Joint Ventures	3 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2013
Equity Method Investments and Joint Ventures [Abstract]
Joint Ventures	Joint Ventures The Company participates in a 50% joint venture, ULVAC Cryogenics, Inc. (“UCI”), with ULVAC Corporation of Chigasaki, Japan. UCI manufactures and sells cryogenic vacuum pumps, principally to ULVAC Corporation. For the three months ended December 31, 2013 and 2012, the Company recorded income associated with UCI of $0.8 million and $0.1 million, respectively. At December 31, 2013, the carrying value of UCI in the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheet was $22.5 million. For the three months ended December 31, 2013 and 2012, management fee payments received by the Company from UCI were $0.2 million and $0.1 million, respectively. For the three months ended December 31, 2013 and 2012, the Company incurred charges from UCI for products or services of $0.1 million and $0.3 million, respectively. At December 31, 2013 and September 30, 2013, the Company owed UCI $11,000 and $26,000, respectively, in connection with accounts payable for unpaid products and services. The Company participates in a 50% joint venture with Yaskawa Electric Corporation (“Yaskawa”) called Yaskawa Brooks Automation, Inc. (“YBA”) to exclusively market and sell Yaskawa’s semiconductor robotics products and Brooks’ automation hardware products to semiconductor customers in Japan. For the three months ended December 31, 2013 and 2012, the Company recorded a loss associated with YBA of $(18,000) and $(84,000), respectively. At December 31, 2013, the carrying value of YBA in the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheet was $2.8 million. For the three months ended December 31, 2013 and 2012, revenues earned by the Company from YBA were $0.7 million and $1.6 million, respectively. For each of the three months ended December 31, 2013 and 2012, the Company incurred charges from YBA for products or services of $0.1 million. The amount due from YBA included in accounts receivable at December 31, 2013 and September 30, 2013 was $1.0 million and $2.3 million, respectively. At December 31, 2013 and September 30, 2013 the Company owed YBA $47,000 in connection with accounts payable for unpaid products and services. These investments are accounted for using the equity method. Under this method of accounting, the Company records in income a proportionate share of the earnings (losses) of the joint ventures with a corresponding increase (decrease) in the carrying value of the investment.

Joint Ventures

3 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2013

Equity Method Investments and Joint Ventures [Abstract]

The Company participates in a 50% joint venture, ULVAC Cryogenics, Inc. (“UCI”), with ULVAC Corporation of Chigasaki, Japan. UCI manufactures and sells cryogenic vacuum pumps, principally to ULVAC Corporation. For the three months ended December 31, 2013 and 2012, the Company recorded income associated with UCI of $0.8 million and $0.1 million, respectively. At December 31, 2013, the carrying value of UCI in the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheet was $22.5 million. For the three months ended December 31, 2013 and 2012, management fee payments received by the Company from UCI were $0.2 million and $0.1 million, respectively. For the three months ended December 31, 2013 and 2012, the Company incurred charges from UCI for products or services of $0.1 million and $0.3 million, respectively. At December 31, 2013 and September 30, 2013, the Company owed UCI $11,000 and $26,000, respectively, in connection with accounts payable for unpaid products and services.

The Company participates in a 50% joint venture with Yaskawa Electric Corporation (“Yaskawa”) called Yaskawa Brooks Automation, Inc. (“YBA”) to exclusively market and sell Yaskawa’s semiconductor robotics products and Brooks’ automation hardware products to semiconductor customers in Japan. For the three months ended December 31, 2013 and 2012, the Company recorded a loss associated with YBA of $(18,000) and $(84,000), respectively. At December 31, 2013, the carrying value of YBA in the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheet was $2.8 million. For the three months ended December 31, 2013 and 2012, revenues earned by the Company from YBA were $0.7 million and $1.6 million, respectively. For each of the three months ended December 31, 2013 and 2012, the Company incurred charges from YBA for products or services of $0.1 million.

The amount due from YBA included in accounts receivable at December 31, 2013 and September 30, 2013 was $1.0 million and $2.3 million, respectively. At December 31, 2013 and September 30, 2013 the Company owed YBA $47,000 in connection with accounts payable for unpaid products and services.

These investments are accounted for using the equity method. Under this method of accounting, the Company records in income a proportionate share of the earnings (losses) of the joint ventures with a corresponding increase (decrease) in the carrying value of the investment.