Subsequent Event	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2016
Subsequent Events [Abstract]
Subsequent Event	SUBSEQUENT EVENT On February 2, 2017, the Company, Veeco Instruments Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Veeco”) and Ulysses Acquisition Subsidiary Corp., a Delaware corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of Veeco (“Merger Subsidiary”), entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”), pursuant to which, among other things, Merger Subsidiary will be merged with and into the Company (the “Merger”), with the Company surviving the Merger as a wholly owned subsidiary of Veeco, subject to the terms and conditions of the Merger Agreement. The boards of directors of both Veeco and the Company have approved the transaction. The closing of the Merger is subject to the adoption of the Merger Agreement by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least a majority of the outstanding shares of our common stock and to various other customary conditions, including the expiration or termination of the applicable waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended, (the “HSR Act”) (with respect to which the U.S. Federal Trade Commission granted early termination on February 17, 2017), the absence of any temporary restraining order, preliminary or permanent injunction or other judgment issued by any court of competent jurisdiction enjoining or otherwise prohibiting the consummation of the Merger and the SEC having declared effective a registration statement on Form S-4 with respect to the shares of Veeco common stock issuable in connection with the Merger. In addition, it is a condition to closing of the Merger that the Company and its subsidiaries, on a consolidated basis, have at least $180 million of cash on hand held in the United States. Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, and subject to the terms and conditions contained therein, upon the closing of the Merger, each share of our common stock outstanding immediately prior to the closing of the Merger (other than shares of our common stock owned by us as treasury shares or owned by Veeco, any of its subsidiaries, any of our subsidiaries or holders of our common stock, if any, who properly exercise their appraisal rights under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware) will be converted into the right to receive (i) $21.75 in cash without interest and (ii) 0.2675 of a share of Veeco common stock. On February 17, 2017, we received notice from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission that it had granted early termination, effective immediately, of the applicable waiting period under the HSR Act, for the Merger. The early termination of the waiting period under the HSR Act satisfies one of the conditions to the closing of the Merger, which remains subject to other closing conditions, including the adoption of the Merger Agreement by requisite vote of our stockholders.

SUBSEQUENT EVENT

On February 2, 2017, the Company, Veeco Instruments Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Veeco”) and Ulysses Acquisition Subsidiary Corp., a Delaware corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of Veeco (“Merger Subsidiary”), entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”), pursuant to which, among other things, Merger Subsidiary will be merged with and into the Company (the “Merger”), with the Company surviving the Merger as a wholly owned subsidiary of Veeco, subject to the terms and conditions of the Merger Agreement. The boards of directors of both Veeco and the Company have approved the transaction. The closing of the Merger is subject to the adoption of the Merger Agreement by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least a majority of the outstanding shares of our common stock and to various other customary conditions, including the expiration or termination of the applicable waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended, (the “HSR Act”) (with respect to which the U.S. Federal Trade Commission granted early termination on February 17, 2017), the absence of any temporary restraining order, preliminary or permanent injunction or other judgment issued by any court of competent jurisdiction enjoining or otherwise prohibiting the consummation of the Merger and the SEC having declared effective a registration statement on Form S-4 with respect to the shares of Veeco common stock issuable in connection with the Merger. In addition, it is a condition to closing of the Merger that the Company and its subsidiaries, on a consolidated basis, have at least $180 million of cash on hand held in the United States. Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, and subject to the terms and conditions contained therein, upon the closing of the Merger, each share of our common stock outstanding immediately prior to the closing of the Merger (other than shares of our common stock owned by us as treasury shares or owned by Veeco, any of its subsidiaries, any of our subsidiaries or holders of our common stock, if any, who properly exercise their appraisal rights under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware) will be converted into the right to receive (i) $21.75 in cash without interest and (ii) 0.2675 of a share of Veeco common stock.

On February 17, 2017, we received notice from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission that it had granted early termination, effective immediately, of the applicable waiting period under the HSR Act, for the Merger. The early termination of the waiting period under the HSR Act satisfies one of the conditions to the closing of the Merger, which remains subject to other closing conditions, including the adoption of the Merger Agreement by requisite vote of our stockholders.