Joint Ventures	9 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2011
Joint Ventures [Abstract]
Joint Ventures	14. 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 June 30, 2011 and 2010, the Company recorded income associated with UCI of $0.7 million and $0.3 million, respectively. For the nine months ended June 30, 2011 and 2010, the Company recorded income associated with UCI of $1.4 million and $0.1 million, respectively. At June 30, 2011, the carrying value of UCI in the Company’s consolidated balance sheet was $31.0 million. For each of the three months ended June 30, 2011 and 2010, management fee payments received by the Company from UCI were $0.2 million. For the nine months ended June 30, 2011 and 2010, management fee payments received by the Company from UCI were $0.7 million and $0.4 million, respectively. For the three months ended June 30, 2011 and 2010, the Company incurred charges from UCI for products or services of $0.3 million and $0.0 million, respectively. For the nine months ended June 30, 2011 and 2010, the Company incurred charges from UCI for products or services of $0.5 million and $0.2 million, respectively. At June 30, 2011 and September 30, 2010 the Company owed UCI $0.2 million and $0.0 million, 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 June 30, 2011 and 2010, the Company recorded income (loss) associated with YBA of $0.2 million and $(0.4) million, respectively. For the nine months ended June 30, 2011 and 2010, the Company recorded income (loss) associated with YBA of $0.2 million and $(0.4) million, respectively. At June 30, 2011, the carrying value of YBA in the Company’s consolidated balance sheet was $3.8 million. For the three months ended June 30, 2011 and 2010, revenues earned by the Company from YBA were $1.6 million and $4.5 million, respectively. For the nine months ended June 30, 2011 and 2010, revenues earned by the Company from YBA were $7.6 million and $10.4 million, respectively. The amount due from YBA included in accounts receivable at June 30, 2011 and September 30, 2010 was $3.3 million and $4.5 million, respectively. For the three months and nine months ended June 30, 2011, the Company incurred charges from YBA for products or services of $0.1 million and $0.4 million, respectively. For the three months and nine months ended June 30, 2010, the Company incurred charges from YBA for products or services of $0.0 million and $0.1 million, respectively. At June 30, 2011 and September 30, 2010 the Company owed YBA $0.1 million 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 of the joint ventures with a corresponding increase in the carrying value of the investment.

14. 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 June 30, 2011 and 2010, the Company recorded income associated with UCI of $0.7 million and $0.3 million, respectively. For the nine months ended June 30, 2011 and 2010, the Company recorded income associated with UCI of $1.4 million and $0.1 million, respectively. At June 30, 2011, the carrying value of UCI in the Company’s consolidated balance sheet was $31.0 million. For each of the three months ended June 30, 2011 and 2010, management fee payments received by the Company from UCI were $0.2 million. For the nine months ended June 30, 2011 and 2010, management fee payments received by the Company from UCI were $0.7 million and $0.4 million, respectively. For the three months ended June 30, 2011 and 2010, the Company incurred charges from UCI for products or services of $0.3 million and $0.0 million, respectively. For the nine months ended June 30, 2011 and 2010, the Company incurred charges from UCI for products or services of $0.5 million and $0.2 million, respectively. At June 30, 2011 and September 30, 2010 the Company owed UCI $0.2 million and $0.0 million, 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 June 30, 2011 and 2010, the Company recorded income (loss) associated with YBA of $0.2 million and $(0.4) million, respectively. For the nine months ended June 30, 2011 and 2010, the Company recorded income (loss) associated with YBA of $0.2 million and $(0.4) million, respectively. At June 30, 2011, the carrying value of YBA in the Company’s consolidated balance sheet was $3.8 million. For the three months ended June 30, 2011 and 2010, revenues earned by the Company from YBA were $1.6 million and $4.5 million, respectively. For the nine months ended June 30, 2011 and 2010, revenues earned by the Company from YBA were $7.6 million and $10.4 million, respectively. The amount due from YBA included in accounts receivable at June 30, 2011 and September 30, 2010 was $3.3 million and $4.5 million, respectively. For the three months and nine months ended June 30, 2011, the Company incurred charges from YBA for products or services of $0.1 million and $0.4 million, respectively. For the three months and nine months ended June 30, 2010, the Company incurred charges from YBA for products or services of $0.0 million and $0.1 million, respectively. At June 30, 2011 and September 30, 2010 the Company owed YBA $0.1 million 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 of the joint ventures with a corresponding increase in the carrying value of the investment.