Basis of Presentation (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2014

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Nature of Operations and Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), and consequently do not include all disclosures normally required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. In the opinion of management, the accompanying unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements contain all adjustments necessary, all of which are of a normal and recurring nature, to present fairly our financial position, results of operations and cash flows. Certain information and note disclosures normally included in financial statements have been condensed or omitted pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC. These condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2013.

The consolidated results of operations for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2014, are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full fiscal year.

Principles of Consolidation

Principles of Consolidation – The condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company, its wholly-owned subsidiaries and subsidiaries in which it has a controlling interest. The Company reports noncontrolling interests in consolidated entities as a component of equity separate from the Company's equity. All material intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

Use of Estimates

Use of Estimates – The preparation 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 disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Revenue Recognition

Revenue Recognition – Revenue is recognized upon shipment of the Company’s proven technology equal to the sales price less the greater of (i) the fair value of undelivered services or (ii) the contingent portion of the sales price, which is generally 10-20% of the total contract price. The entire cost of the equipment relating to proven technology is recorded upon shipment. The remaining contractual revenue, deferred costs and installation costs are recorded upon the completion of installation at the customers’ premises and acceptance of the product by the customer.

For purposes of revenue recognition, proven technology means the Company has a history of at least two successful installations. New technology systems are those systems with respect to which the Company cannot demonstrate that it can meet the provisions of customer acceptance at the time of shipment. The full amount of revenue and costs of new technology shipments is recognized upon the completion of installation at the customers’ premises and acceptance of the product by the customer.

Revenue from services is recognized as the services are performed. Revenue from prepaid service contracts is recognized ratably over the respective lives of the contracts. Revenue from spare parts is recorded upon shipment.

Deferred Profit

Deferred Profit – Revenue deferred pursuant to the Company’s revenue recognition policy, net of the related deferred costs, if any, is recorded as deferred profit in current liabilities.

Concentrations of Credit Risk

Concentrations of Credit Risk – Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to significant concentrations of credit risk consist principally of trade accounts receivable and cash. The Company’s customers, located throughout the world, consist of manufacturers of solar cells, semiconductors, semiconductor wafers, light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS). Credit risk is managed by performing ongoing credit evaluations of the customers’ financial condition, by requiring significant deposits where appropriate, and by actively monitoring collections. Letters of credit are required of certain customers depending on the size of the order, type of customer or its creditworthiness, and its country of domicile. Reserves for potentially uncollectible receivables are maintained based on an assessment of collectability.

The Company maintains its cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash in multiple financial institutions. Balances in the United States (approximately 60% of total cash balances) are primarily invested in U.S. Treasuries or are in financial institutions insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). The remainder of the Company’s cash is maintained in banks in The Netherlands, France and China that are uninsured.

Restricted Cash

Restricted Cash – Restricted cash is $3.1 million and $5.1 million as of June 30, 2014, and September 30, 2013, respectively. The balance includes collateral for bank guarantees required by certain customers from whom deposits have been received in advance of shipment and cash received from research and development grants related to our ion implant technology to be used for research and development projects.

Accounts Receivable - Unbilled and Other

Accounts Receivable - Unbilled and Other – Unbilled and other accounts receivable consist mainly of the contingent portion of the sales price that is not collectible until successful installation of the product. These amounts are generally billed upon final customer acceptance. For the majority of these amounts, a liability has been accrued in deferred profit.

Inventories

Inventories – Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value. Approximately 70% of inventory is valued on an average cost basis with the remainder determined on a first-in, first-out (FIFO) basis.

Property, Plant and Equipment

Property, Plant and Equipment – Property, plant and equipment are recorded at cost. Maintenance and repairs are charged to expense as incurred. The cost of property retired or sold and the related accumulated depreciation are removed from the applicable accounts when disposition occurs and any gain or loss is recognized. Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method. Useful lives for equipment, machinery and leasehold improvements range from three to seven years; for furniture and fixtures from five to ten years; and for buildings twenty years.

Goodwill

Goodwill - Goodwill is not subject to amortization and is reviewed for impairment on an annual basis, typically at the end of the fiscal year, or more frequently if circumstances dictate.

Intangibles

Intangibles – Intangible assets are capitalized and amortized over their useful life if the life is determinable. If the life is not determinable, amortization is not recorded.

Long-lived assets

Long-lived assets - Long-lived assets are reviewed for impairment when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable.

Warranty

Warranty – A limited warranty is provided free of charge, generally for periods of 12 to 24 months, for all purchases of the Company’s new products and systems. Accruals are recorded for estimated warranty costs at the time the system is accepted by the customer.

Stock-Based Compensation

Stock-Based Compensation - The Company measures compensation costs relating to share-based payment transactions based upon the grant-date fair value of the award. Those costs are recognized as expense over the requisite service period, which is generally the vesting period. The benefits of tax deductions in excess of recognized compensation cost are credited to additional paid-in capital and reported as cash flow from financing activities rather than as cash flow from operating activities.

Share-based compensation expense reduced the Company’s results of operations by the following amounts:



	Three Months Ended June 30,						Nine Months Ended June 30,
	2014			2013			2014			2013
	(dollars in thousands)
Effect on income before income taxes (1)	$	(230	)	$	(1,553	)	$	(603	)	$	(2,313	)
Effect on income taxes	36			315			196			469
Effect on net income	$	(194	)	$	(1,238	)	$	(407	)	$	(1,844	)


(1)	Stock-based compensation expense is included in selling, general and administrative expenses.

Stock options issued under the terms of the plans have, or will have, an exercise price equal to or greater than the fair market value of the common stock at the date of the option grant and expire no later than 10 years from the date of grant, with the most recent grant expiring in 2023. Options issued by the Company vest over 2 to 4 years.

Stock option transactions and the options outstanding are summarized as follows:



	Nine Months Ended June 30,
	2014					2013
	Options			Weighted Average Exercise Price		Options			Weighted Average Exercise Price
Outstanding at beginning of period	1,059,417			$	6.71	891,293			$	9.37
Granted	272,906			7.01		312,850			2.95
Exercised	(263,358		)	4.31		—			—
Forfeited	(4,546		)	8.71		(132,318		)	15.79
Outstanding at end of period	1,064,419			$	7.37	1,071,825			$	6.71

Exercisable at end of period	663,220			$	8.14	873,969			$	7.07
Weighted average fair value of options granted during the period	$	4.38				$	1.82

The fair value of options was estimated at the grant date using the Black-Scholes option pricing model with the following assumptions:



	Nine Months Ended June 30,
	2014	2013
Risk free interest rate	2%	1%
Expected life	6 years	6 years
Dividend rate	0%	0%
Volatility	69%	70%

To estimate expected lives for this valuation, it was assumed that options will be exercised at varying schedules after becoming fully vested. Forfeitures have been estimated at the time of grant and will be revised, if necessary, in subsequent periods if actual forfeitures differ from those estimates. Forfeitures were estimated based upon historical experience. Fair value computations are highly sensitive to the volatility factor assumed; the greater the volatility, the higher the computed fair value of the options granted. The Company uses historical stock prices to determine the volatility factor.

The Company awards restricted shares under the existing share-based compensation plans. The Company's restricted share awards vest in equal annual installments over a two to four-year period. The total value of these awards is expensed on a ratable basis over the service period of the employees receiving the grants. The “service period” is the time during which the employees receiving grants must remain employees for the shares granted to fully vest.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

In accordance with the requirements of the Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures Topic of the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") Accounting Standards Codification (ASC), the Company groups its financial assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis in three levels, based on the markets in which the assets and liabilities are traded and the reliability of the assumptions used to determine fair value. These levels are:

Level 1 - Valuation is based upon quoted market price for identical instruments traded in active markets.

Level 2 - Valuation is based on quoted market 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 assumptions are observable in the market.

Level 3 - Valuation is generated from model-based techniques that use significant assumptions not observable in the market. Valuation techniques include use of discounted cash flow models and similar techniques.

In accordance with the requirements of the Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures Topic of the FASB ASC, it is the Company's policy to use observable inputs whenever reasonably practicable in order to minimize the use of unobservable inputs when developing fair value measurements. When available, the Company uses quoted market prices to measure fair value. If market prices are not available, the fair value measurement is based on models that use primarily market based parameters including interest rate yield curves, option volatilities and currency rates. In certain cases, where market rate assumptions are not available, the Company is required to make judgments about assumptions market participants would use to estimate the fair value of a financial instrument. Changes in the underlying assumptions used, including discount rates and estimates of future cash flows, could significantly affect the results of current or future values.

Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash - Included in Cash and Cash Equivalents in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets is $18.0 million and $18.5 million as of June 30, 2014 and September 30, 2013, respectively, of money market funds invested in treasury bills, notes and other direct obligations of the U.S. Treasury. The fair value of this cash equivalent is based on Level 1 inputs in the fair value hierarchy.

Receivables and Payables - The recorded amounts of these financial instruments, including accounts receivable and accounts payable, approximate their fair value because of the short maturities of these instruments. If measured at fair value in the financial statements, these financial instruments would be classified as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy.

Pensions

Pensions - The Company has retirement plans covering substantially all employees. The principal plans are the multiemployer defined benefit pension plans of the Company’s operations in The Netherlands and France and the plan for hourly union employees in Pennsylvania. The multiemployer plans in the United States and France are insignificant. The Company's defined contribution plans cover substantially all of the employees in the United States. The Company matches employee funds on a discretionary basis.

Shipping expense

Shipping expense – Shipping expenses of $0.2 million and $0.3 million for the three months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013, respectively, are included in selling, general and administrative expenses. Shipping expenses of $0.7 million and $0.6 million for the nine months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013, respectively, are included in selling, general and administrative expenses.

Research and development expense

Research and development expense – Research and development expenses consist of the cost of employees, consultants and contractors who design, engineer and develop new products and processes; materials and supplies used in those activities; and product prototyping. The Company receives reimbursements through governmental research and development grants which are netted against these expenses when certain conditions have been met.

Impact of Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

In June 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2014-12 which provides guidance on how to account for shared-based payment awards where the terms of the award provide that a performance target that affects vesting could be achieved after the requisite service period. The ASU requires that a performance target that affects vesting and that could be achieved after the requisite service period be treated as a performance condition. ASU 2014-12 is effective for annual periods, and interim periods within those annual periods, beginning after December 15, 2015, and early adoption is permitted. We are currently assessing the impact of this ASU but do not expect it to have a material impact on our consolidated financial position and results of operations.

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, which supersedes most of the current revenue recognition requirements. The core principle of the new guidance is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for these goods or services. New disclosures about the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from contracts with customers are also required. This guidance is effective for the Company in the first quarter of fiscal year 2018 and early application is not permitted. Entities must adopt the new guidance using one of two retrospective application methods. The Company is currently evaluating the standard and the impact on our financial position and results of operations.

In April 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-08 "Presentation of Financial Statements (Topic 205) and Property, Plant and Equipment (Topic 360)." The amendments in this Update change the requirements for reporting discontinued operations in Subtopic 205-20. A discontinued operation may include a component of an entity or a group of components of an entity, or a business or nonprofit activity.

A disposal of a component of an entity or a group of components of an entity is required to be reported in discontinued operations if the disposal represents a strategic shift that has (or will have) a major effect on an entity's operations and financial results when any of the following occurs:

1. The component of an entity or group of components of an entity meets the criteria in paragraph 205-20-45-1E to be classified as held for sale.

2. The component of an entity or group of components of an entity is disposed of by sale.

3. The component of an entity or group of components of an entity is disposed of other than by sale (for example, by abandonment or in a distribution to owners in a spinoff).

The amendments in this Update improve the definition of discontinued operations by limiting discontinued operations reporting to disposals of components of an entity that represent strategic shifts that have (or will have) a major effect on an entity's operations and financial results. Under current U.S. GAAP, many disposals, some of which may be routine in nature and not a change in an entity's strategy, are reported in discontinued operations.

The amendments in this Update require expanded disclosures for discontinued operations. The FASB concluded that those disclosures should provide users of financial statements with more information about the assets, liabilities, revenues, and expenses of discontinued operations.

The amendments in this Update also require an entity to disclose the pretax profit or loss (or change in net assets for a not-for-profit entity) of an individually significant component of an entity that does not qualify for discontinued operations reporting. The Board concluded that this disclosure should provide users with information about the financial effects of significant disposals that do not qualify for discontinued operations reporting.

The amendments in this Update are effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2014. The Company will evaluate the impact of the Update as future transactions occur.

In July 2013, the FASB issued ASU No. 2013-11 "Income Taxes (Topic 740)." An unrecognized tax benefit, or a portion of an unrecognized tax benefit, should be presented in the financial statements as a reduction to a deferred tax asset for a net operating loss carryforward, a similar tax loss, or a tax credit carryforward, except as follows. To the extent a net operating loss carryforward, a similar tax loss, or a tax credit carryforward is not available at the reporting date under the tax law of the applicable jurisdiction to settle any additional income taxes that would result from the disallowance of a tax position or the tax law of the applicable jurisdiction does not require the entity to use, and the entity does not intend to use, the deferred tax asset for such purpose, the unrecognized tax benefit should be presented in the financial statements as a liability and should not be combined with deferred tax assets. The assessment of whether a deferred tax asset is available is based on the unrecognized tax benefit and deferred tax asset that exist at the reporting date and should be made presuming disallowance of the tax position at the reporting date. The amendments in this Update are effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2013.

In March 2013, the FASB issued ASU No. 2013-05 "Foreign Currency Matters (Topic 830)." The objective of the amendments in this Update is to resolve the diversity in practice about which codification subtopic applies to the release of the cumulative translation adjustment into net income when a parent either sells a part or all of its investment in a foreign entity or no longer holds a controlling financial interest in a subsidiary or group of assets that is a business within a foreign entity. The amendments in this Update are effective prospectively for fiscal years (and interim reporting periods within those years) beginning after December 15, 2013. The Company will evaluate the impact of the Update as future transactions occur.

In February 2013, The FASB issued ASU No. 2013-04 "Liabilities (Topic 405)," The guidance in this Update requires an entity to measure obligations resulting from joint and several liability arrangements for which the total amount of the obligation within the scope of this guidance is fixed at the reporting date, as the sum of the following:

a. The amount the reporting entity agreed to pay on the basis of its arrangement among its co-obligors.

b. Any additional amount the reporting entity expects to pay on behalf of its co-obligors.

The guidance in this Update also requires an entity to disclose the nature and amount of the obligation as well as other information about those obligations. The amendments in this Update are effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2013. The Company does not expect this Update to have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.