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Variable Interest Entities
6 Months Ended
Mar. 02, 2017
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]  
Variable Interest Entities
Variable Interest Entities

We have interests in entities that are VIEs. If we are the primary beneficiary of a VIE, we are required to consolidate it. To determine if we are the primary beneficiary, we evaluate whether we have the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the VIE's economic performance and the obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive benefits of the VIE that could potentially be significant to the VIE. Our evaluation includes identification of significant activities and an assessment of our ability to direct those activities based on governance provisions and arrangements to provide or receive product and process technology, product supply, operations services, equity funding, financing, and other applicable agreements and circumstances. Our assessments of whether we are the primary beneficiary of our VIEs require significant assumptions and judgments.

Unconsolidated VIEs

Inotera: Prior to our acquisition of the remaining interest in Inotera on December 6, 2016, Inotera was a VIE because of the terms of its supply agreement with us. We had determined that we did not have the power to direct the activities of Inotera that most significantly impacted its economic performance, primarily due to limitations on our governance rights that required the consent of other parties for key operating decisions and due to Inotera's dependence on Nanya for financing and the ability of Inotera to operate in Taiwan. Therefore, we did not consolidate Inotera and we accounted for our interest under the equity method. (See "Acquisition of Inotera" and "Equity Method Investments – Inotera" notes.)

EQUVO: EQUVO HK Limited ("EQUVO"), a special purpose entity, was created to facilitate an equipment sale-leaseback financing transaction between us and a consortium of financial institutions. Neither we nor the financing entities have an equity interest in EQUVO. EQUVO was a VIE because its equity was not sufficient to permit it to finance its activities without additional support from the financing entities and because the third-party equity holder lacked characteristics of a controlling financial interest. By design, the arrangement with EQUVO was merely a financing vehicle and we did not bear any significant risks from variable interests with EQUVO. Therefore, we had determined that we did not have the power to direct the activities of EQUVO that most significantly impact its economic performance and we did not consolidate EQUVO. In February 2017, we completed all of our obligations under the sale-leaseback financing and no longer have any variable interests in EQUVO.

SC Hiroshima Energy Corporation: SC Hiroshima Energy Corporation ("SCHE") is an entity created to construct and operate a cogeneration, electrical power plant to support our wafer manufacturing facility in Hiroshima, Japan. We do not have an equity interest in SCHE. SCHE is a VIE due to the nature of its tolling agreements with us and our option to purchase SCHE's assets. We do not control the operation and maintenance of the plant, which we have determined are the activities of SCHE that most significantly impact its economic performance. Therefore, we do not consolidate SCHE.

PTI Xi'an: Powertech Technology Inc. Xi'an ("PTI Xi'an") is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Powertech Technology Inc. ("PTI") and was created to provide assembly services to us at our manufacturing site in Xi'an, China. We do not have an equity interest in PTI Xi'an. PTI Xi'an is a VIE because of the terms of its service agreement with us and its dependency on PTI to finance its operations. We have determined that we do not have the power to direct the activities of PTI Xi'an that most significantly impact its economic performance, primarily because we have no governance rights. Therefore, we do not consolidate PTI Xi'an.

Consolidated VIE

IMFT: IMFT is a VIE because all of its costs are passed to us and its other member, Intel, through product purchase agreements and because IMFT is dependent upon us or Intel for additional cash requirements. The primary activities of IMFT are driven by the constant introduction of product and process technology. Because we perform a significant majority of the technology development, we have the power to direct its key activities. In addition, IMFT manufactures certain products exclusively for us using our technology. We consolidate IMFT because we have the power to direct the activities of IMFT that most significantly impact its economic performance and because we have the obligation to absorb losses and the right to receive benefits from IMFT that could potentially be significant to it. (See "Equity – Noncontrolling Interests in Subsidiaries – IMFT" note.)