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Commitments and Contingencies
12 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2014
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies
Commitments and Contingencies
 
Purchase Obligations – As of September 30, 2014, we had unrecorded purchase obligations in the amount of $7.9 million. These purchase obligations consist of outstanding purchase orders for goods and services. While the amount represents purchase agreements, the actual amounts to be paid may be less in the event that any agreements are renegotiated, canceled or terminated.
Development Projects
In fiscal 2014, Tempress Systems, Inc. ("Tempress") entered into an agreement with the Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands ("ECN"), a Netherlands government sponsored research institute, for a joint research and development project. Under the terms of the agreement, Tempress sold an ion implanter ("Equipment") to ECN for $1.4 million. Both Tempress and ECN are performing research and development projects utilizing the Equipment at the ECN facilities. Each party to the agreement will have 100% rights to the results of the projects developed separately by the individual parties. Any results co-developed will be jointly owned. Over the four-year period of the agreement, Tempress is required to contribute $1.4 million to the project in the form of installation of the equipment, acceptance testing, project meeting attendance, training, parts, and service, including keeping the equipment in good condition and repair for the first two years of the agreement.

In 2013, Shanghai Kingstone Semiconductor Company Ltd. ("Kingstone") entered into an agreement with certain government agencies in Shanghai, China for the purpose of developing ion implant technology for non-solar applications. Kingstone has substantially completed the first phase of this development project and received
$3.6 million of grant funds for the project. Kingstone is investigating options for the securing funding for their $6.1 million commitment to the first phase of the project. Kingstone has a further funding commitment that is planned to be in place by December 2015. Amtech owns 55% of Kingstone Technology Hong Kong Limited, which owns 100% of Shanghai Kingstone Semiconductor Company Ltd. Amtech has no obligation or plan to fund Kingstone's commitments under
the agreement.


 
Legal Proceedings – The Company and its subsidiaries are defendants from time to time in actions for matters arising out of their business operations. Shortly after the Company entered into the Merger Agreement with BTU, the Company learned that two separate putative stockholder class action complaints were filed in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware. The first was filed on November 4, 2014, purportedly on behalf of BTU’s public stockholders, against the members of the BTU Board, Amtech and Merger Sub. The complaint generally alleges, among other things, that the members of BTU’s board of directors breached their fiduciary duties owed to BTU’s public stockholders by causing BTU to enter into the Merger Agreement and by approving the merger, and that the Company and Merger Sub aided and abetted such alleged breaches of fiduciary duties. In addition, the complaint alleges that the Merger Agreement improperly favors the Company and unduly restricts BTU’s ability to negotiate with other potential bidders. The complaint generally seeks, among other things, declaratory and injunctive relief concerning the alleged fiduciary breaches, injunctive relief prohibiting the Company, Merger Sub, and BTU from consummating the Merger, other forms of equitable relief, and compensatory damages. The Company believes that the claims are without merit and it intends to defend against the litigation vigorously on behalf of the Company and Merger Sub.

The second was filed on November 17, 2014, purportedly on behalf of BTU’s public stockholders, against BTU, the BTU board, Amtech and Merger Sub. The complaint generally alleges, among other things, that the members of BTU’s board of directors breached their fiduciary duties owed to BTU’s public stockholders by failing to engage in a competitive sale and bidding process, and that the Company and Merger Sub aided and abetted such alleged breaches of fiduciary duties. The complaint further alleges that these fiduciary breaches gave the Company an unfair advantage by failing to solicit other potential acquirers. The complaint generally seeks, among other things, injunctive relief prohibiting the defendants from consummating the Merger, compensatory damages for alleged breaches of fiduciary duties, and other forms of equitable relief. While the Company also believes these claims are without merit, it intends to defend against the litigation vigorously.

Operating Leases – The Company leases buildings, vehicles and equipment under operating leases. Rental expense under such operating leases was $1.0 million, $1.0 million, and $1.4 million in fiscal 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively. As of September 30, 2014, future minimum rental commitments under non-cancelable operating leases with initial or remaining terms of one year or more totaled $2.3 million, of which $1.0 million, $0.5 million, $0.4 million, $0.2 million and $0.2 million is payable in fiscal 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019, respectively, and less than $0.1 million, thereafter.