BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2013
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies	BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES Nature of Operations Mattson Technology, Inc. (referred to in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q as "Mattson," "we," "us," or "our") was incorporated in California in 1988 and reincorporated in Delaware in 1997. We design, manufacture, market and globally support semiconductor wafer processing equipment used in the fabrication of integrated circuits. Basis of Presentation The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("U.S. GAAP") for interim financial information and with the instructions to Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by such accounting principles for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (which include normal recurring adjustments) considered necessary to present fairly each of the statement of financial position as of June 30, 2013, the results of operations for the three and six months ended June 30, 2013 and July 1, 2012, statements of comprehensive loss for the three and six months ended June 30, 2013 and July 1, 2012, and the statements of cash flows for the six months ended June 30, 2013 and July 1, 2012, as applicable, have been made. The condensed consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2012 has been derived from our audited financial statements as of such date, but does not include all disclosures required by U.S. GAAP. The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with our audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2012, which are included in the Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 15, 2013. The condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Mattson Technology, Inc. and our wholly-owned subsidiaries. All inter-company balances and transactions have been eliminated. The results of operations for the three and six months ended June 30, 2013 are not necessarily indicative of results that may be expected for the entire year ending December 31, 2013. Fiscal Year Our fiscal year ends on December 31. We close our first fiscal quarter on the Sunday closest to March 31. Our second and third fiscal quarters are each 13 weeks long and our fourth quarter closes on December 31. Use of Estimates The preparation of the condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reported periods. We evaluate our estimates on an ongoing basis, including those related to the useful lives and fair value of long-lived assets, estimates used to determine facility lease loss liabilities, measurement of warranty obligations, valuation allowances for deferred tax assets, the fair value of stock-based compensation, estimates for allowance for doubtful accounts, and valuation of excess and obsolete inventories. Our estimates and assumptions can be subjective and complex and consequently actual results could differ materially from those estimates. Liquidity and Management Plans As of June 30, 2013 we had cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash of $17.0 million and working capital of $29.4 million. On April 12, 2013, we entered into a three-year $25.0 million senior secured revolving credit facility (the "Credit Facility") with Silicon Valley Bank. Under the Credit Facility, advances are available based on (i) the achievement of certain quarterly EBITDA levels, and (ii) a borrowing base formula equal to the sum of up to (a) 80 percent of eligible accounts receivable and advance billings and (b) 30 percent of eligible inventory, minus any reserves established by the bank. As of June 30, 2013, we had $10 million outstanding under the Credit Facility at an annual interest rate of 4.75 percent. We believe our available financial resources are sufficient to fund our working capital and other capital requirements over the course of the next twelve months. Our operations require careful management of our cash and working capital balances. Our liquidity is affected by many factors including, among others, fluctuations in our net sales, gross profits and operating expenses, as well as changes in our operating assets and liabilities. The cyclicality of the semiconductor industry makes it difficult to predict our future liquidity needs with certainty. Any upturn in the semiconductor industry would result in short-term uses of cash to fund inventory purchases. In addition, any ineffectiveness in our cost reduction efforts may cause us to incur additional losses in the future and lower our cash balances. We may need additional funds to support our working capital requirements and operating expenses, or for other requirements. Historically, we have relied on a combination of fundraising from the sale and issuance of equity securities (such as our common stock offering in May 2011), and cash generated from product, service and royalty revenues to provide funding for our operations. We periodically review our liquidity position and may seek to raise additional funds from a combination of sources including issuance of equity or debt securities through public or private financings. In the event additional needs for cash arise, we may also seek to raise these funds externally through other means, such as the sale of assets. The availability of additional financing will depend on a variety of factors, including among others, market conditions, the general availability of credit, our credit ratings, and our ability to maintain our listing on NASDAQ. As a consequence, these financing options may not be available to us on a timely basis, or on terms acceptable to us, and could be dilutive to our stockholders. We will continue to review our operations and take further actions, as necessary, to minimize the cash used in operations and retain sufficient liquidity to fund our operating activities. However, there can be no guarantee that we will be able to raise additional funds on terms acceptable to us, or at all. Recent Accounting Pronouncements In July 2012, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") amended its existing guidance for goodwill and other intangible assets. This authoritative guidance gives companies the option to first perform a qualitative assessment to determine whether it is more likely than not that an indefinite-lived intangible asset is impaired. To perform a qualitative assessment, a company must identify and evaluate changes in economic, industry and company-specific events and circumstances that could affect the significant inputs used to determine the fair value of an indefinite-lived intangible asset. If a company determines that it is more likely than not that the fair value of such an asset exceeds its carrying amount, it would not need to calculate the fair value of the asset in that year. We adopted this update as of January 1, 2013, and this adoption did not have a material impact on our financial position. In February 2013, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2013-02, Reporting of Amounts Reclassified Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income ("AOCI"). This standard requires reporting, in one place, information about reclassifications out of AOCI by component. An entity is required to present, either on the face of the financial statements or in the notes, significant amounts reclassified out of AOCI by the respective line items of net income, but only if the amount is reclassified in its entirety in the same reporting period. For amounts that are not required to be reclassified to net income in their entirety, an entity is required to cross-reference to other currently required disclosures that provide additional detail about those amounts. The information required by this standard must be presented in one place, either parenthetically on the face of the financial statements by income statement line item or in a note. We adopted this accounting guidance in the first quarter of 2013 and this adoption did not have a material impact on our financial position or results of operations. In March 2013, the FASB issued ASU No. 2013-05, Foreign Currency Matters (Topic 830): Parent’s Accounting for the Cumulative Translation Adjustment upon Derecognition of Certain Subsidiaries or Groups of Assets within a Foreign Entity or of an Investment in a Foreign Entity, which addresses the accounting for the cumulative translation adjustment 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 nonprofit activity or a business within a foreign entity. ASU 2013-05 will be effective prospectively in fiscal 2014. We are evaluating the potential impact of this adoption on our consolidated financial statements. In July 2013, the FASB issued ASU 2013-11, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Presentation of an Unrecognized Tax Benefit When a Net Operating Loss Carryforward, a Similar Tax Loss, or a Tax Credit Carryforward Exists. This update clarifies that 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 if such settlement is required or expected in the event the uncertain tax position is disallowed. In situations where 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 or the tax law of the jurisdiction does not require, 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. This accounting guidance is effective prospectively for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2013. Retrospective application is permitted. We are evaluating the potential impact of this adoption on our consolidated financial statements. There were no other recent accounting pronouncements or changes in accounting pronouncements during the six months ended June 30, 2013 compared to the recent accounting pronouncements described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2012, that are of significance or potential significance to us.

BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Nature of Operations

Mattson Technology, Inc. (referred to in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q as "Mattson," "we," "us," or "our") was incorporated in California in 1988 and reincorporated in Delaware in 1997. We design, manufacture, market and globally support semiconductor wafer processing equipment used in the fabrication of integrated circuits.

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("U.S. GAAP") for interim financial information and with the instructions to Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by such accounting principles for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (which include normal recurring adjustments) considered necessary to present fairly each of the statement of financial position as of June 30, 2013, the results of operations for the three and six months ended June 30, 2013 and July 1, 2012, statements of comprehensive loss for the three and six months ended June 30, 2013 and July 1, 2012, and the statements of cash flows for the six months ended June 30, 2013 and July 1, 2012, as applicable, have been made. The condensed consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2012 has been derived from our audited financial statements as of such date, but does not include all disclosures required by U.S. GAAP. The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with our audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2012, which are included in the Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 15, 2013.

The condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Mattson Technology, Inc. and our wholly-owned subsidiaries. All inter-company balances and transactions have been eliminated.

The results of operations for the three and six months ended June 30, 2013 are not necessarily indicative of results that may be expected for the entire year ending December 31, 2013.

Fiscal Year

Our fiscal year ends on December 31. We close our first fiscal quarter on the Sunday closest to March 31. Our second and third fiscal quarters are each 13 weeks long and our fourth quarter closes on December 31.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of the condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reported periods. We evaluate our estimates on an ongoing basis, including those related to the useful lives and fair value of long-lived assets, estimates used to determine facility lease loss liabilities, measurement of warranty obligations, valuation allowances for deferred tax assets, the fair value of stock-based compensation, estimates for allowance for doubtful accounts, and valuation of excess and obsolete inventories. Our estimates and assumptions can be subjective and complex and consequently actual results could differ materially from those estimates.

Liquidity and Management Plans

As of June 30, 2013 we had cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash of $17.0 million and working capital of $29.4 million. On April 12, 2013, we entered into a three-year $25.0 million senior secured revolving credit facility (the "Credit Facility") with Silicon Valley Bank. Under the Credit Facility, advances are available based on (i) the achievement of certain quarterly EBITDA levels, and (ii) a borrowing base formula equal to the sum of up to (a) 80 percent of eligible accounts receivable and advance billings and (b) 30 percent of eligible inventory, minus any reserves established by the bank. As of June 30, 2013, we had $10 million outstanding under the Credit Facility at an annual interest rate of 4.75 percent.

We believe our available financial resources are sufficient to fund our working capital and other capital requirements over the course of the next twelve months. Our operations require careful management of our cash and working capital balances. Our liquidity is affected by many factors including, among others, fluctuations in our net sales, gross profits and operating expenses, as well as changes in our operating assets and liabilities. The cyclicality of the semiconductor industry makes it difficult to predict our future liquidity needs with certainty. Any upturn in the semiconductor industry would result in short-term uses of cash to fund inventory purchases. In addition, any ineffectiveness in our cost reduction efforts may cause us to incur additional losses in the future and lower our cash balances. We may need additional funds to support our working capital requirements and operating expenses, or for other requirements. Historically, we have relied on a combination of fundraising from the sale and issuance of equity securities (such as our common stock offering in May 2011), and cash generated from product, service and royalty revenues to provide funding for our operations.

We periodically review our liquidity position and may seek to raise additional funds from a combination of sources including issuance of equity or debt securities through public or private financings. In the event additional needs for cash arise, we may also seek to raise these funds externally through other means, such as the sale of assets. The availability of additional financing will depend on a variety of factors, including among others, market conditions, the general availability of credit, our credit ratings, and our ability to maintain our listing on NASDAQ. As a consequence, these financing options may not be available to us on a timely basis, or on terms acceptable to us, and could be dilutive to our stockholders.

We will continue to review our operations and take further actions, as necessary, to minimize the cash used in operations and retain sufficient liquidity to fund our operating activities. However, there can be no guarantee that we will be able to raise additional funds on terms acceptable to us, or at all.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In July 2012, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") amended its existing guidance for goodwill and other intangible assets. This authoritative guidance gives companies the option to first perform a qualitative assessment to determine whether it is more likely than not that an indefinite-lived intangible asset is impaired. To perform a qualitative assessment, a company must identify and evaluate changes in economic, industry and company-specific events and circumstances that could affect the significant inputs used to determine the fair value of an indefinite-lived intangible asset. If a company determines that it is more likely than not that the fair value of such an asset exceeds its carrying amount, it would not need to calculate the fair value of the asset in that year. We adopted this update as of January 1, 2013, and this adoption did not have a material impact on our financial position.

In February 2013, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2013-02, Reporting of Amounts Reclassified Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income ("AOCI"). This standard requires reporting, in one place, information about reclassifications out of AOCI by component. An entity is required to present, either on the face of the financial statements or in the notes, significant amounts reclassified out of AOCI by the respective line items of net income, but only if the amount is reclassified in its entirety in the same reporting period. For amounts that are not required to be reclassified to net income in their entirety, an entity is required to cross-reference to other currently required disclosures that provide additional detail about those amounts. The information required by this standard must be presented in one place, either parenthetically on the face of the financial statements by income statement line item or in a note. We adopted this accounting guidance in the first quarter of 2013 and this adoption did not have a material impact on our financial position or results of operations.

In March 2013, the FASB issued ASU No. 2013-05, Foreign Currency Matters (Topic 830): Parent’s Accounting for the Cumulative Translation Adjustment upon Derecognition of Certain Subsidiaries or Groups of Assets within a Foreign Entity or of an Investment in a Foreign Entity, which addresses the accounting for the cumulative translation adjustment 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 nonprofit activity or a business within a foreign entity. ASU 2013-05 will be effective prospectively in fiscal 2014. We are evaluating the potential impact of this adoption on our consolidated financial statements.

In July 2013, the FASB issued ASU 2013-11, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Presentation of an Unrecognized Tax Benefit When a Net Operating Loss Carryforward, a Similar Tax Loss, or a Tax Credit Carryforward Exists. This update clarifies that 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 if such settlement is required or expected in the event the uncertain tax position is disallowed. In situations where 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 or the tax law of the jurisdiction does not require, 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. This accounting guidance is effective prospectively for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2013. Retrospective application is permitted. We are evaluating the potential impact of this adoption on our consolidated financial statements.

There were no other recent accounting pronouncements or changes in accounting pronouncements during the six months ended June 30, 2013 compared to the recent accounting pronouncements described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2012, that are of significance or potential significance to us.