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Commitments and Contingencies
12 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2017
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies
Commitments and Contingencies
 
Purchase Obligations – As of September 30, 2017, we had unrecorded purchase obligations in the amount of $34.4 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 has 100% rights to the results of the projects developed separately by the individual parties. Any results co-developed will be jointly owned. Tempress met its requirement 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, prior to fiscal 2017.

EPA Accrual - As a result of the BTU acquisition, we assumed BTU’s proportional responsibility for clean-up costs at a Superfund site. As an equipment manufacturer, BTU generated and disposed of small quantities of solid waste that were considered hazardous under Environment Protection Agency (“EPA”) regulations. Because BTU historically used a waste disposal firm that disposed of the solid waste at a site that the EPA designated as a Superfund site, BTU was named by the EPA as one of the entities responsible for a portion of the expected clean-up costs. Based on our proportional responsibility, as negotiated with and agreed to by the EPA, our liability related to this matter is less than $0.1 million, which is included in Other Accrued Liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheet as of September 30, 2017 and 2016. In accordance with the agreement, we established a letter of credit for $0.2 million to the benefit of the EPA for potential cash payments as settlements for our proportional liability, which is included in Restricted Cash in the Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Legal Proceedings – We are defendants from time to time in actions for matters arising out of our business operations. We regularly evaluate the status of the legal proceedings in which we are involved to assess whether a loss is probable or there is a reasonable possibility that a loss, or an additional loss, may have been incurred and determine if accruals are appropriate. If accruals are not appropriate, we further evaluate each legal proceeding to assess whether an estimate of possible loss or range of possible loss can be made for disclosure. Although litigation is inherently unpredictable, we believe that we have adequate provisions for any probable and estimable losses. It is possible, nevertheless, that our consolidated financial position, results of operations or liquidity could be materially and adversely affected in any particular period by the resolution of a legal proceeding. Legal expenses related to defense, negotiations, settlements, rulings and advice of outside legal counsel are expensed as incurred.

As previously disclosed in our filings with the SEC, in April 2016 we paid $325,000 pursuant to a settlement agreement entered into in connection with litigation filed against us related to the BTU Merger.

Operating Leases – We lease buildings, vehicles and equipment under operating leases. Rental expense under such operating leases was $1.2 million, $1.4 million, and $1.2 million in 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively. As of September 30, 2017, 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 $0.9 million, $0.8 million, $0.4 million, $0.2 million and less than $0.1 million is payable in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022, respectively, and none thereafter.
 
Employment Contracts – We have employment contracts with, and severance plans covering, certain officers and management employees under which severance payments would become payable in the event of specified terminations without cause or terminations under certain circumstances after a change in control. If severance payments under the current employment agreements or plan payments were to become payable, the severance payments would generally range from twelve to thirty-six months of salary.