other inventory including those measured using first-in, first-out or the average cost method. The authoritative guidance will be effective for the Company in the first quarter of fiscal 2018 and should be applied prospectively. Early adoption is permitted as of the beginning of an interim or annual reporting period. The Company is currently evaluating the effect of this new guidance on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

In April 2015, the FASB issued authoritative guidance that requires debt issuance costs to be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of the related debt liability, consistent with debt discounts. The authoritative guidance is effective for the Company in the first quarter of fiscal 2017 and should be applied retrospectively. Early adoption is permitted. The adoption of this guidance is not expected to have a significant impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

In November 2015, the FASB issued authoritative guidance on income taxes, which simplifies the presentation of deferred income taxes by requiring deferred tax assets and liabilities be classified as noncurrent on the balance sheet. The updated standard is effective for us beginning on January 1, 2017 with early application permitted as of the beginning of any interim or annual reporting period. The Company is currently evaluating the effect of this new guidance on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

In February 2016, the FASB issued guidance on leases, which amends the existing accounting standards for lease accounting, including requiring lessees to recognize most leases on their balance sheets and making targeted changes to lessor accounting. The standard is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2018, and interim periods within those years, with early adoption permitted. The standard requires a modified retrospective transition approach for all leases existing at, or entered into after, the date of initial application, with an option to use certain transition relief. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adopting the new standard on its consolidated financial statements.