<PAGE>
AS FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION ON JULY 17, 1997.
REGISTRATION NO. 333-28987
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- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
------------------------
FORM S-1
AMENDMENT NO. 1
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
------------------------
AEHR TEST SYSTEMS
(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
<TABLE>
<S> <C> <C>
CALIFORNIA 3825 94-2424084
(State of incorporation) (Primary Standard Industrial (I.R.S. Employer
Classification Code Number) Identification Number)
</TABLE>
1667 PLYMOUTH STREET
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA 94043
(415) 691-9400
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including
area code, of Registrant's principal executive offices)
------------------------
GARY L. LARSON
VICE PRESIDENT OF FINANCE AND CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
AEHR TEST SYSTEMS
1667 PLYMOUTH STREET
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA 94043
(415) 691-9400
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code,
of agent for service)
------------------------
COPIES TO:
<TABLE>
<S> <C>
MARIO M. ROSATI DENNIS C. SULLIVAN
MICHAEL J. DANAHER DAVID A. HUBB
WILSON SONSINI GOODRICH & ROSATI GRAY CARY WARE & FREIDENRICH
Professional Corporation A Professional Corporation
650 Page Mill Road 400 Hamilton Avenue
Palo Alto, California 94304-1050 Palo Alto, California 94301-1825
(415) 493-9300 (415) 328-6561
</TABLE>
------------------------
APPROXIMATE DATE OF COMMENCEMENT OF PROPOSED SALE TO THE PUBLIC:
AS SOON AS PRACTICABLE AFTER THIS REGISTRATION STATEMENT BECOMES EFFECTIVE
AND THE UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT IS EXECUTED.
If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering
pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box
and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier
effective registration statement for the same offering. / /
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c)
under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act
registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement
for the same offering. / /
If delivery of the prospectus is expected to be made pursuant to Rule 434,
please check the following box. / /
------------------------
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
PROPOSED
PROPOSED MAXIMUM
AMOUNT MAXIMUM AGGREGATE AMOUNT OF
TITLE OF EACH CLASS OF TO BE OFFERING PRICE OFFERING REGISTRATION
SECURITIES TO BE REGISTERED REGISTERED(1) PER SHARE(2) PRICE(2) FEE
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share................ 3,795,000 $11.00 $41,745,000 $12,650
</TABLE>
(1) Includes 495,000 shares issuable upon exercise of an option granted by the
Selling Shareholders to the Underwriters to cover over-allotments, if any.
(2) Estimated solely for the purpose of computing the amount of the registration
fee pursuant to Rule 457(a).
------------------------
THE REGISTRANT HEREBY AMENDS THIS REGISTRATION STATEMENT ON SUCH DATE OR
DATES AS MAY BE NECESSARY TO DELAY ITS EFFECTIVE DATE UNTIL THE REGISTRANT SHALL
FILE A FURTHER AMENDMENT WHICH SPECIFICALLY STATES THAT THIS REGISTRATION
STATEMENT SHALL THEREAFTER BECOME EFFECTIVE IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 8(A) OF
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 OR UNTIL THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT SHALL BECOME
EFFECTIVE ON SUCH DATE AS THE COMMISSION, ACTING PURSUANT TO SAID SECTION 8(A),
MAY DETERMINE.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<PAGE>
INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN IS SUBJECT TO COMPLETION OR AMENDMENT. A
REGISTRATION STATEMENT RELATING TO THESE SECURITIES HAS BEEN FILED WITH THE
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION. THESE SECURITIES MAY NOT BE SOLD NOR MAY
OFFERS TO BUY BE ACCEPTED PRIOR TO THE TIME THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT BECOMES
EFFECTIVE. THIS PROSPECTUS SHALL NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER TO SELL OR THE
SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO BUY NOR SHALL THERE BE ANY SALE OF THESE SECURITIES
IN ANY STATE IN WHICH SUCH OFFER, SOLICITATION OR SALE WOULD BE UNLAWFUL PRIOR
TO REGISTRATION OR QUALIFICATION UNDER THE SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY SUCH STATE.
<PAGE>
SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED JULY 17TH, 1997
3,300,000 SHARES
[LOGO]
COMMON STOCK
--------------
Of the 3,300,000 shares of Common Stock offered hereby, 2,200,000 shares are
being sold by Aehr Test Systems ("Aehr Test" or the "Company") and 1,100,000
shares are being sold by the Selling Shareholders. The Company will not receive
any of the proceeds from the sale of shares by the Selling Shareholders. See
"Principal and Selling Shareholders."
Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for the Common Stock
of the Company. It is currently estimated that the initial public offering price
will be between $9.00 and $11.00 per share. See "Underwriting" for a discussion
of the factors to be considered in determining the initial public offering
price. The Company's Common Stock has been approved for quotation on the Nasdaq
National Market under the symbol "AEHR".
THE COMMON STOCK OFFERED HEREBY INVOLVES A HIGH DEGREE OF RISK.
SEE "RISK FACTORS" BEGINNING AT PAGE 6.
-----------------
THESE SECURITIES HAVE NOT BEEN APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED BY THE SECURITIES AND
EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION NOR HAS THE
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION
PASSED UPON THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS PROSPECTUS. ANY
REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
PROCEEDS TO
PRICE TO UNDERWRITING PROCEEDS TO SELLING
PUBLIC DISCOUNT (1) COMPANY (2) SHAREHOLDERS
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C>
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Per Share..................... $ $ $ $
Total (3)..................... $ $ $ $
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</TABLE>
(1) See "Underwriting," for information concerning indemnification of the
Underwriters and other information.
(2) Before deducting expenses of the offering payable by the Company estimated
at $900,000.
(3) Certain of the Selling Shareholders have granted the Underwriters an option,
exercisable within 30 days of the date hereof, to purchase up to 495,000
additional shares of Common Stock for the purpose of covering
over-allotments, if any. If the Underwriters exercise such option in full,
the total Price to Public, Underwriting Discounts and Proceeds to Selling
Shareholders will be $ , $ and $ , respectively. See
"Underwriting."
-------------------
The shares of Common Stock are offered severally by the Underwriters when,
as and if delivered to and accepted by them, subject to their right to withdraw,
cancel or reject orders in whole or in part and subject to certain other
conditions. It is expected that delivery of the certificates representing the
shares will be made against payment on or about , 1997 at the office
of Oppenheimer & Co., Inc., Oppenheimer Tower, World Financial Center, New York,
New York 10281.
-------------------
OPPENHEIMER & CO., INC. NEEDHAM & COMPANY, INC.
The date of this Prospectus is , 1997
<PAGE>
FRONT INSIDE COVER
<TABLE>
<S> <C>
TITLE: DiePak
Known Good Die Solutions
TEXT: Aehr Test Systems' DiePak-Registered Trademark- carrier is a reusable,
temporary package designed to enable IC manufacturers to perform
cost-effective final test and burn-in of bare die using the same test
and burn-in systems used for packaged ICs.
[Exploded DIAGRAM of a DiePak test fixture, including textual descriptions of
"Bare Die," "Open DiePak Carrier," "DiePak Socket," "Loaded DiePak Carrier in
Socket" and "Section of a Test Fixture."
[PHOTOGRAPH of a Multichip Module (textually described as "Memory MCM"), two
DiePak Carriers (described as same) and four Bare and Packaged dies (textually
described as "Memory Die," "Memory Package," "Microcontroller Package" and
"Microcontroller Die.")]
CAPTION: IC manufacturers have traditionally packaged their die in plastic or
ceramic packages. By using bare die directly in multichip modules (MCMs),
electronics manufacturers can improve performance and substantially reduce size.
[ARTWORK: Substrate for DiePak.]
[Aehr Test Systems Logo.]
</TABLE>
CERTAIN PERSONS PARTICIPATING IN THE OFFERING MAY ENGAGE IN TRANSACTIONS
THAT STABILIZE, MAINTAIN OR OTHERWISE AFFECT THE PRICE OF THE SHARES, INCLUDING
SYNDICATE COVERING TRANSACTIONS AND THE IMPOSITION, OF A PENALTY BID. FOR A
DESCRIPTION OF THESE ACTIVITIES, SEE "UNDERWRITING."
IN CONNECTION WITH THIS OFFERING, CERTAIN UNDERWRITERS AND SELLING GROUP
MEMBERS (IF ANY) MAY ENGAGE IN PASSIVE MARKET MAKING TRANSACTIONS IN THE SHARES
ON NASDAQ IN ACCORDANCE WITH RULE 103 OF REGULATION M. SEE "UNDERWRITING."
DiePak-Registered Trademark-, Aehr Test and the Aehr Test Systems logo are
trademarks of the Company. This Prospectus also includes trademarks of companies
other than the Company.
2
<PAGE>
FRONT COVER FOLD-OUT
<TABLE>
<S> <C>
TITLE: MTX Parallel Test Systems
TEXT: Aehr Test Systems' MTX Massively Parallel Test System, which processes thousands
of devices simultaneously, is designed to reduce the cost of memory testing by
performing many of the time-consuming tests traditionally performed by
lower-throughput, higher-cost memory testers.
[PHOTOGRAPH: MTX Parallel Test Systems]
CAPTION: MTX Massively Parallel Test Systems on the Siemens, Dresden production floor.
[PHOTOGRAPH: MTX Performance Test Board installed in an MTX System]
CAPTION: The MTX can hold 30 test fixtures and up to 7,680 memory devices.
[PHOTOGRAPH: DiePak carriers installed in sockets on a test fixture]
CAPTION: MTX test fixtures also can support Aehr Test Systems DiePak carriers.
[FLOW DIAGRAM: Traditional Process Flow]
TEXT IN DIAGRAM: Traditional Process Flow
Device Assembly and Packaging
Pre Burn-in Test
--DC Parametrics Test
--Gross Functional Test
Monitored Burn-in
--Dynamic Stressing
--Long Functional Test
Final Test
--DC Parametrics Test
--AC Parametrics Test
--Speed Sort
--Pattern Sensitivity Test
--High-Speed Functional Test
--Data Retention Test
--Refresh Test
Ship Packaged Devices
[FLOW DIAGRAM: Aehr Test Systems Parallel Test Process Flow]
TEXT IN DIAGRAM: Aehr Test Systems Parallel Test Process Flow
Device Assembly and Packaging
Pre Burn-in Test
--DC Parametrics Test
--AC Parametrics Test
Aehr Test Systems Massively Parallel Test
--Dynamic Stressing
--Long Functional Test
--Pattern Sensitivity Test
--High-speed Functional Test
--Data Retention Test
--Refresh Test
Final Test
--DC Parametrics Test
--AC Parametrics Test
--Speed Sort
Ship Packaged Devices
TEXT: Transferring tests to the MTX system can enable Aehr Test Systems' customers to
reduce the required number of traditional memory testers.
[PHOTOGRAPH: MTX Driver Boards and Pattern Generators installed in MTX system]
CAPTION: MTX driver and pattern generator electronics
[PHOTOGRAPH: MTX operator interface showing typical information display]
CAPTION: The MTX operator interface
[Aehr Test Systems LOGO.]
</TABLE>
<PAGE>
PROSPECTUS SUMMARY
THE FOLLOWING SUMMARY IS QUALIFIED IN ITS ENTIRETY BY THE MORE DETAILED
INFORMATION AND CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, INCLUDING NOTES THERETO,
APPEARING ELSEWHERE IN THIS PROSPECTUS. EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE NOTED HEREIN, ALL
INFORMATION IN THIS PROSPECTUS ASSUMES NO EXERCISE OF THE UNDERWRITERS'
OVER-ALLOTMENT OPTION. THIS PROSPECTUS CONTAINS FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS.
DISCUSSIONS CONTAINING SUCH FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS MAY BE FOUND IN THE
MATERIAL SET FORTH BELOW AND UNDER "RISK FACTORS," "MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND
ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS" AND "BUSINESS," AS
WELL AS IN THE PROSPECTUS GENERALLY. ACTUAL EVENTS OR RESULTS MAY DIFFER
MATERIALLY FROM THOSE DISCUSSED IN THE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS AS A RESULT OF
VARIOUS FACTORS, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION THE RISK FACTORS SET FORTH BELOW
AND THE MATTERS SET FORTH IN THE PROSPECTUS GENERALLY.
THE COMPANY
Aehr Test develops, manufactures and sells systems which are designed to
reduce the cost of testing Dynamic Random Access Memory ("DRAMs") and other
memory devices, and products which are designed to enable integrated circuit
manufacturers to perform test and burn-in of bare die. Leveraging its expertise
as a long-time leading provider of burn-in equipment, with over 2,000 systems
installed world-wide, the Company has developed and introduced two innovative
product families, the MTX system and the DiePak carrier. The MTX is a massively
parallel test system capable of processing thousands of memory devices
simultaneously. The DiePak carrier is a reusable, temporary package that enables
integrated circuit ("IC") manufacturers to perform cost-effective final test and
burn-in of bare die. The Company also offers systems that perform reliability
screening, or burn-in, of complex logic and memory devices.
The semiconductor industry is intensely competitive. IC manufacturers
compete on the basis of price, performance and increasingly, for applications
such as notebook PCs and portable phones, "form factor" or size. Price
competition is especially severe for high volume ICs such as DRAMs. In 1996, for
example, prices for 16Mb DRAMs fell from approximately $50 to approximately $10
per device. The continuing price competition motivates IC manufacturers to
reduce production costs, including test costs, wherever possible. According to
Dataquest, as of 1997 final test costs represent approximately 8.5% of total
manufacturing costs for 64Mb DRAMs. The competitive factors affecting the
semiconductor industry also have encouraged the emergence of new IC packaging
and interconnect technologies, including the use of unpackaged or "bare" die
mounted directly on a multichip module or printed circuit board. Using bare die
dramatically reduces the form factor of a system's IC components. For example, a
packaged microprocessor is typically four to five times the size of the bare
die, and a packaged memory device is typically twice the size of the bare die.
Using bare die also can improve product performance by increasing system
operating speed and reducing power consumption and potentially could save costs
associated with packaging ICs. The widespread use of bare die has been
restricted by the absence of a cost-effective means of performing final test and
burn-in.
The MTX massively parallel test system is designed to reduce the cost of
memory testing by performing both test and burn-in on thousands of devices
simultaneously, including DRAMs, Synchronous DRAMs ("SDRAMs") and Static Random
Access Memory ("SRAMs"). IC manufacturers can optimize the final test process by
transferring many time-consuming tests to the MTX system and using
lower-throughput, higher-cost memory testers to perform only the high accuracy
test functions for which they are most effective. The Company believes that this
"mix and match" strategy can enable IC manufacturers to reduce the required
number of conventional memory testers and, as a result, substantially reduce
capital and operating costs. Siemens has purchased production quantities of MTX
systems from the Company, and other leading IC manufacturers have purchased
units for evaluation.
The DiePak product line includes the DiePak carriers, which are reusable,
temporary packages that hold bare die, as well as sockets which are used to
connect the carriers to test fixtures for test and burn-in. Using the DiePak
carrier, IC manufacturers can perform final test and burn-in of bare die using
many of the same systems they use for packaged ICs. The DiePak carrier thus can
enable IC manufacturers to supply to their customers "known good die" that meet
the same reliability specifications as packaged die. Motorola, Inc. is using the
DiePak carrier in volume production, and other leading IC manufacturers have
purchased DiePak carriers for evaluation. Production sales of DiePak products
have only recently begun and have not represented a material amount of total net
sales in any fiscal year.
3
<PAGE>
The Company's current burn-in products consist of the MAX and ATX product
families. The Company believes that its burn-in systems provide accurate and
reliable burn-in for complex logic and memory ICs. The Company manufactures and
sells test fixtures, including performance test boards for use with the MTX
system and, burn-in boards for use with burn-in systems. The test fixtures hold
the ICs and provide the electrical interface between the system and the ICs
undergoing burn-in or test.
The Company assembles its products from components and parts manufactured by
others. Final assembly and test are performed at the Company's principal
facility, located in Mountain View, California, and at a Tokyo facility operated
by its Japanese subsidiary. The Company's strategy is to use in-house
manufacturing only when necessary to protect a proprietary process or if a
significant improvement in quality, cost or lead time can be achieved.
The Company markets and sells its products in the United States through a
combination of a direct sales force and independent sales representatives. The
Company markets and sells its products in Japan, Germany, Austria, Switzerland
and the Benelux countries through its subsidiaries' direct sales forces, and in
other countries through a network of independent distributors and sales
representatives.
THE OFFERING
<TABLE>
<S> <C>
Common Stock offered by:
The Company........................................ 2,200,000 shares
Selling Shareholders............................... 1,100,000 shares
Common Stock to be outstanding after the Offering.... 6,495,522 shares(1)
Use of proceeds ..................................... Repayment of debt, capital expenditures,
and general corporate purposes, including
working capital and potential
acquisitions. See "Use of Proceeds."
Proposed Nasdaq National Market symbol............... AEHR
</TABLE>
- ------------------------
(1) Excludes (i) 1,341,350 shares reserved for issuance under the Company's
stock option plans, of which 759,350 shares were subject to outstanding
options as of May 31, 1997, at a weighted average exercise price of $4.01
per share and (ii) 300,000 shares reserved for issuance under the Company's
1997 Employee Stock Purchase Plan. See "Management--Stock Plans" and Note 8
of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
4
<PAGE>
SUMMARY CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL INFORMATION
(IN THOUSANDS, EXCEPT PER SHARE DATA)
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
YEAR ENDED MAY 31,
-------------------------------------------------------
1993 1994 1995 1996 1997
--------- --------- --------- --------- -----------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS DATA:
Net sales...................................................... $ 24,529 $ 23,204 $ 23,257 $ 33,234 $ 42,020
Income (loss) from operations.................................. (2,387) (4,198) (2,080) 2,536 3,684
Income (loss) before income taxes and minority interest in
subsidiary................................................... (2,799) (4,518) (2,166) 1,531 2,542
Income tax expense (benefit)................................... 185 17 10 130 (773)
Net income (loss).............................................. (2,809) (4,250) (1,987) 1,400 3,315
Net income (loss) per share(1)................................. $ (0.68) $ (1.02) $ (0.45) $ 0.31 $ 0.73
Shares used in per share calculations(1)....................... 4,106 4,162 4,442 4,487 4,536
Supplemental net income(2)....................................... $ 3,473
Supplemental net income per share(2)............................. $ 0.72
Shares used in supplemental per share calculation(2)............. 4,812
</TABLE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
MAY 31, 1997
----------------------
AS
ACTUAL ADJUSTED(3)
--------- -----------
<S> <C> <C>
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS DATA:
Cash and cash equivalents...................................................................... $ 1,176 $ 17,977
Working capital................................................................................ 7,895 27,455
Total assets................................................................................... 24,389 41,190
Long-term obligations, less current portion.................................................... 356 356
Total shareholders' equity..................................................................... 10,070 29,630
</TABLE>
- ------------------------
(1) See Note 1 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for a description
of the computation of the number of shares used in per share calculations
and net income (loss) per share. Net income for fiscal 1997 includes
$1,055,000 of income tax benefit. Without the income tax benefit, net income
per share would have been $0.50 in fiscal 1997.
(2) Supplemental net income, supplemental net income per share and shares used
in supplemental per share calculation for fiscal year 1997 were calculated
assuming that the indebtedness to be repaid with the net proceeds of this
offering had been repaid at the beginning of fiscal 1997 using the assumed
proceeds from the sale of 275,900 shares at an assumed offering price of $10
per share.
(3) Adjusted to reflect the sale of the 2,200,000 shares of Common Stock offered
by the Company hereby (at an assumed initial public offering price of $10.00
per share and after deducting the underwriting discount and estimated
offering expenses payable by the Company) and the application of the
estimated net proceeds therefrom, less approximately $2.8 million of
short-term borrowings to be repaid by the Company with the proceeds of this
offering ("Offering"). See "Use of Proceeds" and "Capitalization."
5
<PAGE>
RISK FACTORS
IN ADDITION TO THE OTHER INFORMATION IN THIS PROSPECTUS, THE FOLLOWING
FACTORS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED CAREFULLY IN EVALUATING THE COMPANY AND ITS
BUSINESS BEFORE PURCHASING THE SHARES OF COMMON STOCK OFFERED HEREBY. THIS
PROSPECTUS CONTAINS FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS THAT INVOLVE RISKS AND
UNCERTAINTIES. THE COMPANY'S ACTUAL RESULTS COULD DIFFER MATERIALLY FROM THE
RESULTS DISCUSSED IN THE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS. FACTORS THAT COULD CAUSE OR
CONTRIBUTE TO SUCH DIFFERENCES INCLUDE THOSE DISCUSSED BELOW AND UNDER
"PROSPECTUS SUMMARY," "MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL
CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS" AND "BUSINESS," AS WELL AS IN THE
PROSPECTUS GENERALLY.
FLUCTUATIONS IN OPERATING RESULTS
The Company has experienced and expects to continue to experience
significant fluctuations in its quarterly and annual operating results. During
fiscal 1996 and 1997, quarterly net sales have been as low as $7,601,000 and as
high as $11,718,000, and gross margins for quarterly sales have fluctuated
between 36.7% and 41.7%. The Company's future operating results will depend upon
a variety of factors, including the timing of significant orders, the mix of
products sold, changes in pricing by the Company, its competitors, customers or
suppliers, the length of sales cycles for the Company's products, timing of new
product announcements and releases by the Company and its competitors, market
acceptance of new products and enhanced versions of the Company's products,
capital spending patterns by customers, timing of completion of Defense Advanced
Research Projects Agency ("DARPA") development milestones, manufacturing
inefficiencies associated with new product introductions by the Company, the
Company's ability to produce systems and products in volume and meet customer
requirements, product returns and customer acceptance of product shipments,
volatility in the Company's targeted markets, political and economic
instability, natural disasters, regulatory changes, possible disruptions caused
by expanding existing facilities or moving into new facilities, expenses
associated with acquisitions and alliances, and various competitive factors,
including price-based competition and competition from vendors employing other
technologies. The Company's gross margins have varied and will continue to vary
based on a variety of factors, including the mix of products sold, sales volume,
and the amount of products sold under volume purchase arrangements, which tend
to have lower selling prices. See "Management's Discussion and Analysis of
Financial Condition and Results of Operations." Accordingly, past performance
may not be indicative of future performance.
DEPENDENCE ON TIMING AND SIZE OF SALES ORDERS AND SHIPMENT
During the Company's last two fiscal years, net sales in the first fiscal
quarter, ended August 31, have declined compared with the fourth fiscal quarter,
ended May 31, of the preceding fiscal year, primarily due to additional emphasis
being placed on shipping products prior to the end of the fiscal year. The
Company expects that fluctuations of this type may occur in the future. The
Company derives a substantial portion of its revenues from the sale of a
relatively small number of systems which typically range in purchase price from
approximately $100,000 to over $1.5 million. As a result, the loss or deferral
of a limited number of system sales could have a material adverse effect on the
Company's net sales and operating results in a particular period. All customer
purchase orders are subject to cancellation or rescheduling by the customer with
limited penalties, and, therefore, backlog at any particular date is not
necessarily indicative of actual sales for any succeeding period. From time to
time, cancellations and reschedulings of customer orders have occurred, and
delays by the Company's suppliers in providing components or subassemblies to
the Company have caused delays in the Company's shipments of its own products. A
substantial portion of net sales typically are realized near the end of each
quarter. A delay or reduction in shipments near the end of a particular quarter,
due, for example, to unanticipated shipment reschedulings, cancellations or
deferrals by customers, customer credit issues, unexpected manufacturing
difficulties experienced by the Company, or delays in deliveries by suppliers,
could cause net sales in a particular quarter to fall significantly below the
Company's expectations. As the Company is continuing to increase its operating
expenses in
6
<PAGE>
anticipation of increasing sales levels, the Company's results of operations
will be adversely affected if such sales levels are not achieved.
RECENT OPERATING LOSSES
The Company incurred operating losses of $2.4, $4.2 and $2.1 million in
fiscal 1993, 1994 and 1995, respectively. Although the Company has operated
profitably during fiscal 1996 and 1997, increased net sales in those years were
substantially the result of sales of new products, particularly sales of MTX
systems to Siemens. During fiscal 1996 and 1997, Siemens accounted for 29.1% and
55.7% of the Company's net sales, respectively. Sales to Siemens, which include
both the MTX and other products, are made pursuant to individual purchase
orders. There is no long term volume purchase commitment. There can be no
assurance that the MTX system will receive broad market acceptance or that the
Company will be able to sustain net sales growth or profitability.
DEPENDENCE ON MARKET ACCEPTANCE OF MTX SYSTEM
A principal element of the Company's strategy is to capture an increasing
share of the memory test equipment market through sales of the MTX massively
parallel test system. The MTX is a new system designed to perform both burn-in
and many of the final test functions currently performed by high-cost memory
testers and the market for MTX systems is in the early stage of development. The
Company's strategy depends, in part, upon its ability to persuade potential
customers that the MTX system can successfully perform a significant portion of
such final test functions and that transferring such tests to MTX systems will
reduce their overall capital and test costs. There can be no assurance that the
Company's strategy will be successful. The failure of the MTX system to achieve
market acceptance would have a material adverse effect on the Company's
business, financial condition and operating results.
Market acceptance of the MTX system is subject to a number of risks. The
Company believes the MTX system has not yet been used in volume production to
perform a significant portion of the test functions performed by memory testers.
To date, several companies have purchased evaluation units of the MTX system;
however, only Siemens has purchased production quantities. During fiscal 1996
and 1997, Siemens accounted for 29.1% and 55.7% of the Company's net sales,
respectively. Sales to Siemens, which include both the MTX and other products,
are made pursuant to individual purchase orders. There is no long term volume
purchase commitment. Although Siemens has taken delivery of production
quantities of MTX systems, has been conducting extensive evaluations and has
placed orders for additional systems, the Company believes Siemens has not yet
completed the evaluations necessary for it to transfer significant test
functions from standard testers to MTX systems. Consequently, there can be no
assurance that the MTX system will be accepted by the market for performing
memory test functions in volume production. Future sales to Siemens and other
customers could be adversely affected if for any reason Siemens does not satisfy
itself that a significant number of test functions can successfully be
transferred to the MTX system.
Since most potential customers have successfully relied on memory testers
for many years and their personnel understand the use and maintenance of such
systems, the Company anticipates that they may be reluctant to change their
procedures in order to transfer test functions to the MTX system. Before a
customer will transfer test functions to the MTX, the test programs must be
translated for use with the MTX and lengthy correlation tests must be performed.
Correlation testing may take up to six months or more. Furthermore, MTX system
sales are expected to be primarily limited to new facilities and to existing
facilities being upgraded to accommodate new product generations, such as the
transition from 16 megabit ("Mb") to 64Mb DRAMs. Other companies have purchased
MTX systems which are being used in quality assurance and engineering
applications, and the Company believes that a number of these companies are
evaluating the MTX for use in production applications. Market acceptance of the
MTX system also may be affected by a reluctance of IC manufacturers to rely on
relatively small suppliers such as the Company.
7
<PAGE>
As is common with new complex and software-intensive products, the Company
encountered reliability, design and manufacturing issues as it began volume
production and initial installations of MTX systems at customer sites. The
Company places a high priority on addressing these issues as they arise. Certain
of these issues have been related to components and subsystems supplied to the
Company by third parties which have in some cases limited the ability of the
Company to address such issues promptly. One customer who purchased an MTX
system in 1995 for use in a quality assurance application subsequently
determined that the MTX system did not meet its particular requirements; the
Company purchased the system from that customer at a reduced price and intends
to refurbish the system for resale. Since the Company is still in the early
stages of the MTX systems' life cycle, there can be no assurance that other
reliability, design and manufacturing issues will not be discovered in the
future or that such issues, if they arise, can be resolved to the customers'
satisfaction or that the resolution of such problems will not cause the Company
to incur significant development costs or warranty expenses or to lose
significant sales opportunities.
The Company's future sales and operating results are also partially
dependent on its sales of performance test boards ("PTBs") for use with the MTX
system. Sales of PTBs by the Company and its licensees will depend upon the
number of MTX systems installed by customers.
DEPENDENCE ON DEVELOPMENT OF BARE DIE MARKET AND MARKET ACCEPTANCE OF DIEPAK
CARRIER
Another principal element of the Company's strategy is to capture an
increasing share of the bare die burn-in and test product market through sales
of its DiePak carrier products. The Company developed the DiePak carrier to
enable burn-in and test of bare die in order to supply known good die ("KGD")
for use in applications such as multichip modules. The Company's strategy
depends upon increased industry acceptance of bare die as an alternative to
packaged die as well as acceptance of the Company's DiePak products. There can
be no assurance that the Company's strategy will be successful. The failure of
the bare die market to expand or of the DiePak carrier to achieve broad market
acceptance would have a material adverse effect on the Company's business,
financial condition and operating results.
The emergence of the bare die market and broad acceptance of the DiePak
carrier are subject to a number of risks. The Company believes that the growth
of the bare die market depends largely on the relative cost and benefits to the
manufacturers of PCs and other electronics products of using bare die rather
than alternative IC packaging methods. The Company believes that the cost of
producing KGD using DiePak products is currently higher than the cost of
producing most packaged die. There can be no assurance that electronics
manufacturers will perceive that the benefits of KGD justify its potentially
higher cost, and acceptance of KGD for many applications may therefore be
limited. In addition, electronics manufacturers must change their manufacturing
processes in order to use KGD, but electronics manufacturers typically have
substantial investments in existing manufacturing technology and have
historically been slow in transitioning to new technologies.
The adoption of the DiePak products by IC manufacturers and burn-in and test
services companies typically will involve a lengthy qualification. Such
qualification processes could delay high volume sales of DiePak products by the
Company. Motorola is the only customer to have ordered DiePak products in
production quantities. Motorola accounted for approximately 48% of the Company's
net sales of DiePak products in fiscal 1997. Sales to Motorola, which include
both DiePak products and other products, are made pursuant to individual
purchase orders. There is no long term volume purchase commitment. There can be
no assurance that the bare die market will emerge and grow as the Company
anticipates, that the DiePak carrier will achieve commercial acceptance, or that
the Company will not experience difficulties in ramping up production to meet
any increased demand for DiePak products that may develop.
CUSTOMER CONCENTRATION
The semiconductor manufacturing industry is highly concentrated, with a
relatively small number of large semiconductor manufacturers and contract
assemblers accounting for a substantial portion of the
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purchases of semiconductor equipment. Sales to the Company's five largest
customers accounted for approximately 45.1%, 55.8% and 69.2% of its net sales in
fiscal 1995, 1996 and 1997, respectively. During fiscal 1996 and 1997, Siemens
accounted for 29.1% and 55.7% of the Company's net sales, respectively. During
fiscal 1995, Sony Corporation ("Sony") accounted for 18.2% of net sales. No
other customers represented more than 10% of the Company's net sales for any of
such periods. The Company expects that sales of its products to a limited number
of customers, particularly Siemens, will continue to account for a high
percentage of net sales for the foreseeable future. In addition, sales to
particular customers may fluctuate significantly from quarter to quarter. The
loss of or reduction or delay in orders from a significant customer, or a delay
in collecting or failure to collect accounts receivable from a significant
customer could adversely affect the Company's business, financial condition and
operating results. See "Business-- Customers."
LIMITED MARKET FOR BURN-IN SYSTEMS
Prior to fiscal 1995, a substantial portion of the Company's net sales were
derived from the sale of burn-in systems. The market for burn-in systems is
mature and estimated to be less than $100 million per year. In general, process
control improvements in the semiconductor industry have tended to reduce burn-in
times. In addition, as a given IC product generation matures and yields
increase, the required burn-in time may be reduced or eliminated. Some burn-in
system suppliers primarily provide "monitored" burn-in systems optimized for
DRAMs. The sale of monitored burn-in products has reduced the size of the market
segment addressed by the Company's dynamic burn-in systems. IC manufacturers,
the Company's primary historical customer base, increasingly outsource test and
burn-in to independent test labs, who often build their own systems. There can
be no assurance that the market for burn-in systems will grow, and sales of the
Company's burn-in products could decline further.
LENGTHY SALES CYCLE
Sales of the Company's systems depend, in significant part, upon the
decision of a prospective customer to increase manufacturing capacity or to
restructure current manufacturing facilities, either of which typically involve
a significant commitment of capital. In view of the significant investment or
strategic issues that may be involved in a decision to purchase MTX systems or
DiePak carriers, the Company may experience delays following initial
qualification of the Company's systems as a result of delays in a customer's
approval process. Furthermore, the approval process for MTX sales may require
lengthy qualification and correlation testing. For this and other reasons, the
Company's systems typically have a lengthy sales cycle during which the Company
may expend substantial funds and management effort in securing a sale. Lengthy
sales cycles subject the Company to a number of significant risks, including
inventory obsolescence and fluctuations in operating results, over which the
Company has little or no control. The loss of individual orders due to the
lengthy sales and evaluation cycle, or delays in the sale of even a limited
number of systems could have a material adverse effect on the Company's
business, operating results and financial condition and, in particular, could
contribute to significant fluctuations in operating results on a quarterly
basis.
DEPENDENCE ON INTERNATIONAL SALES AND OPERATIONS
Approximately 81.5%, 90.4% and 92.5% of the Company's net sales for fiscal
1995, 1996 and 1997, respectively, were attributable to sales to customers for
delivery outside of the United States. The Company maintains a sales, service,
product engineering and assembly operation in Japan and a sales and service
organization in Germany. The Company expects sales of products for delivery
outside of the United States will continue to represent a substantial portion of
its future revenues. The future performance of the Company will depend, in
significant part, upon its ability to continue to compete in foreign markets
which in turn will depend, in part, upon a continuation of current trade
relations between the United States and foreign countries in which semiconductor
manufacturers or assemblers have operations. A change toward more protectionist
trade legislation in either the United States or such
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foreign countries, such as a change in the current tariff structures, export
compliance or other trade policies, could adversely affect the Company's ability
to sell its products in foreign markets. In addition, the Company is subject to
other risks associated with doing business internationally, including longer
receivables collection periods and greater difficulty in accounts receivable
collection, the burden of complying with a variety of foreign laws, difficulty
in staffing and managing global operations, risks of civil disturbance or other
events which may limit or disrupt markets, international exchange restrictions,
changing political conditions and monetary policies of foreign governments. See
"Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations."
Because a substantial portion of the Company's net sales is from sales of
products for delivery outside the United States, including particularly Germany
and Japan, an increase in the value of the U.S. Dollar relative to foreign
currencies would increase the cost of the Company's products compared to
products sold by local companies in such markets. Approximately 77.8%, 20.1% and
2.1% of the Company's net sales for fiscal 1997 were denominated in U.S.
Dollars, Japanese Yen and German Marks, respectively. Although most sales to
German customers are denominated in dollars, substantially all sales to Japanese
customers are denominated in Japanese Yen. Since the price is determined at the
time a purchase order is accepted, the Company is exposed to the risks of
fluctuations in the yen-dollar exchange rate during the lengthy period from
purchase order to ultimate payment. This exchange rate risk is partially offset
to the extent the Company's Japanese subsidiary incurs yen-denominated expenses.
To date, the Company has not invested in instruments designed to hedge currency
risks. In fiscal 1997, the Company experienced a foreign currency loss of
$393,000. In addition, the Company's Japanese subsidiary typically carries debt
owed to the Company and denominated in dollars. Since the subsidiary's financial
statements are based in yen, it recognizes an income gain or loss in any period
in which the value of the yen rises or falls in relation to the dollar.
A substantial portion of the world's manufacturers of memory devices are in
Korea, Japan and Taiwan and growth in the Company's net sales depends in large
part upon its ability to penetrate the Korean and Japanese markets. Both the
Korean and Japanese markets are difficult for foreign companies to penetrate.
The Company has served the Japanese market through its Japanese subsidiary,
which has experienced limited success and incurred operating losses in recent
years. Sales into Korea have not been significant in recent years. The Company
formerly served the Korean market through a direct support operation, which was
closed in 1996. The Company subsequently selected a local distributor, but its
sales into Korea remained low and that distribution relationship is being
terminated. The Company intends to select a new distributor. The lack of local
manufacturing may impede the Company's efforts to develop the Korean market.
Taiwan also represents an increasingly important portion of the memory
manufacturer market. The Company relies on an independent distributor in Taiwan
and does not have any direct operations in Taiwan. There can be no assurances
that the Company's efforts in Japan, Korea or Taiwan will be successful or that
the Company will be able to achieve and sustain significant sales to, or be able
to successfully compete in, the Japanese, Korean or Taiwanese test and burn-in
markets.
RAPID TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE; IMPORTANCE OF TIMELY PRODUCT INTRODUCTION
The semiconductor equipment industry is subject to rapid technological
change and new product introductions and enhancements. The Company's ability to
remain competitive will depend in part upon its ability to develop new products
and to introduce these products at competitive prices and on a timely and
cost-effective basis. The Company's success in developing new and enhanced
products depends upon a variety of factors, including product selection, timely
and efficient completion of product design, timely and efficient implementation
of manufacturing and assembly processes, product performance in the field and
effective sales and marketing. Because new product development commitments must
be made well in advance of sales, new product decisions must anticipate both
future demand and the technology that will be available to supply that demand.
Furthermore, introductions of new and complex products typically involve a
period in which design, engineering and reliability issues are identified and
addressed by the Company and its suppliers. This process in the past has
required and in the future is likely to require the
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Company to incur unreimbursed engineering expenses, and from time to time to
experience warranty claims or product returns. There can be no assurance that
the Company will be successful in selecting, developing, manufacturing and
marketing new products that satisfy market demand. Any such failure would
materially adversely affect the Company's business, financial condition and
results of operations.
Because of the complexity of the Company's products, significant delays can
occur between a product's introduction and the commencement of volume production
of such product. The Company has experienced significant delays from time to
time in the introduction of, and technical and manufacturing difficulties with,
certain of its products and may experience delays and technical and
manufacturing difficulties in future introductions or volume production of new
products, and there can be no assurance that the Company will not encounter such
difficulties in the future. The Company's inability to complete product
development, products or to manufacture and ship products in volume and in time
to meet customer requirements would materially adversely affect the Company's
business, financial condition and results of operations.
Future improvements in semiconductor design and manufacturing technology may
reduce or eliminate the need for the Company's products. For example, the
introduction of viable wafer-level burn-in and test systems, improvements in
built-in self test ("BIST") technology, and improvements in conventional test
systems, such as reduced cost or increased throughput, may significantly reduce
or eliminate the market for one or more of the Company's products.
UNCERTAINTIES RELATING TO DARPA FUNDING FOR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
In 1994, the Company entered into a cost-sharing agreement with DARPA, a
U.S. government agency, under which DARPA is providing co-funding for the
development of wafer-level burn-in and test equipment. The contract provides for
potential payments by DARPA totaling up to $6.5 million. The agreement provides
that (i) the Company shall retain title to all co-funded inventions, (ii) DARPA
will receive a paid-up license to use the inventions for government purposes and
(iii) DARPA can require the Company to license the inventions to third parties
on reasonable terms if the Company fails to adequately commercialize the
inventions. Payments by DARPA depend on satisfaction of development milestones,
and DARPA has the right to terminate project funding at any time. The level of
payments may vary significantly from quarter to quarter. There can be no
assurance that the Company will meet the development milestones or that DARPA
will continue funding the project. If DARPA funding were discontinued and the
Company continued the project, the Company's operating results would be
adversely affected. There also can be no assurance that the development project
will result in any marketable products. The Company has completed certain
development milestones and invoiced $2.9 million through May 31, 1997. The
remaining funding is subject to milestones scheduled to be completed through
January 1999.
INTENSE COMPETITION
In each of the markets it serves, the Company faces competition from
established competitors and potential new entrants, many of which have greater
financial, engineering, manufacturing and marketing resources than the Company.
The Company expects its competitors to continue to improve the performance of
their current products and to introduce new products with improved price and
performance characteristics. In addition, continuing consolidation in the
semiconductor equipment industry, and potential future consolidation, could
adversely affect the ability of smaller companies such as the Company to compete
with larger, integrated competitors. New product introductions by the Company's
competitors or by new market entrants could cause a decline in sales or loss of
market acceptance of the Company's existing products. Increased competitive
pressure could also lead to intensified price-based competition, resulting in
lower prices which could adversely affect the Company's business, financial
condition and operating results. The Company believes that to remain competitive
it must invest significant financial resources in new product development and
expand its customer service and support worldwide.
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There can be no assurance that the Company will be able to compete successfully
in the future. See "Business--Competition."
The semiconductor equipment industry is intensely competitive. Significant
competitive factors in the semiconductor equipment market include price,
technical capabilities, quality, flexibility, automation, cost of ownership,
reliability, throughput, product availability and customer service. In each of
the markets it serves, the Company faces competition from established
competitors and potential new entrants, many of which have greater financial,
engineering, manufacturing and marketing resources than the Company.
Because the Company's MTX system performs burn-in and many of the functional
tests performed by memory testers, the Company expects that the MTX System will
face intense competition from burn-in system suppliers and traditional memory
tester suppliers. The market for burn-in systems is highly fragmented, with many
domestic and international suppliers. Some users, such as independent test labs,
build their own burn-in systems, and some other users, particularly large
Japanese IC manufacturers, acquire burn-in systems from captive or affiliated
suppliers. Competing suppliers of burn-in systems, which typically cost less
than the MTX system, include Ando Corporation, Japan Engineering Company,
Reliability Incorporated and Tabai Espec Corp. Some of the burn-in systems
offered by competing suppliers perform some test functions. In addition,
suppliers of memory test equipment including Advantest Corporation and Teradyne,
Inc. may seek to offer parallel test systems in the future.
The Company's DiePak products face significant competition. Texas
Instruments Incorporated sells a temporary, reusable bare die carrier which is
intended to enable burn-in and test of bare die, and the Company believes that
several other companies have developed or are developing other such products. As
the bare die market develops, the Company expects that other competitors will
emerge. The Company expects that the primary competitive factors in this market
will be performance, reliability, cost and assured supply.
The Company's MAX dynamic and ATX monitored and dynamic burn-in systems
increasingly have faced and are expected to continue to face severe competition,
especially from local, low cost manufacturers. Also, the MAX dynamic burn-in
system faces severe competition from manufacturers of monitored burn-in systems
that perform limited functional tests not performed by the Company's dynamic
burn-in systems, including tests designed to ensure the devices receive the
specified voltages and signals.
The Company's test fixture products face numerous competitors. There are
limited barriers to entry into the burn-in board ("BIB") market, and as a
result, many small companies design and manufacture BIBs, including BIBs for use
with the Company's MAX and ATX systems. The Company's strategy is to provide
higher performance BIBs, and the Company generally does not compete to supply
lower cost, low performance BIBs. The Company has granted a royalty-bearing
license to one company to make PTBs for use with its MTX systems, in order to
assure customers of a second source of supply, and the Company may license
others as well. Sales of PTBs by licensees would result in royalties to the
Company but would potentially reduce the Company's own sales of PTBs.
The Company expects its competitors to continue to improve the performance
of their current products and to introduce new products with improved price and
performance characteristics. New product introductions by the Company's
competitors or by new market entrants could cause a decline in sales or loss of
market acceptance of the Company's products. Increased competitive pressure
could also lead to intensified price-based competition, resulting in lower
prices which could adversely affect the Company's business, financial condition
and operating results. The Company believes that to remain competitive it must
invest significant financial resources in new product development and expand its
customer service and support worldwide. There can be no assurance that the
Company will be able to compete successfully in the future.
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CYCLICALITY OF SEMICONDUCTOR INDUSTRY AND CUSTOMER PURCHASES
The Company's operating results depend primarily upon the capital
expenditures of semiconductor manufacturers, semiconductor contract assemblers
and burn-in and test service companies worldwide, which in turn depend on the
current and anticipated market demand for integrated circuits and products
utilizing integrated circuits. The semiconductor and semiconductor equipment
industries in general, and the market for DRAMs and other memories in
particular, historically have been highly volatile and have experienced periodic
downturns and slowdowns, which have had a severe negative effect on the
semiconductor industry's demand for semiconductor capital equipment, including
test and burn-in systems manufactured and marketed by the Company. These
downturns and slowdowns have also adversely affected the Company's operating
results in the past. In addition, the purchasing patterns of the Company's
customers are also highly cyclical because most customers purchase the Company's
products for use in new production facilities or for upgrading existing test
lines for the introduction of next generation products. A large portion of the
Company's net sales are attributable to a few customers and therefore a
reduction in purchases by one or more customers could materially adversely
affect the Company's financial results. There can be no assurance that the
semiconductor industry will grow in the future at the same rates it has grown
historically. Any future downturn or slowdown in the semiconductor industry
would have a material adverse effect on the Company's business, financial
condition and operating results. In addition, the need to maintain investment in
research and development and to maintain customer service and support will limit
the Company's ability to reduce its expenses in response to any such downturn or
slowdown period.
DEPENDENCE ON SUBCONTRACTORS; SOLE OR LIMITED SOURCES OF SUPPLY
The Company relies on subcontractors to manufacture many of the components
or subassemblies used in its products. The Company's MTX, MAX and ATX systems
contain several components, including environmental chambers, power supplies and
certain ICs, which are currently supplied by only one or a limited number of
suppliers. The DiePak products include an interconnect substrate which is
supplied only by Nitto Denko Corporation, and certain mechanical parts and
sockets which are currently supplied only by Enplas Corporation. Nitto Denko and
the Company developed the interconnect substrate in cooperation with each other
pursuant to a joint development agreement. In light of their relationship, Nitto
Denko and the Company have not found it necessary to enter into a formal supply
agreement. Enplas cooperated with the Company in developing the DiePak socket,
and Enplas has been a shareholder of the Company since fiscal 1994. In light of
their relationship, Enplas and the Company have not found it necessary to enter
into a formal supply agreement. There have been no significant interruptions in
supply of components by Nitto Denko or Enplas. The Company's reliance on
subcontractors and single source suppliers involves a number of significant
risks, including the loss of control over the manufacturing process, the
potential absence of adequate capacity and reduced control over delivery
schedules, manufacturing yields, quality and costs. In the event that any
significant subcontractor or single source supplier were to become unable or
unwilling to continue to manufacture subassemblies, components or parts in
required volumes, the Company would have to identify and qualify acceptable
replacements. The process of qualifying subcontractors and suppliers could be
lengthy, and no assurance can be given that any additional sources would be
available to the Company on a timely basis. Any delay, interruption or
termination of a supplier relationship could have a material adverse effect on
the Company's business, financial condition and operating results. See
"Business--Manufacturing."
MANAGEMENT OF CHANGING BUSINESS
If the Company is to be successful, it must expand its operations. Such
expansion will place a significant strain on the Company's administrative,
operational and financial resources. Such expansion will result in a continuing
increase in the responsibility placed upon management personnel and will require
development or enhancement of operational, managerial and financial systems and
controls. If the
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Company is unable to manage the expansion of its operations effectively, the
Company's business, financial condition and operating results will be materially
and adversely affected.
DEPENDENCE ON KEY PERSONNEL
The Company's success depends to a significant extent upon the continued
service of Rhea Posedel, its President and Chief Executive Officer, as well as
other executive officers and key employees. See "Business--Management." The
Company does not maintain key person life insurance for its benefit on any of
its personnel, and none of the Company's employees is subject to a
noncompetition agreement with the Company. The loss of the services of any of
its executive officers or a group of key employees could have a material adverse
effect on the Company's business, financial condition and operating results. The
Company's future success will depend in significant part upon its ability to
attract and retain highly skilled technical, management, sales and marketing
personnel. There is a limited number of personnel with the requisite skills to
serve in these positions, and it has become increasingly difficult for the
Company to hire such personnel. Competition for such personnel in the
semiconductor equipment industry is intense, and there can be no assurance that
the Company will be successful in attracting or retaining such personnel. The
Company's inability to attract and retain the executive management and other key
personnel it requires could have a material adverse effect on the Company's
business, financial condition and operating results. See "Business--Employees."
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY PROTECTION AND INFRINGEMENT
The Company's ability to compete successfully is dependent in part upon its
ability to protect its proprietary technology and information. Although the
Company attempts to protect its proprietary technology through patents,
copyrights, trade secrets and other measures, there can be no assurance that
these measures will be adequate or that competitors will not be able to develop
similar technology independently. Further, there can be no assurance that claims
allowed on any patent issued to the Company will be sufficiently broad to
protect the Company's technology, that any patent will issue from any pending
application or that foreign intellectual property laws will protect the
Company's intellectual property. Litigation may be necessary to enforce or
determine the validity and scope of the Company's proprietary rights, and there
can be no assurance that the Company's intellectual property rights, if
challenged, will be upheld as valid. Such litigation could result in substantial
costs and diversion of resources and could have a material adverse effect on the
Company's business, financial condition and operating results, regardless of the
outcome of the litigation. In addition, there can be no assurance that any of
the patents issued to the Company will not be challenged, invalidated or
circumvented or that the rights granted thereunder will provide competitive
advantages to the Company.
There are no pending claims against the Company regarding infringement of
any patents or other intellectual property rights of others. However, the
Company may receive, in the future, communications from third parties asserting
intellectual property claims against the Company. Such claims could include
assertions that the Company's products infringe, or may infringe, the
proprietary rights of third parties, requests for indemnification against such
infringement or suggestions that the Company may be interested in acquiring a
license from such third parties. There can be no assurance that any such claim
made in the future will not result in litigation, which could involve
significant expense to the Company, and, if the Company is required or deems it
appropriate to obtain a license relating to one or more products or
technologies, there can be no assurance that the Company would be able to do so
on commercially reasonable terms, or at all. See "Business--Proprietary Rights."
ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS
Federal, state and local regulations impose various controls on the use,
storage, discharge, handling, emission, generation, manufacture and disposal of
toxic or other hazardous substances used in the Company's operations. The
Company believes that its activities conform in all material respects to current
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environmental and land use regulations applicable to its operations and its
current facilities and that it has obtained environmental permits necessary to
conduct its business. Nevertheless, the failure to comply with current or future
regulations could result in substantial fines being imposed on the Company,
suspension of production, alteration of its manufacturing processes or cessation
of operations. Such regulations could require the Company to acquire expensive
remediation equipment or to incur substantial expenses to comply with
environmental regulations. Any failure by the Company to control the use,
disposal or storage of, or adequately restrict the discharge of, hazardous or
toxic substances could subject the Company to significant liabilities.
SHARES ELIGIBLE FOR FUTURE SALE
Sales of substantial amounts of the Company's Common Stock in the public
market after the Offering could adversely affect the market price of the Common
Stock. Upon completion of the Offering, the Company will have 6,495,522 shares
of Common Stock outstanding, assuming no exercise of the Underwriters'
over-allotment option. Of such outstanding shares, the 3,300,000 shares offered
hereby (assuming no exercise of the Underwriters' over-allotment option) and
approximately 202,413 additional shares of Common Stock will be eligible for
immediate sale in the public market without restriction or under Rule 144 of the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), and the remaining
2,993,109 shares will be subject to lock-up agreements restricting their
transfer until 180 days after the date of the Offering, except with the consent
of Oppenheimer & Co., Inc. After the termination of the 180-day lock-up,
3,195,522 shares will be eligible for sale in the public market pursuant to
Rules 144 and 701 under the Securities Act. The holders of 609,245 shares of
Common Stock are entitled to certain registration rights. In addition, as of May
31, 1997, options to purchase an aggregate of 759,350 shares of Common Stock
were outstanding under the Company's stock plans, all of which are subject to
the 180-day lock-up described above. As of 180 days after the effective date of
the Offering, upon expiration of lock-up agreements with the Company, an
aggregate of approximately 531,529 shares will be eligible for sale upon the
exercise of outstanding and vested stock options. Following the Offering, the
Company intends to file a registration statement covering the shares reserved
for issuance under the Company's stock plans, thus permitting the resale of such
shares in the public market without restriction. See "Description of Capital
Stock--Registration Rights" and "Shares Eligible for Future Sale."
NO PRIOR PUBLIC MARKET; POSSIBLE VOLATILITY OF STOCK PRICE
Prior to the Offering there has been no public market for the Company's
Common Stock, and there can be no assurance that an active public market for the
Common Stock will develop or be sustained after the Offering contemplated
hereby. The initial public offering price will be determined by negotiations
among the Company, the Selling Shareholders and the representatives of the
Underwriters, and may not be indicative of prices that may prevail in the public
market after the Offering. The trading price for the Company's Common Stock is
likely to be highly volatile and could be subject to wide fluctuations in
response to factors such as announcements of developments related to the
Company's business or its competitors' or customers' businesses, fluctuations in
the Company's operating results, general conditions or developments in the
semiconductor and semiconductor equipment industries and the worldwide economy,
sales of the Company's Common Stock into the marketplace, the number of market
makers for the Company's Common Stock, announcements of technological
innovations or new or enhanced products by the Company or its competitors or
customers, a shortfall in revenue, gross profit, earnings or other operating
results from, or changes in, analysts' expectations and developments in the
Company's relationships with its customers and suppliers, or a variety of other
factors, many of which are beyond the Company's control. There can be no
assurance that the market price of the Company's Common Stock will not
experience significant fluctuations, including fluctuations that are material,
adverse and unrelated to the Company's performance. See "Underwriting."
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FUTURE ACQUISITIONS
The Company may in the future pursue acquisitions of complementary product
lines, technologies or businesses. Future acquisitions by the Company may result
in potentially dilutive issuances of equity securities, the incurrence of debt
and contingent liabilities and amortization expenses related to goodwill and
other intangible assets, which could materially adversely affect any Company
profitability. In addition, acquisitions involve numerous risks, including
difficulties in the assimilation of the operations, technologies and products of
the acquired companies, the diversion of management's attention from other
business concerns, risks of entering markets in which the Company has no or
limited direct prior experience, and the potential loss of key employees of the
acquired company. There are currently no negotiations, understandings or
agreements with respect to any acquisition. In the event that such an
acquisition does occur, however, there can be no assurance as to the effect
thereof on the Company's business or operating results.
FUTURE CAPITAL NEEDS
In order to remain competitive, the Company must continue to make
significant investments in capital equipment, facilities, computer systems,
sales, service, training and support capabilities, procedures, controls and
research and development, among other items. The Company's capital requirements
will depend on many factors, including, but not limited to, acceptance of and
demand for the Company's products and the extent to which the Company invests in
research and development. The Company believes that the proceeds from this
offering, together with its cash, short-term investments and anticipated cash
flow from operations and credit facilities will satisfy its anticipated
financing requirements for at least the next 12 months. To the extent that such
financial resources are insufficient to fund the Company's activities,
additional funds will be required. There can be no assurance that additional
financing will be available on reasonable terms, or at all. See "Use of
Proceeds" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and
Results of Operations."
CONTROL BY PRINCIPAL SHAREHOLDERS, OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS
After the Offering, assuming no exercise of the Underwriters' over-allotment
option, the Company's officers and directors and their affiliates will
beneficially own approximately 31% of the Company's Common Stock, including
options held by them that are exercisable on or before July 31, 1997. The
Company's officers and directors hold additional options which will become
exercisable after July 31, 1997 and will entitle them to purchase an additional
175,649 shares of the Company's Common Stock, which represents approximately 3%
of the shares outstanding immediately after the Offering. As a result, such
persons will have the ability to substantially influence the Company and direct
its affairs and business. Such concentration of ownership may also have the
effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control of the Company.
See "Principal and Selling Shareholders."
POTENTIAL ISSUANCE OF UNDESIGNATED PREFERRED STOCK; ANTI-TAKEOVER EFFECTS
The Company's Board of Directors can, without obtaining shareholder
approval, issue shares of Preferred Stock having rights, preferences, privileges
and restrictions, including voting rights, that could adversely affect the
voting power and other rights of holders of the Company's Common Stock. The
issuance of the Preferred Stock, while providing desirable flexibility in
connection with possible acquisitions and other corporate purposes, could have
the effect of making it more difficult for a person to acquire a majority of the
outstanding voting stock of the Company, thereby delaying, deferring or
preventing a change in control of the Company. Furthermore, such Preferred Stock
may have other rights, including economic rights, senior to the Common Stock,
and, as a result, the issuance of such stock could have a material adverse
effect on the market value of the Common Stock. The Company has no current plans
to issue shares of Preferred Stock. The Company may in the future adopt other
measures that may have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change
in control of the Company, even though at a
16
<PAGE>
premium price or favored by a majority of unaffiliated shareholders. Certain of
such measures may be adopted without any further vote or action by the
shareholders. The Company has no current plans to adopt any such measures. See
"Description of Capital Stock."
BROAD DISCRETION IN ALLOCATION OF NET PROCEEDS
Although the Company expects to use approximately $15,260,000, or 78.0%, of
the net proceeds of the Offering for general corporate purposes, with the
remainder of the proceeds to be used for the repayment of certain short-term
debt and limited capital expenditures, the Company has not identified the
specific amount of the net proceeds to be used for specific purposes. The
Company will retain broad discretion to allocate the net proceeds of the
Offering, and there can be no assurance that the proceeds can or will be
invested to yield a significant return. See "Use of Proceeds."
DILUTION TO NEW INVESTORS; ABSENCE OF DIVIDENDS
Purchasers of the Common Stock offered hereby will incur immediate and
substantial net tangible book value dilution of $5.51 per share, and, to the
extent outstanding options to purchase the Company's Common Stock are exercised,
there will be further dilution. See "Dilution." The Company has never declared
or paid cash dividends on its capital stock. The Company intends to retain any
future earnings to finance the growth and development of its business. See
"Dividend Policy."
17
<PAGE>
THE COMPANY
The Company was incorporated in California in May 1977. The Company's
principal executive offices are located at 1667 Plymouth Street, Mountain View,
California 94043, and its telephone number at that location is (415) 691-9400.
The Company also maintains offices in Irvine, California, Tokyo and Osaka, Japan
and Utting, Germany. Unless the context other requires, "Aehr Test" and the
"Company," as used in this Prospectus, refer to Aehr Test Systems and its
subsidiaries.
USE OF PROCEEDS
The net proceeds to the Company from the sale of the 2,200,000 shares of
Common Stock offered by the Company hereby are estimated to be $19,560,000 (at
an assumed initial public offering price of $10 per share and after deducting
the underwriting discount and estimated offering expenses payable by the
Company). The Company will apply approximately $2.8 million of the net proceeds
to the repayment of outstanding indebtedness under the Company's U.S. working
capital lines of credit which bear interest at 0.75% to 1.00% over the prime
rate (the prime rate was 8.5% as of May 31, 1997) and expire in December 1997.
See Note 4 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements. The Company currently
estimates that it will use approximately $1.5 million of the net proceeds for
planned capital expenditures in fiscal 1998. The remaining net proceeds will be
used to finance inventories and accounts receivable, to fund engineering and
product development expenditures, and for other general corporate purposes.
The Company may also use a portion of the net proceeds for the acquisition
of complementary businesses or products or to obtain the right to use
complementary technologies. From time to time, in the ordinary course of
business, the Company evaluates potential acquisitions of such businesses,
products and technologies. However, the Company has no present understandings,
commitments or agreements with respect to any material acquisition of
businesses, products or technologies. See "Management's Discussion and Analysis
of Financial Condition and Results of Operations--Liquidity and Capital
Resources." Pending use of the net proceeds for the above purposes, the Company
intends to invest such funds in short-term, high quality, interest-bearing
investments.
The Company will not receive any proceeds from the sale of shares of Common
Stock offered by the Selling Shareholders. See "Principal and Selling
Shareholders."
DIVIDEND POLICY
To date, the Company has not paid any cash dividends on shares of its Common
Stock. The Company presently intends to retain future earnings for its business
and does not anticipate paying cash dividends on its Common Stock in the
foreseeable future. In addition, the Company's current bank credit facilities
currently prohibit the Company from paying cash dividends without prior bank
approval. See Note 4 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
18
<PAGE>
CAPITALIZATION
The following table sets forth the short-term debt and capitalization of the
Company as of May 31, 1997 and as adjusted to reflect the sale of 2,200,000
shares of Common Stock offered by the Company hereby (at an assumed initial
public offering price of $10.00 per share and after deducting the underwriting
discount and estimated offering expenses payable by the Company) and the receipt
and application of the estimated net proceeds therefrom:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
MAY 31, 1997
----------------------
<S> <C> <C>
ACTUAL AS ADJUSTED
--------- -----------
(IN THOUSANDS)
Notes payable and current portion of long-term debt(1)................ $ 4,773 $ 2,014
--------- -----------
--------- -----------
Long-term debt net of current portion................................. 136 136
--------- -----------
Shareholders' equity:
Preferred Stock, $0.01 par value; 10,000,000 shares authorized; no
shares outstanding................................................ $ -- $ --
Common Stock, $0.01 par value; 75,000,000 shares authorized,
4,295,522 shares outstanding actual; and 6,495,522 shares
outstanding as adjusted(2)........................................ 43 65
Additional paid-in capital.......................................... 8,085 27,623
Accumulated deficit................................................. (130) (130)
Cumulative translation adjustment................................... 2,072 2,072
--------- -----------
Total shareholders' equity.......................................... 10,070 29,630
--------- -----------
Total capitalization.............................................. $ 10,206 $ 29,766
--------- -----------
--------- -----------
</TABLE>
- ------------------------
(1) See Note 4 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
(2) Excludes (i) 1,341,350 shares reserved for issuance under the Company's
stock option plans, of which 759,350 shares were subject to outstanding
options as of May 31, 1997, at a weighted average exercise price of $4.01
per share and (ii) 300,000 shares reserved for issuance under the Company's
1997 Employee Stock Purchase Plan. Subsequent to May 31, 1997, options to
purchase an additional 46,750 shares were granted and are outstanding at an
exercise price of $7.50 per share. See "Management-- Stock Plans" and Note 8
of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
19
<PAGE>
DILUTION
As of May 31, 1997, the net tangible book value of the Company was
$9,585,000, or approximately $2.23 per share of Common Stock. Net tangible book
value per share represents the total tangible assets of the Company reduced by
its total liabilities and divided by the total number of shares of Common Stock
outstanding. After giving effect to the sale of the 2,200,000 shares of Common
Stock offered by the Company hereby at an assumed initial public offering price
of $10.00 (after deducting the estimated underwriting discount and offering
expenses payable by the Company) and the application of the estimated net
proceeds therefrom, the pro forma net tangible book value of the Company as of
May 31, 1997 would have been approximately $29,145,000, or $4.49 per share. This
represents an immediate increase in net tangible book value of $2.26 per share
to existing shareholders and an immediate dilution of $5.51 per share to the new
investors. The following table illustrates this per share dilution:
<TABLE>
<S> <C> <C>
Assumed initial public offering price per share.............. $ 10.00
Net tangible book value per share as of May 31, 1997....... $ 2.23
Increase in net tangible book value per share attributable
to new investors......................................... 2.26
---------
Pro forma net tangible book value per share after the
offering................................................... 4.49
---------
Dilution per share to new investors.......................... $ 5.51
---------
---------
</TABLE>
The following table summarizes, on a pro forma basis as of May 31, 1997, the
number of shares of Common Stock purchased from the Company, the total
consideration paid to the Company and the average price per share paid by the
existing shareholders and by the new investors purchasing shares of Common Stock
in this offering based upon an assumed initial public offering price of $10.00
per share (before the deduction of the estimated underwriting discount and
offering expenses payable by the Company):
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
SHARES PURCHASED TOTAL CONSIDERATION AVERAGE
----------------------- -------------------------- PRICE
NUMBER PERCENT AMOUNT PERCENT PER SHARE
---------- ----------- ------------- ----------- ------------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Existing shareholders(1)........ 4,295,522 66.1% $ 8,128,000 27.0% $ 1.89
New investors(1)................ 2,200,000 33.9 22,000,000 73.0 10.00
---------- ----- ------------- -----
Total....................... 6,495,522 100.0% $ 30,128,000 100.0%
---------- ----- ------------- -----
---------- ----- ------------- -----
</TABLE>
- ------------------------
(1) Sales by the Selling Shareholders in this Offering will reduce the number of
shares held by existing shareholders to 3,195,522, or 49.2% of the total
number of shares of Common Stock outstanding, and will increase the number
of shares held by new investors to 3,300,000, or 50.8% of the total number
of shares of Common Stock outstanding after the Offering. See "Principal and
Selling Shareholders."
The foregoing tables assume no exercise of stock options after May 31, 1997.
As of May 31, 1997, there were outstanding options to purchase an aggregate of
759,350 shares of Common Stock, at a weighted average exercise price of $4.01
per share, under the Company's stock option plans. Subsequent to May 31, 1997,
options to purchase an additional 46,750 shares were granted and are outstanding
at an exercise price of $7.50 per share. Had these options been exercised as of
May 31, 1997, the dilution per share to new investors would have been $5.54. See
"Capitalization," "Management--Stock Plans," and Note 8 of Notes to Consolidated
Financial Statements.
20
<PAGE>
SELECTED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL DATA
The following selected consolidated financial data should be read in
conjunction with the Company's consolidated financial statements and related
notes thereto and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition
and Results of Operations" included elsewhere in this Prospectus. The
consolidated statements of operations data set forth below with respect to the
fiscal years ended May 31, 1995, 1996 and 1997 and the consolidated balance
sheets data as of May 31, 1996 and 1997 are derived from, and are qualified by
reference to, the audited consolidated financial statements of the Company
included elsewhere in this Prospectus. The consolidated statements of operations
data with respect to the fiscal years ended May 31, 1993 and 1994 and the
consolidated balance sheets data as of May 31, 1993, 1994 and 1995 are derived
from audited financial statements not included herein.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
YEAR ENDED MAY 31,
-----------------------------------------------------
1993 1994 1995 1996 1997
--------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
(IN THOUSANDS, EXCEPT PER SHARE DATA)
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS DATA:
Net sales............................................................... $ 24,529 $ 23,204 $ 23,257 $ 33,234 $ 42,020
Cost of sales........................................................... 15,527 15,761 16,192 19,942 25,715
--------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
Gross profit............................................................ 9,002 7,443 7,065 13,292 16,305
--------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
Operating expenses:
Selling, general and administrative................................... 7,864 8,077 6,316 7,534 8,878
Research and development.............................................. 3,525 3,825 3,783 4,113 4,536
Research and development cost reimbursement--DARPA(1)................. -- (261) (954) (891) (793)
--------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
Total operating expenses............................................ 11,389 11,641 9,145 10,756 12,621
--------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
Income (loss) from operations........................................... (2,387) (4,198) (2,080) 2,536 3,684
Interest expense........................................................ (295) (347) (341) (446) (577)
Other income (expense), net............................................. (117) 27 255 (559) (565)
--------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
Income (loss) before income taxes and minority interest in subsidiary... (2,799) (4,518) (2,166) 1,531 2,542
Income tax expense (benefit)............................................ 185 17 10 130 (773)
Minority interest in subsidiary......................................... 175 285 189 (1) --
--------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
Net income (loss)....................................................... $ (2,809) $ (4,250) $ (1,987) $ 1,400 $ 3,315
--------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
--------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
Net income (loss) per share(2).......................................... $ (0.68) $ (1.02) $ (0.45) $ 0.31 $ 0.73
--------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
--------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
Shares used in per share calculations(2)................................ 4,106 4,162 4,442 4,487 4,536
--------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
--------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
Supplemental net income(3).............................................. $ 3,473
---------
---------
Supplemental net income per share(3).................................... $ 0.72
---------
---------
Shares used in supplemental per share calculation(3).................... 4,812
---------
---------
</TABLE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
MAY 31,
-----------------------------------------------------
1993 1994 1995 1996 1997
--------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
(IN THOUSANDS)
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS DATA:
Cash and cash equivalents.................................................... $ 3,931 $ 2,430 $ 598 $ 535 $ 1,176
Working capital.............................................................. 8,425 5,685 3,564 4,799 7,895
Total assets................................................................. 24,529 20,640 19,890 23,749 24,389
Long-term obligations, less current portion(4)............................... 1,507 1,325 1,004 533 356
Total shareholders' equity................................................... 10,185 7,439 5,544 6,789 10,070
</TABLE>
- ------------------------------
(1) Consists of reimbursements from DARPA for certain research and development
expenses incurred by the Company in connection with its joint research
project with DARPA. See Note 1 of Notes to Consolidated Financial
Statements.
(2) See Note 1 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for a description
of the computation of the numbers of shares used in per share calculations
and net income (loss) per share. Net income for fiscal 1997 includes
$1,055,000 of income tax benefit. Without the income tax benefit, net income
per share would have been $0.50 in fiscal 1997.
(3) Supplemental net income, supplemental net income per share and shares used
in supplemental per share calculation for fiscal year 1997 were calculated
assuming that the indebtedness to be repaid with the net proceeds of this
Offering had been repaid at the beginning of fiscal 1997 using the assumed
proceeds from the sale of 275,900 shares at an assumed offering price of $10
per share.
(4) Includes long term debt and deferred lease commitments, deferred income
taxes, and minority interest in subsidiary.
21
<PAGE>
MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION
AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
THIS PROSPECTUS CONTAINS FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS. DISCUSSIONS CONTAINING
SUCH FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS MAY BE FOUND IN THE MATERIAL SET FORTH BELOW AND
UNDER "PROSPECTUS SUMMARY," "RISK FACTORS" AND "BUSINESS," AS WELL AS IN THE
PROSPECTUS GENERALLY. ACTUAL EVENTS OR RESULTS MAY DIFFER MATERIALLY FROM THOSE
DISCUSSED IN THE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS AS A RESULT OF VARIOUS FACTORS,
INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION THE RISK FACTORS SET FORTH IN THE SECTION ENTITLED
"RISK FACTORS" AND THE MATTERS SET FORTH IN THE PROSPECTUS GENERALLY.
OVERVIEW
The Company was founded in 1977 to develop and manufacture burn-in and test
equipment for the semiconductor industry. Since its inception, the Company has
sold more than 2,000 systems to semiconductor manufacturers, semiconductor
contract assemblers and burn-in and test service companies worldwide. The
Company's principal products currently are the MTX massively parallel test
system, the DiePak carrier, the MAX and ATX burn-in systems and test fixtures.
Prior to fiscal 1995, the Company primarily sold burn-in systems and related
products. The Company experienced significant operating losses in fiscal 1993
through fiscal 1995 due to a decline in net sales of burn-in systems and
significant investment in the development of new products. In fiscal 1993, the
Company initiated development of the MTX massively parallel test system and the
DiePak carrier. The Company began shipping the MTX in March 1995. Revenues and
earnings increased in fiscal 1996 and 1997, primarily as a result of increases
in sales of MTX systems and associated test fixtures. The Company began shipping
DiePak carriers in volume in fiscal 1997. The Company has been profitable in
each of the last nine quarters.
In 1994, the Company entered into a cost-sharing agreement with DARPA, a
U.S. government agency, under which DARPA is providing co-funding for the
development of wafer-level burn-in and test equipment. The contract provides for
potential payments by DARPA totaling up to $6.5 million. The agreement provides
that (i) the Company shall retain title to all co-funded inventions, (ii) DARPA
will receive a paid-up license to use the inventions for government purposes and
(iii) DARPA can require the Company to license the inventions to third parties
on reasonable terms if the Company fails to adequately commercialize the
inventions. Payments by DARPA depend on satisfaction of development milestones,
and DARPA has the right to terminate project funding at any time. The level of
payments may vary significantly from quarter to quarter. There can be no
assurance that the Company will meet the development milestones or that DARPA
will continue funding the project. DARPA payments are reflected as credits to
research and development expenses. There also can be no assurance that the
development project will result in any marketable products. The Company has
completed certain development milestones and invoiced $2.9 million through May
31, 1997. The remaining funding is subject to milestones scheduled to be
completed through January 1999.
The Company has a wholly-owned subsidiary in Germany which performs sales
and service and an 86.7% owned subsidiary in Japan, which performs sales,
service, and limited product engineering and manufacturing. The Company's
consolidated financial statements combine the subsidiaries' financial results
with those of the Company but, in order to account for the minority
shareholders' interest in the Japanese subsidiary, the financial statements
include a line item which excludes 13.3% of the total profits or losses of the
Japanese subsidiary, except for periods in which the subsidiary has cumulative
losses in which case no such exclusions are made.
The Company's net sales consist primarily of sales of systems, die carriers,
test fixtures, upgrades and spare parts and revenues from service contracts. The
Company recognizes revenue upon shipment of product and records a provision for
estimated future warranty costs.
22
<PAGE>
A substantial portion of the Company's net sales are derived from the sale
of products for overseas markets, particularly Germany and Japan. Consequently,
an increase in the value of the U.S. Dollar relative to foreign currencies would
increase the cost of the Company's products compared to products sold by local
companies in such markets. Although most sales to German customers are
denominated in dollars, substantially all sales to Japanese customers are
denominated in yen. Since the price is determined at the time a purchase order
is accepted, the Company is exposed to the risks of fluctuations in the yen-
dollar exchange rate during the lengthy period from purchase order to ultimate
payment. The exchange rate risk is partially offset to the extent the Company's
Japanese subsidiary incurs yen-denominated expenses. To date, the Company has
not invested in instruments designed to hedge currency risks, but it may do so
in the future. The Company's Japanese subsidiary typically carries debt owed to
the Company and denominated in dollars. Since its financial statements are based
in yen, the Japanese subsidiary recognizes an income or loss in any period in
which the value of the yen rises or falls in relation to the dollar.
In accordance with SFAS 86, the Company capitalizes its systems software
development costs incurred after a system achieves technological feasibility and
before first commercial shipment. Such costs typically represent a small portion
of total research and development costs. Capitalized costs, net of accumulated
amortization, of approximately $323,000, $213,000 and $57,000 were included as
of May 31, 1995, 1996 and 1997, respectively.
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The following table sets forth items in the Company's consolidated
statements of operations as a percentage of net sales for the periods indicated.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
YEARS ENDED MAY 31,
-------------------------------
1995 1996 1997
--------- --------- ---------
<S> <C> <C> <C>
Net sales................................................................... 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%
Cost of sales............................................................... 69.6 60.0 61.2
--------- --------- ---------
Gross profit................................................................ 30.4 40.0 38.8
--------- --------- ---------
Operating expenses:
Sales, general and administrative......................................... 27.1 22.7 21.1
Research and development.................................................. 16.3 12.4 10.8
Research and development cost
reimbursement--DARPA.................................................... (4.1) (2.7) (1.9)
--------- --------- ---------
Total operating expenses................................................ 39.3 32.4 30.0
--------- --------- ---------
Income (loss) from operations............................................... (8.9) 7.6 8.8
Interest expense............................................................ (1.5) (1.3) (1.4)
Other income (expense), net................................................. 1.1 (1.7) (1.3)
--------- --------- ---------
Income (loss) before income taxes and minority interest in subsidiary....... (9.3) 4.6 6.1
Income tax expense (benefit)................................................ -- 0.4 (1.8)
Minority interest in subsidiary............................................. 0.8 -- --
--------- --------- ---------
Net income (loss)........................................................... (8.5)% 4.2% 7.9%
--------- --------- ---------
--------- --------- ---------
</TABLE>
FISCAL YEAR ENDED MAY 31, 1997 COMPARED TO FISCAL YEAR ENDED MAY 31, 1996
NET SALES. Net sales increased to $42.0 million in fiscal 1997 from $33.2
million in fiscal 1996, an increase of 26.4%. The growth in net sales was caused
primarily by increased shipments of MTX products, primarily to Siemens, and to a
lesser extent by increased shipments of DiePak carriers. These increases
23
<PAGE>
were partially offset by a decline in unit sales of burn-in systems,
particularly in the Japanese market. Siemens accounted for 55.7 % and 29.1% of
net sales for fiscal 1997 and fiscal 1996, respectively.
GROSS PROFIT. Gross profit consists of net sales less cost of sales. Cost
of sales consists primarily of the cost of materials, assembly and test costs,
and overhead from operations. Gross profit increased to $16.3 million in fiscal
1997 from $13.3 million in fiscal 1996, an increase of 22.7%. Gross profit
margin decreased to 38.8% in fiscal 1997 from 40.0% in fiscal 1996. The decrease
in gross profit margin resulted primarily from a change in the product mix
toward products with somewhat higher material costs and increases in provision
for inventory reserves, scrap, and other miscellaneous costs of sales, partially
offset by improvement in production efficiencies due to higher levels of
production.
SELLING, GENERAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE. Selling, general and administrative
("SG&A") expenses consist primarily of salaries and related costs of employees,
customer support costs, commission expenses to independent sales
representatives, product promotion and other professional services. SG&A
expenses increased to $8.9 million in fiscal 1997 from $7.5 million in fiscal
1996, an increase of 17.8%. As a percentage of net sales, SG&A expenses
decreased to 21.1% for fiscal 1997 from 22.7% for fiscal 1996. The increase in
SG&A expenses in fiscal 1997 was due primarily to increased commission expenses
to independent sales representatives related to higher levels of shipments and
increased employment costs. The decrease in SG&A expenses as a percentage of net
sales was primarily due to the increase in net sales. The Company anticipates
that SG&A expenses will generally continue to increase throughout fiscal 1998,
but may vary as a percentage of net sales.
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT. Research and development ("R&D") expenses consist
primarily of salaries and related costs of employees engaged in ongoing
research, design and development activities, costs of engineering materials and
supplies, and professional consulting expenses. R&D expenses increased to $4.5
million in fiscal 1997 from $4.1 million in fiscal 1996, an increase of 10.3%.
The increase in R&D expenses was primarily due to an increase in professional
consulting contracts and employment costs. As a percentage of net sales, R&D
expenses decreased to 10.8% for fiscal 1997 from 12.4% for fiscal 1996,
reflecting higher net sales. The Company anticipates that R&D expenses will
increase for fiscal 1998 compared to fiscal 1997, while such expenses may
fluctuate as a percentage of net sales.
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT COST REIMBURSEMENT--DARPA. Research and
development cost reimbursement--DARPA ("R&D--DARPA") is a credit representing
reimbursements by DARPA of costs incurred in the Company's wafer-level burn-in
development project. R&D--DARPA credit decreased to $793,000 in fiscal 1997 from
$891,000 in fiscal 1996, a decrease of 11.0%. The decrease was due to delays in
completion of development milestones.
INTEREST EXPENSE. Interest expense increased to $577,000 in fiscal 1997
from $446,000 in fiscal 1996, an increase of 29.4%, primarily because of
increased borrowings to support the Company's increased volume of shipments.
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE), NET. Other expense, net increased to $565,000 in
fiscal 1997 from $559,000 in fiscal 1996, an increase of 1.1%.
INCOME TAX EXPENSE (BENEFIT). Income tax expense consisted primarily of the
minimum federal and state taxes in the U.S., as operating loss carryforwards
offset other taxable income, and taxes on earnings of the Company's German
subsidiary. Income tax benefit was $773,000 in fiscal 1997 compared with income
tax expense of $130,000 in fiscal 1996. The Company recognizes deferred tax
assets and liabilities for the expected future consequences of temporary
differences between the carrying amounts and the tax bases of assets and
liabilities. The Company's Japanese subsidiary experienced significant
cumulative losses since fiscal 1993, and thus generated certain net operating
losses available to offset future taxes payable. As a result of the subsidiary's
cumulative operating losses, a valuation allowance has been established for the
full amount of the subsidiary's net deferred tax assets. The Company has
recorded tax benefits totaling
24
<PAGE>
$1.1 million related to recognition of its United States net deferred tax
assets. The Company expects that its effective tax rate for fiscal 1998 will
more closely approximate the statutory tax rates of the jurisdictions in which
the Company operates.
MINORITY INTEREST IN SUBSIDIARY. Minority interest in subsidiary was a
negligible amount in both fiscal 1997 and 1996.
FISCAL YEAR ENDED MAY 31, 1996 COMPARED TO FISCAL YEAR ENDED MAY 31, 1995
NET SALES. Net sales increased to $33.2 million in fiscal 1996 from $23.3
million in fiscal 1995, an increase of 42.9%. The increase in net sales in
fiscal 1996 was primarily due to increased shipments of MTX products, primarily
to Siemens.
GROSS PROFIT. Gross profit increased to $13.3 million in fiscal 1996 from
$7.1 million in fiscal 1995, an increase of 88.1%. Gross profit margin increased
to 40.0% in fiscal 1996 from 30.4% in fiscal 1995. The higher gross profit and
higher gross profit margin in fiscal 1996 as compared with fiscal 1995 were due
to improved production efficiencies associated with increased net sales.
SELLING, GENERAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE. SG&A expenses increased to $7.5
million in fiscal 1996 from $6.3 million in fiscal 1995, an increase of 19.3%.
As a percentage of net sales, SG&A expenses decreased to 22.7% in fiscal 1996
from 27.1% in fiscal 1995. The increase in SG&A expenses in fiscal 1996 compared
with fiscal 1995 was due primarily to increased commission expenses related to
higher levels of shipments and increased employment costs. The decrease in SG&A
expenses as a percentage of net sales in fiscal 1996 compared with fiscal 1995
was primarily due to the increase in net sales.
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT. R&D expenses increased to $4.1 million in fiscal
1996 from $3.8 million in fiscal 1995, an increase of 8.7%. The increase in R&D
expenses in fiscal 1996 compared with fiscal 1995 was primarily due to an
increase in professional consulting contracts and employment costs in the United
States, partially offset by a decrease in Japan. As a percentage of net sales,
R&D expenses decreased to 12.4% in fiscal 1996 from 16.3% in fiscal 1995,
reflecting the increase in net sales.
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT COST REIMBURSEMENT--DARPA. R&D--DARPA decreased to
$891,000 in fiscal 1996 from $954,000 in fiscal 1995, a decrease of 6.6%. The
decrease in fiscal 1996 from fiscal 1995 was due to delays in completion of
development milestones.
INTEREST EXPENSE. Interest expense increased to $446,000 in fiscal 1996
from $341,000 in fiscal 1995, an increase of 30.8%, primarily because of
increased borrowings to support the Company's increased volume of shipments.
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE), NET. Other expense, net was $559,000 in fiscal
1996, compared with other income, net of $255,000 in fiscal 1995. This was
primarily due to foreign currency losses incurred by the Company's Japanese
subsidiary in fiscal 1996 as opposed to foreign currency gains incurred in
fiscal 1995.
INCOME TAX EXPENSE (BENEFIT). Income tax expense increased to $130,000 in
fiscal 1996 from $10,000 in fiscal 1995. Income tax expense in fiscal 1996
primarily consisted of foreign taxes, most of which related to the operations of
the Company's subsidiary in Germany, and United States federal and state
alternative minimum income taxes. Income tax expense in fiscal 1995 primarily
consisted of foreign taxes.
MINORITY INTEREST IN SUBSIDIARY. Minority interest in subsidiary was a loss
of $1,000 in fiscal 1996 compared to a gain of $189,000 in fiscal 1995. This was
due to profits reported by the Company's majority-owned Japanese subsidiary in
fiscal 1996 compared to losses reported in fiscal 1995.
25
<PAGE>
QUARTERLY RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The following tables set forth certain unaudited statements of operations
data for each of the past eight quarters as well as the percentage of the
Company's net sales represented by each item. The unaudited financial statements
have been prepared on the same basis as the audited financial statements
contained herein and include all adjustments (consisting only of normal
recurring adjustments) that the Company considers necessary for a fair
presentation of such information when read in conjunction with the Company's
financial statements and notes thereto appearing elsewhere in this Prospectus.
The operating results for any quarter are not necessarily indicative of results
for any future period. Net income for the quarter ended May 31, 1997 includes
$1,055,000 of income tax benefit. Without the income tax benefit, net income per
share for that quarter would have been $0.19 and the net income as a percentage
of sales for that quarter would have been 7.5%.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
QUARTER ENDED
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AUG. 31, NOV. 30, FEB. 29, MAY 31, AUG. 31, NOV. 30, FEB. 28,
1995 1995 1996 1996 1996 1996 1997
----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
(IN THOUSANDS)
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Net sales.......................... $ 7,601 $ 7,783 $ 8,683 $ 9,167 $ 9,071 $ 10,486 $ 10,745
Cost of sales...................... 4,589 4,654 5,355 5,344 5,745 6,494 6,364
----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
Gross profit....................... 3,012 3,129 3,328 3,823 3,326 3,992 4,381
----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
Operating expenses:
Selling, general and
administrative................. 1,886 1,609 1,833 2,206 1,849 2,088 2,222
Research and development......... 1,054 1,023 1,061 975 1,016 1,174 1,157
Research and development cost
reimbursement--DARPA........... (236) (219) (197) (239) (176) (117) --
----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
Total operating expenses....... 2,704 2,413 2,697 2,942 2,689 3,145 3,379
----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
Income from operations............. 308 716 631 881 637 847 1,002
Interest expense................... (132) (96) (106) (112) (152) (134) (185)
Other income (expense), net........ (1) (131) (48) (379) 9 (113) (246)
----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
Income before income taxes and
minority interest in
subsidiary....................... 175 489 477 390 494 600 571
Income tax expense (benefit)....... 13 107 75 (65) 130 177 (19)
Minority interest in subsidiary.... 9 3 (12) (1) 3 -- --
----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
Net income......................... $ 171 $ 385 $ 390 $ 454 $ 367 $ 423 $ 590
----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
Net income per share............... $ 0.04 $ 0.08 $ 0.09 $ 0.10 $ 0.08 $ 0.10 $ 0.13
----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
Shares used in per share
calculations..................... 4,488 4,505 4,497 4,459 4,478 4,477 4,578
----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
<CAPTION>
MAY 31,
1997
-----------
<S> <C>
Net sales.......................... $ 11,718
Cost of sales...................... 7,112
-----------
Gross profit....................... 4,606
-----------
Operating expenses:
Selling, general and
administrative................. 2,719
Research and development......... 1,189
Research and development cost
reimbursement--DARPA........... (500)
-----------
Total operating expenses....... 3,408
-----------
Income from operations............. 1,198
Interest expense................... (106)
Other income (expense), net........ (215)
-----------
Income before income taxes and
minority interest in
subsidiary....................... 877
Income tax expense (benefit)....... (1,061)
Minority interest in subsidiary.... (3)
-----------
Net income......................... $ 1,935
-----------
-----------
Net income per share............... $ 0.42
-----------
-----------
Shares used in per share
calculations..................... 4,611
-----------
-----------
</TABLE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
AS A PERCENTAGE OF NET SALES
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
QUARTER ENDED
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AUG. 31, NOV. 30, FEB. 29, MAY 31, AUG. 31, NOV. 30, FEB. 28,
1995 1995 1996 1996 1996 1996 1997
----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Net sales.......................... 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%
Cost of sales...................... 60.4 59.8 61.7 58.3 63.3 61.9 59.2
----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
Gross profit....................... 39.6 40.2 38.3 41.7 36.7 38.1 40.8
----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
Operating expenses:
Selling, general and
administrative................. 24.8 20.7 21.1 24.1 20.4 19.9 20.7
Research and development......... 13.8 13.1 12.2 10.6 11.2 11.2 10.8
Research and development cost
reimbursement--DARPA........... (3.1) (2.8) (2.3) (2.6) (1.9) (1.1) --
----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
Total operating expenses....... 35.5 31.0 31.0 32.1 29.7 30.0 31.5
----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
Income from operations............. 4.1 9.2 7.3 9.6 7.0 8.1 9.3
Interest expense................... (1.8) (1.2) (1.2) (1.2) (1.7) (1.3) (1.7)
Other income (expense), net........ -- (1.7) (0.6) (4.1) 0.1 (1.1) (2.3)
----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
Income before income taxes and
minority interest in
subsidiary....................... 2.3 6.3 5.5 4.3 5.4 5.7 5.3
Income tax expense (benefit)....... 0.2 1.4 0.9 (0.7) 1.4 1.7 (0.2)
Minority interest in subsidiary.... 0.1 -- (0.1) -- -- -- --
----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
Net income......................... 2.2% 4.9% 4.5% 5.0% 4.0% 4.0% 5.5%
----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
<CAPTION>
MAY 31,
1997
-----------
<S> <C>
Net sales.......................... 100.0%
Cost of sales...................... 60.7
-----------
Gross profit....................... 39.3
-----------
Operating expenses:
Selling, general and
administrative................. 23.2
Research and development......... 10.1
Research and development cost
reimbursement--DARPA........... (4.2)
-----------
Total operating expenses....... 29.1
-----------
Income from operations............. 10.2
Interest expense................... (0.9)
Other income (expense), net........ (1.8)
-----------
Income before income taxes and
minority interest in
subsidiary....................... 7.5
Income tax expense (benefit)....... (9.0)
Minority interest in subsidiary.... --
-----------
Net income......................... 16.5%
-----------
-----------
</TABLE>
26
<PAGE>
The Company has experienced and expects to continue to experience
significant fluctuations in its quarterly and annual operating results. The
Company's future operating results will depend upon a variety of factors,
including the timing of significant orders, the mix of products sold, changes in
pricing by the Company, its competitors, customers or suppliers, the length of
sales cycles for the Company's systems, timing of new product announcements and
releases by the Company and its competitors, market acceptance of new products
and enhanced versions of the Company's products, capital spending patterns by
customers, timing of completion of DARPA development milestones, manufacturing
inefficiencies associated with new product introductions by the Company, the
Company's ability to produce systems and products in volume and meet customer
requirements, product returns and customer acceptance of product shipments,
volatility in the Company's targeted markets, political and economic
instability, natural disasters, regulatory changes, possible disruptions caused
by expanding existing facilities or moving into new facilities, expenses
associated with acquisitions and alliances, and various competitive factors,
including price-based competition and competition from vendors employing other
technologies. The Company's gross margins have varied and will continue to vary
based on a variety of factors, including the mix of products sold, sales volume,
and the amount of products sold under volume purchase arrangements, which tend
to have lower selling prices. Due to the uncertainties enumerated above and
other factors, the Company could experience material fluctuations in future
operating results on a quarterly or annual basis.
The Company's net sales have generally trended upward in the last eight
fiscal quarters. The sales growth has been due primarily to increases in MTX
shipments, partially offset by declines in sales of burn-in systems and sales in
Japan. During the Company's last two fiscal years, net sales in the first fiscal
quarter, ended August 31, have declined compared with the fourth fiscal quarter,
ending May 31, of the preceding fiscal year, primarily due to additional
emphasis being placed on shipping products prior to the end of the fiscal year.
The Company expects that fluctuations of this type may occur in the future. With
the exception of the quarter ended August 31, 1996, gross profit has generally
trended upward in the last eight fiscal quarters, although gross profit margin
has fluctuated significantly. The lower gross profit in the quarter ended August
31, 1996 was primarily caused by a change in product mix toward the sale of
products with somewhat higher material costs and an increase in other costs of
sales, such as scrap, packaging costs, inventory reserves, and provision for
warranty. The Company's gross profit and gross profit margin have been, and will
continue to be, affected by a variety of factors, including the mix and average
selling prices of the products sold, and the costs to manufacture, service and
support new and enhanced products.
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
The Company has financed its operations primarily through private sales of
equity securities totaling approximately $7.2 million, bank debt and lease
financing for capital equipment. As of May 31, 1997, the Company's principal
sources of liquidity included cash and short term investments of $2.8 million,
two U.S. bank lines of credit totaling $7.0 million collateralized by
substantially all of the Company's U.S. assets, of which $2.8 million was
outstanding, and various borrowings in Japan which totaled $2.2 million. Most of
the borrowings in Japan mature within a year and carry interest rates ranging
from 0.5% to 8.0%. The amount outstanding under the U.S. lines of credit, which
carry interest rates ranging from prime plus 0.75% to prime plus 1.00% (as of
May 31, 1997, the prime rate was 8.50%) and expire December 4, 1997, will be
repaid from the net proceeds of this offering.
Net cash provided by operations was $3.0 million in fiscal 1997, and was
primarily the result of the Company's net income and reductions in accounts
receivable, partially offset by an increase in inventory. Net cash used for
operations was $754,000 in fiscal 1996, primarily the result of increases in
accounts receivable and inventory, partially offset by the Company's net income
and increases in accounts payable and accrued expenses. Financing activities
used cash of $2.1 million in fiscal 1997. Financing activities provided cash of
$1.1 million in fiscal 1996, due primarily to increased borrowing from banks.
Property and equipment purchases were $647,000 and $581,000 in fiscal 1997
and fiscal 1996, respectively. The Company anticipates that its capital
expenditures in fiscal 1998 will be greater than
27
<PAGE>
amounts spent in fiscal 1997 and will be directed primarily to support product
development, as well as requirements for manufacturing, customer support, and
demonstration equipment.
As of May 31, 1997, the Company had working capital of $7.9 million,
compared with $4.8 million as of May 31, 1996. Working capital consists of cash
and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, inventory and other current assets,
less current liabilities. Accounts receivable decreased to $7.5 million as of
May 31, 1997 from $10.6 million as of May 31, 1996 as a result of policies
instituted to encourage earlier payment of outstanding balances. Inventory
increased to $10.5 million as of May 31, 1997 from $7.9 million as of May 31,
1996. The inventory increase in fiscal 1997 related to increased production to
support increasing levels of shipments. The Company expects future inventory
levels to fluctuate with anticipated sales levels, and believes that, because of
the relatively long manufacturing cycle for its systems, its investment in
inventory will continue to represent a significant portion of its working
capital. As a result of increases in inventory, the Company may be subject to an
increasing risk of inventory obsolescence, which could materially and adversely
affect the Company's results of operations.
From time to time, the Company evaluates potential acquisitions of
businesses, products or technologies that complement the Company's business. Any
such transactions, if consummated, may use a portion of the Company's working
capital or require the issuance of equity. The Company has no present
understandings, commitments or agreements with respect to any material
acquisitions.
The Company believes that the proceeds from the sale by the Company of the
Common Stock offered hereby, together with existing sources of liquidity and
anticipated funds from operations, will satisfy the Company's anticipated
working capital and capital equipment requirements through fiscal 1998. See "Use
of Proceeds." After fiscal 1998, depending on its rate of growth and
profitability, the Company may require additional equity or debt financing to
meet its working capital requirements or capital equipment needs. There can be
no assurance that additional financing will be available when required, or, if
available, that such financing can be obtained on terms satisfactory to the
Company.
28
<PAGE>
BUSINESS
GENERAL
Aehr Test Systems develops, manufactures and sells systems which are
designed to reduce the cost of testing DRAMs and other memory devices, and
products which are designed to enable IC manufacturers to perform test and
burn-in of bare die. Leveraging its expertise as a long-time leading provider of
burn-in equipment, with over 2,000 systems installed world-wide, the Company has
developed and introduced two innovative product families, the MTX system and the
DiePak carrier. The MTX is a massively parallel test system capable of
processing thousands of memory devices simultaneously. The MTX system performs
not only burn-in but also many of the tests traditionally performed in final
test by lower-throughput, higher cost memory testers. Siemens has purchased
production quantities of MTX systems from the Company, and other leading
manufacturers have purchased units for evaluation. The DiePak carrier is a
reusable, temporary package that enables IC manufacturers to perform
cost-effective final test and burn-in of bare die. Motorola is using the DiePak
carrier in volume production, and other leading manufacturers have purchased
DiePak carriers for evaluation. The Company also offers systems that perform
reliability screening or burn-in of complex logic and memory devices.
INDUSTRY BACKGROUND
THE INTEGRATED CIRCUIT MARKET
The semiconductor industry has grown significantly over the last five years
due to the continued growth of the personal computer market, the expansion of
the telecommunications industry and the emergence of new market areas such as
consumer electronics products, wireless communication devices, notebook and
handheld computers, and automotive and other applications. Dataquest estimates
that integrated circuit manufacturers produced more than 49 billion ICs in 1996,
resulting in sales of $121.8 billion, and that unit shipments are likely to
increase to more than 83 billion by 2000. While the volume of ICs produced and
sold has increased over the past several years, the industry remains intensely
competitive. IC manufacturers typically compete on the basis of price,
performance and, increasingly for certain applications, size or form factor.
Severe price competition characterizes many sectors of the IC industry.
Average selling prices typically decline substantially as products mature,
volumes increase and new competitors enter the market. In 1996, for example,
prices for 16 megabit ("Mb") DRAMs fell from approximately $50 to approximately
$10 per device. As a result, IC manufacturers face increased pressure to reduce
production costs wherever possible.
Market demand for higher performance has led IC manufacturers to develop
denser, more complex ICs, capable of holding more data or performing more
functions faster. Since 1989, for example, advanced process technologies have
migrated from 0.8 micron to 0.25 micron geometries, and leading edge memory
devices have increased in density from 4Mb to 64Mb. The smaller geometries and
more complex designs have generally increased the need for sophisticated IC
testing and reliability screening, which increases test times and test costs.
Minimizing the amount of space on a printed circuit board assembly used by
one or more ICs (the "form factor") has become increasingly important for many
applications, including notebook and handheld computers, portable phones and
other portable consumer products. By using IC components with smaller form
factors, system manufacturers can build smaller, lighter products or enhance the
performance or features of existing products without increasing size. The demand
for smaller form factors is driving the adoption of new IC packaging and
interconnect technologies, including the use of unpackaged or "bare" die. Bare
die may be mounted directly on a printed circuit board or used in multichip
modules, such as the module for Intel's Pentium Pro microprocessor, which
contain multiple bare die.
29
<PAGE>
THE IC TEST PROCESS
Semiconductor manufacturing is a complex, multi-step process and defects or
weaknesses that may result in the failure of an IC may be introduced at any
process step. Failures may occur immediately or at any time during the operating
life of an IC, sometimes after several months of normal use. Semiconductor
manufacturers rely on testing and reliability screening to detect failures that
occur during the manufacturing process.
Testing and reliability screening involves multiple steps. The first set of
tests is typically performed before the processed semiconductor wafer is cut
into individual die, in order to avoid the cost of packaging defective die into
their plastic or ceramic packages. After the die are packaged and before they
undergo reliability screening, a short test is typically performed in order to
detect packaging defects. Most leading-edge microprocessors, microcontrollers
and memory ICs then undergo an extensive reliability screening and stress
testing procedure known as "burn-in." The burn-in process screens for early
failures by operating the IC at elevated voltages and temperatures, usually at
125 DEG.C (257 DEG.F), for periods typically ranging from 12 to 48 hours.
Burn-in systems can process thousands of ICs simultaneously. After burn-in, the
ICs undergo a final test process using automatic test equipment ("testers").
Testers can test up to 64 ICs simultaneously and perform a variety of tests at
multiple temperatures.
Final test can be time-consuming and costly, particularly for memory ICs.
Final testing of the current generation of 16Mb DRAMs often takes five to ten
minutes per device. A memory tester with a 64 site automated handler can cost
between $2 million and $3 million. A test facility adequate to process the
output of a typical leading-edge memory IC production facility may require 30 or
more such systems. Prime Research Group, a market research firm, estimates that
the market for memory testers exceeded $1.5 billion in 1996. According to
Dataquest, final test costs range from $0.38 per 16Mb DRAM to $4.00 per 64Mb
DRAM. The continuing price competition motivates IC manufacturers to reduce
production costs, including test costs, wherever possible.
TRENDS IN IC PACKAGING AND THE NEED FOR KNOWN GOOD DIE
Consumer market demand for smaller and lighter products has spurred the
emergence of new IC packaging and interconnect technologies. Die have
traditionally been packaged in plastic or ceramic packages which substantially
increase the size of the device. A packaged microprocessor is typically four to
five times the size of the die, and a packaged memory device is typically twice
the size of the die. By using bare die, electronics manufacturers can
substantially reduce size and weight in such products as wireless phones, pagers
and portable PCs. Eliminating packaging also can improve final product
performance because reducing the lengths of the connections between ICs enhances
system operating speeds and reduces power consumption. Moreover, since packaging
can represent a significant cost, particularly for high pin-count
microprocessors, using bare die potentially could save costs associated with
packaging ICs. For these reasons, electronics manufacturers are increasingly
interested in using bare die as well as "chip scale" packages (bare die
partially covered with a thin plastic layer). Electronics manufacturers already
have begun placing multiple bare die in multichip modules ("MCMs") and on
printed circuit board assemblies using "flip-chip," "wire bond" and other
connection technologies.
Dataquest estimates that bare die could account for 12% of worldwide IC
production by 2000. The emergence of a bare die market, however, has been
constrained by the absence of a cost-effective approach to burn-in and final
test of bare die. Until recently, electronics manufacturers using bare die have
been forced to perform burn-in and final test after the die have been mounted on
MCMs or printed circuit boards. If defective die are discovered at this stage,
the MCMs or printed circuit board assemblies must be discarded or reworked
manually, either of which is costly. Using unburned-in die can be prohibitively
expensive because even low defect rates in individual bare die are compounded
and can result in relatively high defect rates in products that contain multiple
bare die. Consequently, IC manufacturers need the
30
<PAGE>
ability to supply "known good die" ("KGD") that have passed burn-in and final
test prior to shipment and that offer their customers the assurance that they
meet the same specifications as packaged ICs.
THE AEHR TEST SOLUTION
Aehr Test provides innovative systems designed to reduce the cost of testing
DRAMs and other memory devices and products designed to enable IC manufacturers
to perform test and burn-in of bare die. The Company has recently introduced two
new product families, the MTX system and the DiePak carrier.
Leveraging its expertise as a long-time leading provider of burn-in systems
that process thousands of ICs in parallel, Aehr Test has developed and
introduced the MTX, a massively parallel test system capable of testing
thousands of memory devices simultaneously. The MTX system performs many of the
time-consuming tests traditionally performed in final test by lower-throughput,
higher-cost memory testers. Using the MTX system, IC manufacturers can optimize
the final test process by transferring many time-consuming tests to the MTX
system and using memory testers to perform only the high-accuracy, short-
duration test functions for which they are most effective. The Company believes
IC manufacturers using this "mix and match" strategy can substantially reduce
the required number of conventional memory testers and, as a result,
substantially reduce capital and operating costs.
Aehr Test also has developed and introduced the DiePak carrier product line.
The DiePak carrier is a reusable, temporary package that enables semiconductor
manufacturers to perform cost-effective final test and burn-in of bare die using
existing burn-in and test equipment with only minimum modifications. The Company
believes that the availability of known good die will help enable bare die to
become a practical alternative to packaged die and will accelerate the expansion
of the bare die market.
STRATEGY
Aehr Test's objective is to strengthen its position as a leading provider of
high-quality, cost-effective systems and products for testing and reliability
screening of both packaged ICs and bare die. The principal elements of the
Company's strategy include:
- REDUCE TEST COSTS FOR MEMORY MANUFACTURERS. The Company seeks to capture
an increasing share of the memory test equipment market by marketing the
MTX massively parallel test system. The Company believes that high volume
manufacturers of memory devices can substantially reduce their test costs
by mixing and matching high-throughput MTX systems with lower-throughput,
higher-cost testers. Siemens has purchased production quantities of the
MTX system, and other leading manufacturers have purchased units for
evaluation.
- PROVIDE ENABLING PRODUCTS FOR THE EMERGING BARE DIE MARKET. The Company
seeks to facilitate the expansion of the bare die market by offering
solutions to enable cost-effective test and burn-in of bare die. The
Company has developed and begun shipping the DiePak carrier, which enables
test and burn-in of bare die using the same burn-in and test systems
currently used for packaged ICs. Motorola has begun using the DiePak
carrier in volume production of known good die and other leading
manufacturers have purchased DiePak carriers for qualification. In
addition, the Company believes that periodic replacement of DiePak
carriers by its customers will generate recurring revenues because new
designs require new carriers and DiePak carriers have a limited life.
- BUILD ON LONG-STANDING CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS. The Company has shipped
over 2,000 systems since its inception in 1977 and believes it is one of
the leading suppliers of burn-in systems. The Company's customers include
many of the largest semiconductor manufacturers and contract assemblers
worldwide. The Company believes its reputation and customer relationships
with leading semiconductor manufacturers have assisted and will continue
to assist it in selling new products to its existing as well as new
customers.
31
<PAGE>
- LEVERAGE TECHNOLOGY LEADERSHIP. Aehr Test has nearly 20 years of
experience as a leader in the development and marketing of burn-in and
parallel test systems and has developed and introduced innovative new
products for the industry, including the MTX massively parallel test
system and the DiePak carrier. Building upon the expertise gained in the
development of those products, the Company has embarked upon a long-term
project to develop a system for performing burn-in and test of entire
processed wafers, rather than individual die or packaged parts. This
wafer-level burn-in and test project is being financed by the Company and
by DARPA under a cost-sharing agreement. There is no assurance that the
wafer-level burn-in and test project will be successful.
- CONTINUE TO EXPAND WORLDWIDE PRESENCE. As major semiconductor
manufacturers establish multiple locations worldwide, market factors
increasingly require semiconductor equipment vendors to provide global
support and service to customers in each major region. Aehr Test has sales
and service operations in the United States, Germany and Japan and has
established a network of distributors and sales representatives in other
key parts of the world. The Company believes that this worldwide network
of sales and service operations improves its ability to sell to and
support the world's major IC manufacturers and contract assemblers. The
Company intends to continue to invest in building its international
network of distributors, sales representatives and direct sales and
service operations.
PRODUCTS
The Company manufactures and markets massively parallel test systems, die
carriers, burn-in systems, test fixtures and related accessories.
All of the Company's systems are modular, allowing them to be configured
with optional features to meet customer requirements. Systems can be configured
for use in production applications, where capacity, throughput and price are
most important, or for reliability engineering and quality assurance
applications, where performance and flexibility, such as extended temperature
ranges, are essential.
MASSIVELY PARALLEL TEST SYSTEM
The MTX massively parallel test system is designed to reduce the cost of
memory test by processing thousands of memory devices simultaneously, including
DRAMs, SDRAMs, SRAMs and most application-specific memories. The MTX system can
perform a significant number of tests usually performed by memory testers,
including pattern sensitivity tests, functional tests, data retention tests and
refresh tests. The Company estimates that transferring these tests from memory
testers to the MTX system can reduce the time that a memory device must be
tested by a memory tester by up to 75%, thereby reducing the required number of
memory testers and, as a result, reducing capital and operating costs.
32
<PAGE>
The MTX system shown below consists of several subsystems: pattern
generation and test electronics, control software, network interface,
environmental chamber and automation. The MTX system has an algorithmic test
pattern generator which allows it to duplicate many of the tests performed by a
memory tester. Pin electronics at each performance test board ("PTB") position
are designed to provide accurate signals to the memories being tested and detect
whether a device is failing the test. An optional enhanced fault collection
capability allows the MTX to identify which cells in a memory IC are failing,
resulting in information which can be used to sort partially good devices.
[DIAGRAM OF MTX SYSTEM. Textual descriptions of Refrigeration Unit, Circuit
Breaker and Contactor Enclosure, Driver Boards, Pattern Generator Boards,
Operator Interface, Local Control Computer, Performance Test Board (PTB), Oven
Chamber and Automated PTB Insert/Eject Mechanism.]
The MTX system software is executed on PCs running a UNIX operating system.
The system uses a relational database to store test plans and test results. The
simple point-and-click graphical user interface supports multiple users and the
multiple simultaneous tasks required to run a network of systems efficiently.
The MTX system is also equipped with a widely-used GEM/SECS network interface
which allows easy integration with customers' factory automation and information
systems.
Devices being tested are placed on PTBs and loaded into environmental
chambers which typically operate at temperatures from 25 DEG.C (77 DEG.F) up to
150 DEG.C (302 DEG.F) (optional chambers can produce temperatures as low as
- -55 DEG.C (-67 DEG.F)). A single PTB can hold up to 256 16Mb DRAMs, and a
production chamber holds 30 PTBs, resulting in up to 7,680 devices being tested
in parallel in a single system. For production environments, the systems include
an automatic PTB insertion/ejection mechanism and a docking cart for more
efficient handling of large quantities of PTBs.
List prices for production model MTX systems range from $900,000 to
$1,100,000 depending on configuration and features.
DIEPAK CARRIERS
The Company's DiePak product line includes a family of reusable, temporary
die carriers and associated sockets which enable the test and burn-in of bare
die using the same test and burn-in systems used for packaged ICs. DiePak
carriers offer cost-effective solutions for providing known good die for most
types of ICs, including memory, microcontroller and microprocessor devices. The
DiePak carrier was introduced in fiscal 1995 following a development effort that
included the Company, Nitto Denko, which manufactured the interconnect
substrate, and Motorola which, as the first customer, assisted in defining
requirements and testing the product. In April 1997, Motorola announced that it
qualified the DiePak carrier for use in production test and burn-in of bare die.
33
<PAGE>
The DiePak carrier, shown below in a cross-section view, consists of an
interconnect substrate, which provides electrical connection between the die
pads and the socket contacts, and a mechanical support system. The substrate is
customized for each IC product. The DiePak carrier comes in 108, 172 and 320 pin
versions to handle ICs ranging from low pin-count memories to high pin-count
microprocessors. The DiePak carrier and socket feature a small footprint which
reduces test and burn-in cost because more devices may be processed
simultaneously on a test fixture. The Company believes that the DiePak carrier's
competitive advantages include its small footprint, its one-piece design, which
facilitates the automated loading of die into carriers, and its low contact
resistance, which enables more accurate, high speed testing.
[DIAGRAM OF DIEPAK CARRIER. Textual descriptions of Hinged Lid, Pressure Plate,
Bare Die, Latch, Socket Contacts, Base, Substrate and Alignment Plate.]
The Company believes that periodic replacement of DiePak carriers by its
customers will generate recurring revenues because new IC designs require new
carriers and DiePak carriers have a limited life. The Company anticipates that
for most applications the DiePak carrier can be reused approximately 100 times
for test and burn-in, which would typically occur during the course of one year
of normal operation. The list price of DiePak carriers varies from $70 to $300
in production quantities, depending on the number of pins and the volume
purchased.
BURN-IN SYSTEMS
The Company's current burn-in products consist of the MAX and ATX product
families. The Company believes that its burn-in systems provide accurate and
reliable burn-in for complex memory and logic ICs. The current list prices for
the MAX and ATX systems typically range in purchase price from $150,000 to
$500,000 depending on system and configuration.
The MAX system, which was introduced in fiscal 1993, is designed for dynamic
burn-in of memory and low pin-count logic devices. The system is modular in
design and has a subsystem structure similar to that of the MTX system. The
production version holds 64 burn-in boards ("BIBs"), each of which may hold 350
or more devices, resulting in a system capacity of 22,400 or more devices. The
pattern generator is designed to dynamically burn-in memory devices as large as
4 gigabits, which is likely to be sufficient to cover future generations of
memory devices. The MAX system's 48-channel pin electronics and ability to run
stored test patterns also allow it to be used for application-specific memory
devices and many logic devices. The pin electronics are designed to provide
precisely-controlled voltages and signals to the devices on the BIBs and to
protect them from damage during the burn-in process. The latest generation
system, the MAX2, was introduced in July, 1997. The MAX2 features multi-tasking
Windows NT-based software which includes lot tracking and reporting software
that are needed for production and military applications.
The ATX system is designed for dynamic and monitored burn-in of high
pin-count VLSI devices, including microprocessors, microcontrollers,
applications-specific ICs ("ASICs"), and certain memory devices. The ATX system
uses much of the same software as the MAX system and contains additional
34
<PAGE>
features such as an interface to CAE systems for program development and output
monitoring to ensure that the devices receive the specified voltages and
signals. Its 256-channel pin electronics configuration allows it to handle
complex logic devices, and its ability to burn in different device types in each
of the system's 32 BIB positions is useful for quality assurance applications.
TEST FIXTURES
The Company manufactures and sells custom designed test fixtures including
performance test boards for use with the MTX massively parallel test system and
burn-in boards for its burn-in systems. PTBs and BIBs hold the devices
undergoing test or burn-in and electrically connect the devices under test to
the system electronics. The capacity of each PTB or BIB depends on the type of
device being tested or burned-in, ranging from several hundred in memory
production to as few as eight for high pin-count complex ASIC devices. PTBs and
BIBs are sold both with new Aehr Test systems and for use with the Company's
installed base of systems. Due to the advanced test requirements of the MTX
system, PTBs are substantially more complex than BIBs. The Company has patented
certain features of the PTB and to date has licensed one other company to supply
PTBs. See "--Proprietary Rights." The Company primarily sells BIBs in the higher
performance segments of the market where the Company believes its knowledge of
its systems represents a competitive advantage.
The demand for PTBs and BIBs depends upon the volume of devices manufactured
and the number of new device types. Customers typically need new versions of
PTBs and BIBs for each new device type. The list price per board typically
ranges from $1,000 to $5,000 depending on quantity, socket type and number of
sockets per board. A full set of test fixtures for a system typically ranges in
price from approximately $50,000 to $150,000.
CUSTOMERS
The Company markets and sells its products throughout the world to
semiconductor manufacturers, semiconductor contract assemblers, electronics
manufacturers and burn-in and test service companies. The following is a
representative list of customers who have purchased more than $200,000 in
products and services from the Company since the beginning of fiscal 1995:
<TABLE>
<S> <C>
Asahi Chemical Industry Co. Opti Inc.
Carsem Semiconductor Sdn. Bhd. Philips Electronics N.V.
El-Mos Elektronik in MOS-technologie GmbH Promos Technologies, Inc.
Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. Rood Technology Deutschland GmbH
Fujitsu Ltd. Samsung Group
High-Reliability Components Corporation Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
Hitachi Ltd. SGS Thomson Microelectronics N.V.
Honeywell Inc. Sharp Corporation
Hyundai Electronics Industries Co., Inc. Siemens AG
International Business Machines Corporation Sony Corporation
Israeli Test House, Ltd. Statsym Sdn. Bhd.
KESM Industries Sdn. Bhd. Symbios Logic, Inc.
Lucent Technologies, Inc. Texas Instruments Incorporated
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. Tokyo IC Co. Ltd.
Microchip Technology Incorporated Toshiba Corporation
Mitsubishi Corporation Yamaha Corporation
Motorola, Inc. Yoshikawa Co. Ltd.
NEC Corporation Zentrum Mikroelektronik Dresden GmbH
Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Company
</TABLE>
35
<PAGE>
Sales to the Company's five largest customers accounted for approximately
45.1%, 55.8% and 69.2% of its net sales in fiscal 1995, 1996 and 1997,
respectively. During fiscal 1996 and 1997, Siemens accounted for 29.1% and 55.7%
of the Company's net sales, respectively. During fiscal 1995, Sony accounted for
18.2% of the Company's net sales. No other customers represented more than 10%
of the Company's net sales for any of such periods. The Company expects that
sales of its products to a limited number of customers will continue to account
for a high percentage of net sales for the foreseeable future. In addition,
sales to particular customers may fluctuate significantly from quarter to
quarter. The loss of or reduction or delay in orders from a significant
customer, or a delay in collecting or failure to collect accounts receivable
from a significant customer could adversely affect the Company's business,
financial condition and operating results. See "Risk Factors--Customer
Concentration."
MARKETING, SALES AND CUSTOMER SUPPORT
The Company focuses its marketing effort on its existing customer base of
large, established semiconductor manufacturers and contract assemblers. The
Company has sales and service operations in the United States, Japan and Germany
and has established a network of distributors and sales representatives in other
key parts of the world. As of June 30, 1997, there were 16 in-house personnel in
the United States, Japan and Germany, collectively, and 19 independent sales
representative organizations marketing the Company's products.
The Company's customer service and support program includes system
installation, system repair, applications engineering support, spare parts
inventories, customer training, and documentation. As of June 30, 1997, the
Company had 18 full-time employees providing customer service and support. The
customer support organization has both applications engineering and field
service personnel located at the corporate headquarters in Mountain View,
California and at the Company's subsidiaries in Germany and Japan. The Company's
distributors provide applications and field service support in other parts of
the world. The Company customarily provides a warranty on its products. The
Company offers service contracts on its systems directly and through its
subsidiaries, distributors, and representatives.
BACKLOG
As of May 31, 1997 and 1996, the Company's backlog was $20.9 million and
$19.1 million, respectively. The Company's backlog consists of product orders
for which confirmed purchase orders have been received and which are scheduled
for shipment within 12 months. Most orders are subject to rescheduling or
cancellation by the customer with limited penalties. Because of the possibility
of customer changes in delivery schedules or cancellations and potential delays
in product shipments, the Company's backlog as of a particular date may not be
indicative of net sales for any succeeding period.
RESEARCH AND PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
The Company historically has devoted a significant portion of its financial
resources to research and development programs and expects to continue to
allocate significant resources to these efforts. As of June 30, 1997, the
Company had 43 full-time employees engaged in research and development. The
Company's research and development expenses during fiscal 1995, 1996 and 1997
were approximately $3.8 million, $4.1 million and $4.5 million, respectively.
The Company conducts ongoing research and development to develop new
products and to support and enhance existing product lines. The Company
currently is developing capability and performance enhancements to the MTX, MAX
and ATX systems for future generation ICs. The Company also is developing DiePak
carriers to accommodate additional types of devices.
Building upon the expertise gained in the development of its existing
products, the Company has embarked upon a long-term project to develop a system
for performing test and burn-in of entire processed wafers, rather than
individual die or packaged parts. This wafer-level burn-in and test project is
being financed by the Company and DARPA, under a cost-sharing agreement entered
into in 1994. The
36
<PAGE>
agreement provides that (i) the Company shall retain title to all co-funded
inventions, (ii) DARPA will receive a paid-up license to use the inventions for
government purposes and (iii) DARPA can require the Company to license the
inventions to third parties on reasonable terms if the Company fails to
adequately commercialize the inventions. However, payments by DARPA depend on
satisfaction of development milestones, and DARPA has the right to terminate
project funding at any time. The level of payments may vary significantly from
quarter to quarter. There is no assurance that the Company will meet the
development milestones or that DARPA will continue funding the project. DARPA
payments are reflected as a credit to research and development expenses. The
agreement provides for potential payments by DARPA totaling up to $6.5 million.
The Company has completed certain development milestones and invoiced $2.9
million through May 31, 1997. The remaining funding is subject to milestones
scheduled to be completed through January 1999.
The DiePak carrier was introduced in fiscal 1995, following a development
effort that included the Company, Nitto Denko Corporation, which manufactures
the interconnect substrate, and Motorola which, as the first customer, assisted
in defining requirements and testing the product. Enplas Corporation, a Japanese
manufacturer of advanced plastic products, cooperated with the Company in
developing the DiePak socket. Enplas became a shareholder of the Company in
fiscal 1994, and as of June 30, 1997, owned 320,000 shares of Common Stock. See
"Principal and Selling Shareholders."
MANUFACTURING
The Company assembles its products from components and parts manufactured by
others, including environmental chambers, power supplies, metal fabrications,
printed circuit assemblies, integrated circuits, burn-in sockets and
interconnect substrates. Final assembly and test are performed within the
Company's facilities. The Company's strategy is to use in-house manufacturing
only when necessary to protect a proprietary process or if a significant
improvement in quality, cost or lead time can be achieved. The Company's
principal manufacturing facility is located in Mountain View, California. The
Company's Tokyo, Japan facility provides final assembly and test and product
customization.
The Company relies on subcontractors to manufacture many of the components
or subassemblies used in its products. The Company's MTX, MAX and ATX systems
contain several components, including environmental chambers, power supplies and
certain ICs, which are currently supplied by only one or a limited number of
suppliers. The DiePak products include an interconnect substrate which is
supplied only by Nitto Denko, and certain mechanical parts and sockets which are
currently supplied only by Enplas. The Company's reliance on subcontractors and
single source suppliers involves a number of significant risks, including the
loss of control over the manufacturing process, the potential absence of
adequate capacity and reduced control over delivery schedules, manufacturing
yields, quality and costs. In the event that any significant subcontractor or
single source supplier were to become unable or unwilling to continue to
manufacture subassemblies, components or parts in required volumes, the Company
would have to identify and qualify acceptable replacements. The process of
qualifying subcontractors and suppliers could be lengthy, and no assurance can
be given that any additional sources would be available to the Company on a
timely basis. Any delay, interruption or termination of a supplier relationship
could have a material adverse effect on the Company's business, financial
condition and operating results.
The Company is also pursuing a strategy of designing PTBs in locations near
its customers to more effectively respond to their custom design needs.
Currently the Company designs and manufactures PTBs in the United States and
Japan and intends to establish a design capability in Germany.
COMPETITION
The semiconductor equipment industry is intensely competitive. Significant
competitive factors in the semiconductor equipment market include price,
technical capabilities, quality, flexibility, automation, cost of ownership,
reliability, throughput, product availability and customer service. In each of
the markets it serves, the Company faces competition from established
competitors and potential new entrants, many of which have greater financial,
engineering, manufacturing and marketing resources than the Company.
37
<PAGE>
Because the Company's MTX system performs burn-in and many of the functional
tests performed by memory testers, the Company expects that the MTX system will
face intense competition from burn-in system suppliers and traditional memory
tester suppliers. The market for burn-in systems is highly fragmented, with many
domestic and international suppliers. Some users, such as independent test labs,
build their own burn-in systems, and some other users, particularly large
Japanese IC manufacturers, acquire burn-in systems from captive or affiliated
suppliers. Competing suppliers of burn-in systems, which typically cost less
than the MTX system, include Ando Corporation, Japan Engineering Company,
Reliability Incorporated and Tabai Espec Corp. Some of the burn-in systems
offered by competing suppliers perform some test functions. In addition,
suppliers of memory test equipment including Advantest Corporation and Teradyne,
Inc. may seek to offer parallel test systems in the future.
The Company's DiePak products face significant competition. Texas
Instruments Incorporated sells a temporary, reusable bare die carrier which is
intended to enable burn-in and test of bare die, and the Company believes that
several other companies have developed or are developing other such products. As
the bare die market develops, the Company expects that other competitors will
emerge. The Company expects that the primary competitive factors in this market
will be performance, reliability, cost and assured supply.
The Company's MAX dynamic and ATX monitored and dynamic burn-in systems
increasingly have faced and are expected to continue to face severe competition,
especially from local, low cost manufacturers. Also, the MAX dynamic burn-in
system faces severe competition from manufacturers of monitored burn-in systems
that perform limited functional tests, including tests designed to ensure the
devices receive the specified voltages and signals.
The Company's test fixture products face numerous competitors. There are
limited barriers to entry into the BIB market, and as a result, many small
companies design and manufacture BIBs, including BIBs for use with the Company's
MAX and ATX systems. The Company's strategy is to provide higher performance
BIBs, and the Company generally does not compete to supply lower cost, low
performance BIBs. The Company has granted a royalty-bearing license to one
company to make PTBs for use with its MTX systems, in order to assure customers
of a second source of supply, and the Company may license others as well. Sales
of PTBs by licensees would result in royalties to the Company but would
potentially reduce the Company's own sales of PTBs.
The Company expects its competitors to continue to improve the performance
of their current products and to introduce new products with improved price and
performance characteristics. New product introductions by the Company's
competitors or by new market entrants could cause a decline in sales or loss of
market acceptance of the Company's products. Increased competitive pressure
could also lead to intensified price-based competition, resulting in lower
prices which could adversely affect the Company's business, financial condition
and operating results. The Company believes that to remain competitive it must
invest significant financial resources in new product development and expand its
customer service and support worldwide. There can be no assurance that the
Company will be able to compete successfully in the future.
PROPRIETARY RIGHTS
The Company relies primarily on the technical and creative ability of its
personnel, its proprietary software, and trade secret and copyright protection,
rather than on patents, to maintain its competitive position. The Company's
proprietary software is copyrighted and licensed to the Company's customers. The
Company currently holds three issued United States patents and has two
additional United States patent applications and several foreign patent
applications pending. The Company has one United States trademark registration.
One issued patent covers the method used to connect the PTBs with the MTX
system. One patent relating to the MTX that has been allowed but not yet issued
includes claims covering certain details of the electronic implementation used
to obtain high performance in the MTX system and also covering certain testing
methods.
38
<PAGE>
The Company's ability to compete successfully is dependent in part upon its
ability to protect its proprietary technology and information. Although the
Company attempts to protect its proprietary technology through patents,
copyrights, trade secrets and other measures, there can be no assurance that
these measures will be adequate or that competitors will not be able to develop
similar technology independently. Further, there can be no assurance that claims
allowed on any patent issued to the Company will be sufficiently broad to
protect the Company's technology, that any patent will issue from any pending
application or that foreign intellectual property laws will protect the
Company's intellectual property. Litigation may be necessary to enforce or
determine the validity and scope of the Company's proprietary rights, and there
can be no assurance that the Company's intellectual property rights, if
challenged, will be upheld as valid. Such litigation could result in substantial
costs and diversion of resources and could have a material adverse effect on the
Company's business, financial condition and operating results, regardless of the
outcome of the litigation. In addition, there can be no assurance that any of
the patents issued to the Company will not be challenged, invalidated or
circumvented or that the rights granted thereunder will provide competitive
advantages to the Company.
There are no pending claims against the Company regarding infringement of
any patents or other intellectual property rights of others. However, the
Company may receive, in the future, communications from third parties asserting
intellectual property claims against the Company. Such claims could include
assertions that the Company's products infringe, or may infringe, the
proprietary rights of third parties, requests for indemnification against such
infringement or suggestions that the Company may be interested in acquiring a
license from such third parties. There can be no assurance that any such claim
made in the future will not result in litigation, which could involve
significant expense to the Company, and, if the Company is required or deems it
appropriate to obtain a license relating to one or more products or
technologies, there can be no assurance that the Company would be able to do so
on commercially reasonable terms, or at all.
EMPLOYEES
As of June 30, 1997, the Company and its two foreign subsidiaries employed
155 persons full-time, of whom 43 were engaged in research, development, and
related engineering, 61 in manufacturing, 34 in marketing, sales, and customer
support, and 17 in general administration and finance. 35 persons are employed
by the Company's subsidiary in Japan. In addition, the Company from time to time
employs a number of part-time employees and contractors, particularly in
manufacturing. The Company's success is in part dependent on its ability to
attract and retain highly skilled workers, who are in high demand. None of the
Company's employees is represented by a union and the Company has never
experienced a work stoppage. Management considers its relations with its
employees to be good. See "Risk Factors-- Dependence on Key Personnel."
FACILITIES
The Company's principal administrative and production facilities are located
in Mountain View, California, in a 61,364 square foot building. The lease on
this building expires in September 1999; the Company has an option to extend the
lease of its headquarters building for an additional five year period at rates
to be negotiated. The Company also leases a sales office in Irvine, California
and a sales and support office in Osaka, Japan. The Company's Japan facility is
located in Tokyo in a 15,607 square foot building under a lease which expires in
June 1998. The Company leases a sales and support office in Utting, Germany. The
Company's and its subsidiaries' annual rental payments currently aggregate
approximately $1.4 million. The Company believes that alternate facilities would
be available if needed.
39
<PAGE>
MANAGEMENT
EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS
The executive officers and directors of the Company are as follows:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
NAME AGE POSITIONS
- ---------------------------------------------- --- ----------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C>
Rhea J. Posedel............................... 55 President, Chief Executive Officer and
Chairman of the Board of Directors
Gary L. Larson................................ 47 Vice President of Finance and Chief
Financial Officer
Michael P. Evon............................... 50 Vice President of Sales
Carl N. Buck.................................. 45 Vice President of Research and
Development Engineering
William D. Barraclough........................ 53 Vice President of Test Systems
Engineering
Richard F. Sette.............................. 59 Vice President of Operations
Takahiro Hatakenaka........................... 62 President, Aehr Test Systems Japan
William W. R. Elder (1)(2).................... 58 Director
Mario M. Rosati (1)........................... 51 Director and Secretary
David Torresdal (2)........................... 58 Director
Katsuji Tsutsumi.............................. 46 Director
</TABLE>
- ------------------------
(1) Member of the Compensation Committee.
(2) Member of the Audit Committee.
RHEA J. POSEDEL is a founder of the Company and has served as President,
Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors since its
inception in 1977. He received a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the
University of California, Berkeley, an M.S. in Electrical Engineering from San
Jose State University and an M.B.A. from Golden Gate University.
GARY L. LARSON joined the Company in April 1991 as Chief Financial Officer
and was elected Vice President of Finance in February 1992. From 1986 to 1990,
he served as Chief Financial Officer, and from 1988 to 1990 also as President
and Chief Operating Officer, of Nanometrics Incorporated, a manufacturer of
measurement and inspection equipment for the semiconductor industry. Mr. Larson
received a B.S. in Mathematics/Finance from Harvey Mudd College.
MICHAEL P. EVON joined the Company as Vice President of Sales in March 1995.
He was employed at GenRad, Inc., a world market leader in PC board test systems,
from 1968 to 1995, during which time he held various positions, including
serving as Director of Sales for Asia, Pacific and Latin America, Director of
Sales/North America for the Design Automation Division, and Western Regional
Sales Manager. Mr. Evon received a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Tufts
University.
CARL N. BUCK joined the Company as a Product Marketing Manager in 1983 and
held various positions until he was elected Vice President of Engineering in
November 1992, and Vice President of Research and Development Engineering in
November 1996. From 1978 to 1983, Mr. Buck served as Product Marketing Manager
at Intel Corporation, an integrated circuit and microprocessor company. Mr. Buck
received a B.S.E.E. from Princeton University, an M.S. in Electrical Engineering
from the University of Maryland and an M.B.A. from Stanford University.
40
<PAGE>
WILLIAM D. BARRACLOUGH joined the Company as an Account Manager in February
1989 and held various positions until he was elected Vice President of Test
Systems Engineering in August 1996. From 1984 to 1989, Mr. Barraclough served as
Vice President of Marketing at Thermonics, Inc., a manufacturer of temperature
control equipment for electronics devices. Mr. Barraclough received a B.S.E.E.
from the University of Southern California.
RICHARD F. SETTE rejoined the Company as Vice President of Operations in
January 1996, after serving in that same position from 1984 to 1987. He served
as Senior Director of Operations of Northrop Grumman Corp., a manufacturer of
aircraft and aircraft subsystems, from 1987 to 1993, as Vice President of
Operations of Symtek, Inc., which manufactures handling equipment for the
semiconductor industry, from 1993 to 1994 and as Director of Engineering at
SatCom Technologies Corp., a developer of energy storage systems, from 1994 to
1995. Mr. Sette received a B.S.E.E. and an M.S.E.E. from Northeastern
University.
TAKAHIRO HATAKENAKA is a founder of Aehr Test Systems Japan K.K. the
Company's Japanese subsidiary, and has been President and Chairman of its Board
of Directors since its inception in October 1981. Mr. Hatakenaka attended Waseda
University in Tokyo, Japan, where he majored in Economics.
WILLIAM W. R. ELDER has been a director of the Company since 1989. Dr. Elder
was the Chief Executive Officer of Genus, Inc. ("Genus"), a semiconductor
company, from his founding of Genus in 1981 to September 1996. Dr. Elder has
been a director of Genus since its inception, and was elected as Chairman of the
Board of Genus in September 1996. Dr. Elder holds a B.S.I.E. and an honorary
Doctorate Degree from the University of Paisley in Scotland.
MARIO M. ROSATI has served as Secretary and a director of the Company since
1977. He is a member of the law firm of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, which
he joined in 1971. Mr. Rosati is a graduate of Boalt Hall, University of
California at Berkeley. Mr. Rosati is a director of C*ATS Software Inc., Genus,
Inc., Meridian Data, Inc., Ross Systems, and Sanmina Corporation, as well as
several private companies.
DAVID TORRESDAL has been a director of the Company since 1977. He has been
President of Davtron, Inc., a manufacturer of aircraft electronic equipment,
since 1970. Mr. Torresdal received an A.A.S. in Engineering from Oregon
Technical Institute.
KATSUJI TSUTSUMI has been a director of the Company since 1994. He has
served as a Vice President of Enplas Tech (U.S.A.), Inc., a subsidiary of Enplas
Corporation, since October, 1993. From 1989 to 1993, Mr. Tsutsumi served as
Overseas Sales Division General Manager for Enplas Corporation in Japan. Mr.
Tsutsumi received a degree in Economics from the University of Aoyama Gakuin in
Japan.
All directors hold office until the next annual meeting of shareholders and
until their successors have been duly elected and qualified. The Company's
executive officers are approved by and serve at the discretion of the Board of
Directors. There are no family relationships among the directors or executive
officers of the Company.
DIRECTORS' COMPENSATION AND OTHER ARRANGEMENTS
Directors of the Company do not receive any cash compensation for their
services as members of the Board of Directors, although they are reimbursed for
certain expenses incurred in attending Board and committee meetings. Directors
are eligible to participate in the Company's option plans. In fiscal 1996, the
Company granted options to purchase 55,000 shares to William Elder at $4.00 per
share, 20,000 shares to Mario Rosati at $4.00 per share, and 20,000 shares to
David Torresdal at $4.00 per share. Directors were granted no options in fiscal
1997.
41
<PAGE>
BOARD COMMITTEES
The Board of Directors has a Compensation Committee and an Audit Committee.
The Compensation Committee, which is comprised of William Elder and Mario
Rosati, makes recommendations to the Board of Directors regarding executive
compensation matters, including decisions relating to salary and bonus and
grants of stock options. The Audit Committee, which is comprised of William
Elder and David Torresdal, approves the Company's independent auditors, reviews
the results and scope of annual audits and other accounting related services,
and reviews and evaluates the Company's internal audit and control functions.
EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
SUMMARY COMPENSATION INFORMATION
The following table sets forth all compensation received for services
rendered to the Company in all capacities for the fiscal year ended May 31, 1997
by the Company's Chief Executive Officer and for each of the four other most
highly compensated executive officers with annual compensation in excess of
$100,000 (collectively, the "Named Executive Officers"):
SUMMARY COMPENSATION TABLE
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
LONG-TERM
COMPENSATION
-------------
PAYOUTS
-------------
ANNUAL COMPENSATION LTIP
------------------------ PAYOUTS ALL OTHER
NAME AND PRINCIPAL POSITION SALARY($) BONUS($) ($) COMPENSATION($)
- ----------------------------------------------------- ---------- ------------ ------------- -------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Rhea J. Posedel...................................... $ 185,040 $ 70,500 $ 5,388 $ 2,497
President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of
the Board of Directors
Takahiro Hatakenaka (1).............................. $ 177,116 $ -- $ -- $ 3,997
President, Aehr Test Systems Japan
Gary L. Larson....................................... $ 133,449 $ 33,700 $ 5,258 $ 3,313
Vice President of Finance and Chief Financial
Officer
William D. Barraclough............................... $ 123,996 $ 40,584(2) $ 5,388 $ 2,227
Vice President of Test Systems Engineering
Michael P. Evon...................................... $ 113,650 $ 35,794 $ 4,943 $ 2,218
Vice President of Sales
</TABLE>
- ------------------------
(1) Mr. Hatakenaka's salary was converted to U.S. Dollars at a calculated fiscal
1997 average rate of 114.576 yen to the dollar.
(2) Of this amount, $22,584 was related to MTX project milestones completed
prior to Mr. Barraclough's appointment as Vice President of Test Systems
Engineering.
42
<PAGE>
OPTION GRANTS
None of the Named Executive Officers received grants of options to purchase
the Company's Common Stock during fiscal 1997.
OPTION EXERCISES AND HOLDINGS
The following table sets forth information concerning stock options held as
of May 31, 1997 by the Named Executive Officers. There were no option exercises
by any Named Executive Officer during the fiscal year ended May 31, 1997.
AGGREGATE OPTION EXERCISES IN FISCAL YEAR AND YEAR-END VALUES
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
NUMBER OF SHARES
UNDERLYING VALUES OF UNEXERCISED
UNEXERCISED OPTIONS IN-THE-MONEY OPTIONS
AT MAY 31, 1997(1) AT MAY 31, 1997(2)
-------------------------- --------------------------
NAME EXERCISABLE UNEXERCISABLE EXERCISABLE UNEXERCISABLE
- ---------------------------------------------------------- ----------- ------------- ----------- -------------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Rhea J. Posedel........................................... 36,249 33,751 $ 116,955 $ 110,045
Takahiro Hatakenaka....................................... 1,583 417 $ 5,541 $ 1,460
Gary L. Larson............................................ 49,915 18,085 $ 181,421 $ 64,079
William D. Barraclough.................................... 20,832 24,168 $ 78,380 $ 86,620
Michael P. Evon........................................... 23,333 26,667 $ 97,290 $ 107,710
</TABLE>
- ------------------------
(1) All options were granted under the Company's 1986 Incentive Stock Plan. Each
option becomes exercisable according to a vesting schedule, subject to the
applicable Named Executive Officer's continued employment with the Company.
(2) Calculated on the basis of the fair market value of the Common Stock as of
May 31, 1997. The fair market value of the Common Stock as of such date was
$7.50 per share. Assuming the fair market value of the Common Stock as of
May 31, 1997 was the assumed initial public offering price of $10.00 per
share, the total aggregate value of the exercisable and unexercisable
options would be $402,000 in the case of Mr. Posedel, $12,000 in the case of
Mr. Hatakenaka, $415,500 in the case of Mr. Larson, $277,500 in the case of
Mr. Barraclough and $330,000 in the case of Mr. Evon.
STOCK PLANS
1986 INCENTIVE STOCK PLAN
The Company's 1986 Incentive Stock Plan (the "1986 Plan") provides for the
grant of incentive stock options and nonstatutory stock options. As of May 31,
1997, options to purchase an aggregate of 691,350 shares of Common Stock were
outstanding under the 1986 Plan. Options granted under the Plan will remain
outstanding in accordance with their terms, but the Board of Directors has
determined that no further options will be granted under the 1986 Plan.
1996 STOCK OPTION PLAN
The Company's 1996 Stock Option Plan (as Amended and Restated) (the "1996
Plan") was approved by the Board of Directors and the shareholders on October
23, 1996. The 1996 Plan provides for the grant to employees of incentive stock
options within the meaning of Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986,
as amended (the "Internal Revenue Code"), and for the grant to employees,
directors and consultants of nonstatutory stock options and stock purchase
rights ("SPRs"). In June 1997 the Board of Directors amended and restated the
terms of the 1996 Plan to take effect upon the Company's initial public offering
of Common Stock. Unless terminated sooner, the 1996 Plan will terminate
automatically in 2006. The Board has the authority to amend, suspend or
terminate the 1996 Plan, provided that no such
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<PAGE>
action may affect any share of Common Stock previously issued and sold or any
option previously granted under the 1996 Plan.
As of May 31, 1997, options to purchase an aggregate of 68,000 shares of
Common Stock were outstanding under the 1996 Plan, and options to purchase an
aggregate of 582,000 shares of Common Stock were available for future issuance.
The 1996 Plan may be administered by the Board of Directors or a committee
of the Board (the "Committee"), which Committee is required to be constituted to
comply with Section 16(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended,
and applicable laws. The Committee has the power to determine the terms of the
options or SPRs granted, including the exercise price, the number of shares
subject to each option or SPR and the exercisability thereof, and the form of
consideration payable upon exercise. Options and SPRs granted under the 1996
Plan are not generally transferable by the optionee, and each option and SPR is
exercisable during the lifetime of the optionee only by such optionee. In
general, options granted under the 1996 Plan must be exercised within thirty
days of the end of optionee's status as an employee, director or consultant of
the Company or a parent or subsidiary corporation of the Company, or within
twelve months after such optionee's termination by death or disability, but in
no event later than the expiration of the option's expiration date. In the case
of SPRs, unless the Committee determines otherwise, the Restricted Stock
Purchase Agreement shall grant the Company a repurchase option exercisable upon
the voluntary or involuntary termination of the purchaser's employment or
service with the Company or a parent or subsidiary corporation of the Company
for any reason (including death or disability). The purchase price for shares
repurchased pursuant to the Restricted Stock Purchase Agreement shall be the
original price paid by the purchaser. The repurchase option shall lapse at a
rate determined by the Committee. The exercise price of all incentive stock
options granted under the 1996 Plan must be at least equal to the fair market
value of the Common Stock on the date of grant. The exercise price of
nonstatutory stock options and SPRs granted under the Plan is determined by the
Committee. With respect to any participant who owns stock possessing more than
10% of the voting power of all classes of the outstanding capital stock of the
Company or a parent or subsidiary corporation of the Company, the exercise price
of any incentive stock option granted must equal at least 110% of the fair
market value on the grant date and the term of such incentive stock option must
not exceed five years. The term of all other incentive stock options granted
under the 1996 Plan may not exceed ten years.
The 1996 Plan provides that in the event of a merger of the Company with or
into another corporation, a sale of substantially all of the Company's assets or
a like transaction involving the Company, each option and SPR shall be assumed
or an equivalent option or right substituted for by the successor corporation.
If the outstanding options and SPRs are not assumed or substituted as described
in the preceding sentence, an optionee will fully vest in and have the right to
exercise the option or SPR as to all or a portion of the optioned stock,
including shares as to which it would not otherwise be exercisable. If the
Administrator makes an option or SPR becomes exercisable in full in the event of
a merger or sale of assets, the Administrator shall notify the optionee that the
option or SPR shall be fully exercisable for a period of fifteen (15) days from
the date of such notice, and the option or SPR will terminate upon the
expiration of such period.
1997 EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN
The Company's 1997 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the "1997 Purchase Plan")
was adopted by the Board of Directors in June 1997 and by the shareholders in
July 1997. A total of 300,000 shares of Common Stock has been reserved for
issuance under the 1997 Purchase Plan. The 1997 Purchase Plan, which is intended
to qualify under Section 423 of the Internal Revenue Code, has consecutive,
overlapping, twenty-four month offering periods. Each twenty-four month offering
period includes four six month purchase periods. The offering periods generally
begin on the first trading day on or after April 1 and October 1 each year,
except the first such offering period commences with the effectiveness of the
Offering of Common Stock and ends on the last trading day on or before March 31,
1999.
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<PAGE>
The 1997 Purchase Plan is administered by the Board of Directors or by a
committee appointed by the Board. Employees are eligible to participate if they
are customarily employed by the Company or any participating subsidiary for at
least 20 hours per week and more than five months in any calendar year. However,
any employee (i) who immediately after grant owns stock possessing 5% or more of
the total combined voting power or value of all classes of the capital stock of
the Company or any subsidiary of the Company, or (ii) whose rights to purchase
stock under all employee stock purchase plans of the Company accrues at a rate
which exceeds $25,000 worth of stock for each calendar year may not be granted
an option to purchase stock under the 1997 Purchase Plan. The 1997 Purchase Plan
permits eligible employees to purchase Common Stock through payroll deductions
of up to 10% of an employee's compensation (compensation is defined as the
participant's base straight time gross earnings and commissions, but excludes
payments for overtime, shift premium, incentive compensation, incentive
payments, bonuses and other compensation). The price of stock purchased under
the 1997 Purchase Plan will be 85% of the lower of the fair market value of the
Common Stock on the first day of the offering period or the last day of the
purchase period. The maximum number of shares a participant may purchase during
a single purchase period is determined by dividing $12,500 by the fair market
value of a share of the Company's Common Stock on the first day of the
then-current offering period. Employees may end their participation in the
offering at any time during an offering period, and they will be paid their
payroll deductions to date. Participation ends automatically on termination of
employment with the Company.
Rights granted under the 1997 Purchase Plan are not transferable by a
participant other than by will, the laws of descent and distribution, or as
otherwise provided under the 1997 Purchase Plan. The 1997 Purchase Plan provides
that, in the event of a merger of the Company with or into another corporation
or a sale of substantially all of the Company's assets, each option shall be
assumed or an equivalent option substituted by the successor corporation. If the
outstanding options are not assumed or substituted, the Board of Directors shall
shorten the offering period (so that employees' rights to purchase stock under
the 1997 Purchase Plan are exercised prior to the merger or sale of assets). The
1997 Purchase Plan will terminate in 2007. The Board of Directors has the
authority to amend or terminate the 1997 Purchase Plan, except that no such
action may adversely affect any outstanding rights to purchase stock under the
1997 Purchase Plan.
EMPLOYEE STOCK BONUS PLAN
Under Aehr Test Systems Employee Stock Bonus Plan (the "Bonus Plan"), the
Company may, but is not required to, make contributions up to a maximum of 15%
of the Company's payroll (less amounts contributed to the Company's Savings and
Retirement Plan). This contribution is determined annually by the Company and is
allocated among all participants in proportion to their eligible compensation
for the year. Eligible participants are full-time employees who have completed
three consecutive months of service and part time employees who have completed
one year of service and have attained an age of 21. The Company can contribute
either shares of the Company's stock or cash to the plan. Individuals' account
balances vest at a rate of 25% per year commencing upon completion of three
years of service. Nonvested balances, which are forfeited, are allocated to the
remaining employees in the plan. Each participant's share in the Bonus Plan is
credited to the participant's account and held in trust until retirement, death,
disability or termination of service. The Bonus Plan is a discretionary defined
contribution plan under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act. All
employees of Aehr Test Systems are eligible to participate in the Bonus Plan as
of the entry date each year. The Company made a Bonus Plan contribution of
$200,000 and $50,000 in fiscal 1997 and 1996, respectively, and made no
contribution to the Bonus Plan in fiscal 1995.
COMPENSATION COMMITTEE INTERLOCKS AND INSIDER PARTICIPATION
The Company's Compensation Committee currently consists of Mario Rosati and
William Elder. No executive officer of the Company serves on the compensation
committee of another entity or on any other
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committee of the board of directors of another entity that has one or more
executive officers serving as a member of the Company's Board of Directors or
Compensation Committee.
LIMITATION ON LIABILITIES AND INDEMNIFICATION
The Company's Restated Articles of Incorporation limit the liability of its
directors for monetary damages arising from a breach of their fiduciary duty as
directors, except to the extent otherwise required by the California
Corporations Code. Such limitation of liability does not affect the availability
of equitable remedies such as injunctive relief or rescission.
The Company's Bylaws provide that the Company shall indemnify its directors
and officers to the fullest extent permitted by California law, including
circumstances in which indemnification is otherwise discretionary under
California law. The Company has also entered into indemnification agreements
with its officers and directors containing provisions which are in some respects
broader than the specific indemnification provisions contained in the California
Corporations Code. The indemnification agreements may require the Company, among
other things, to indemnify such officers and directors against certain
liabilities that may arise by reason of their status or service as directors or
officers (other than liabilities arising from willful misconduct of a culpable
nature), to advance their expenses incurred as a result of any proceeding
against them as to which they could be indemnified, and to obtain directors' and
officers' insurance if available on reasonable terms.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act
may be permitted to directors, officers or persons controlling the Company
pursuant to the foregoing provisions, the Company has been informed that in the
opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is
against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore
unenforceable.
At present, there is no pending litigation or proceeding involving any
director, officer, employee or agent or the Company in which indemnification by
the Company will be required or permitted. The Company is not aware of any
threatened litigation or proceeding which may result in a claim for such
indemnification.
CERTAIN TRANSACTIONS
On August 1, 1994, the Company entered into a strategic consulting
arrangement with William Elder, a director of the Company, whereby the Company
granted Mr. Elder a nonstatutory stock option to purchase 40,000 shares in
exchange for his consulting services. The agreement terminated on January 31,
1995.
Katsuji Tsutsumi represents Enplas Corporation on the Board of Directors.
Enplas Corporation supplies die carrier components and sockets to the Company
for use in the Company's DiePak carrier products. Enplas Corporation purchased
320,000 shares of the Company's Common Stock for a price of $4.50 per share and
a total aggregate price of $1,440,000 in April 1994. In connection with the
financing, the Company agreed to appoint one nominee of Enplas Corporation to
the Company's Board of Directors. That agreement terminates upon completion of
this Offering.
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<PAGE>
PRINCIPAL AND SELLING SHAREHOLDERS
The following table sets forth certain information regarding beneficial
ownership of the Company's Common Stock as of May 31, 1997, and as adjusted to
reflect the sale of the shares of Common Stock offered hereby, by (i) each
person known by the Company to own more than 5% of the Company's Common Stock,
(ii) each Named Executive Officer, (iii) each of the Company's directors, (iv)
all directors and executive officers as a group, and (v) each Selling
Shareholder holding 1% or more of the Common Stock:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
SHARES BENEFICIALLY SHARES BENEFICIALLY
OWNED PRIOR TO OWNED AFTER
OFFERING(1) OFFERING(1)(2)
----------------------- SHARES -----------------------
NAME AND ADDRESS OF BENEFICIAL OWNER NUMBER PERCENT TO BE SOLD NUMBER PERCENT
- -------------------------------------------------------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- -----------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS:
Rhea J. Posedel (3)..................................... 977,208 22.5% 0 977,208 15.0%
Katsuji Tsutsumi (4).................................... 320,000 7.5% 50,000 270,000 4.2%
David Torresdal (5)..................................... 313,633 7.3% 0 313,633 4.8%
Mario M. Rosati (6)..................................... 211,349 4.9% 0 211,349 3.3%
Takahiro Hatakenaka (7)................................. 75,201 1.8% 0 75,201 1.2%
William W. R. Elder (8)................................. 64,583 1.5% 0 64,583 1.0%
Gary L. Larson (9)...................................... 54,208 1.3% 0 54,208 *
Michael P. Evon (10).................................... 25,417 * 0 25,417 *
William D. Barraclough (11)............................. 22,916 * 0 22,916 *
All directors and executive officers as a group (eleven
persons) (4) (12)..................................... 2,138,614 46.7 % 50,000 2,088,614 30.8 %
OTHER 5% HOLDERS:
Enplas Corporation (13)................................. 320,000 7.5 % 50,000 270,000 4.2 %
Summit Partners (14).................................... 300,625 7.0 % 261,042 39,583 *
Japan Associated Finance Co., Ltd. (15)................. 285,715 6.7% 39,490 246,225 3.8%
Mayfield III (16)....................................... 283,824 6.6% 0 283,824 4.4%
OTHER SELLING SHAREHOLDERS:
Verna L. Brame, Trustee,
Verna L. Brame Trust u/d/t
dated May 20, 1983.................................... 161,775 3.8% 87,792 73,983 1.1%
Louis J. Cartalano...................................... 102,167 2.4% 89,628 12,539 *
Roger D. Bouyea and Lorraine M. Bouyea,
his Wife, as Community Property....................... 100,000 2.3 % 32,711 67,289 1.0 %
Diane R. Pagani......................................... 100,000 2.3 % 20,000 80,000 1.2 %
Alice Wilder Hall....................................... 56,840 1.3 % 46,269 10,571 *
Teruo Kunugi............................................ 55,410 1.3 % 22,840 32,570 *
Frank J. George and Evelyn E. George, Trustees of the
Frank J. George and Evelyn E. George Trust, u/d/t
dated August 7, 1991 ................................. 55,000 1.3 % 20,000 35,000 *
John Spencer Morse and Annette Ruth Morse,
Trustees of the John Spencer Morse & Annette Ruth
Morse Trusts, u/d/t dated December 23, 1982........... 54,643 1.3 % 49,356 5,287 *
The Central Capital Ltd................................. 50,000 1.2 % 45,422 4,578 *
Nikko Venture Capital Co., Ltd.......................... 50,000 1.2 % 45,422 4,578 *
Alan Helgesson.......................................... 42,500 1.0 % 10,625 31,875 *
</TABLE>
47
<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
SHARES BENEFICIALLY SHARES BENEFICIALLY
OWNED PRIOR TO OWNED AFTER
OFFERING(1) OFFERING(1)(2)
----------------------- SHARES -----------------------
NAME AND ADDRESS OF BENEFICIAL OWNER NUMBER PERCENT TO BE SOLD NUMBER PERCENT
- -------------------------------------------------------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- -----------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Other Selling Shareholders, each holding less than 1% of
the Common Stock prior to the offering................ 510,307 11.7% 279,402 168,845 2.6%
All Selling Shareholders as a group..................... 1,658,642 38.1% 1,100,000 797,114 12.2%
</TABLE>
- ------------------------
* Represents less than one percent.
(1) Beneficial ownership is determined in accordance with the rules of the
Securities and Exchange Commission. In computing the number of shares
beneficially owned by a person and the percentage ownership of that person,
shares of Common Stock subject to options held by that person that are
currently exercisable, or will become exercisable within 60 days after May
31, 1997, are deemed outstanding. Such shares, however, are not deemed
outstanding for purposes of computing the percentage ownership of any other
person. Unless otherwise indicated in the footnotes to this table, the
persons and entities named in the table have represented to the Company that
they have sole voting and sole investment power with respect to all shares
beneficially owned, subject to community property laws where applicable.
Unless otherwise indicated, the address of each of the individuals listed in
the table is c/o Aehr Test Systems, 1667 Plymouth Street, Mountain View,
California 94043.
(2) This column assumes no exercise of the Underwriters' over-allotment option.
If, however, the Underwriters' over-allotment is exercised in full, certain
shareholders will sell an aggregate of 495,000 shares of Common Stock.
Specifically, in such event, in addition to those share amounts set forth in
the table above, (i) Rhea J. Posedel will sell 20,000 shares held by Vivian
M. Owen, Mr. Posedel's wife, and will beneficially own 957,208 shares, which
is 14.6% of the Company's outstanding Common Stock, after completion of the
Offering; (ii) Enplas Corporation, of which Mr. Tsutsumi, a director of the
Company, is a vice president of its wholly-owned subsidiary, Enplas Tech
(U.S.A.), Inc., will sell an additional 50,000 shares and will beneficially
own 220,000 shares, which is 3.4% of the Company's outstanding Common Stock
and of which Mr. Tsutsumi disclaims beneficial ownership, after completion
of the Offering; (iii) David Torresdal will sell 25,000 shares held by David
and Betty Torresdal, 5,000 held by Barbara Long, Trustee of the Brock Frank
Torresdal Trust I U/T/A dated 5/30/83, 5,000 shares held by Barbara Long,
Trustee of the Candice Ann Torresdal Trust I U/T/A dated 5/30/83, 5,000
shares held by Barbara Long, Trustee of the Eric Nels Torresdal Trust I
U/T/A dated 5/30/83, 5,000 shares held by Barbara Long, Trustee of the Kevin
Allen Torresdal Trust I U/T/A dated 5/30/83 and 5,000 shares held by Barbara
Long, Trustee of the Kyler David Torresdal Trust I U/T/A dated 5/30/83 and
will beneficially own 263,633 shares, which is 4.1% of the Company's
outstanding Common Stock, after completion of the Offering; (iv) William D.
Barraclough will sell 10,000 shares and will beneficially own 12,916 shares,
which is less than one percent of the Company's outstanding Common Stock,
after completion of the Offering; (v) Richard P. Sette will sell 4,996
shares and will beneficially own 22,458 shares, which is less than one
percent of the Company's outstanding Common Stock, after completion of the
Offering; (vi) Summit Partners will sell an additional 24,486 shares held by
Summit Ventures, L.P. and an additional 15,097 shares held by SV Eurofund
C.V. and will beneficially own no shares after completion of the Offering;
(vii) Japan Associated Finance Co., Ltd. will sell an additional 3,510
shares held by JAFCO No. 5 Investment Enterprise Partnership and will
beneficially own 242,715 shares, which represents 3.7% of the Company's
outstanding Common Stock, after completion of the Offering; and (viii)
Mayfield III will sell an aggregate of 283,824 shares and will beneficially
own no shares after completion of the Offering.
(3) Includes 40,000 shares held by Vivian M. Owen, Mr. Posedel's wife, and
40,208 shares issuable upon the exercise of stock options exercisable within
60 days of May 31, 1997.
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<PAGE>
(4) Includes 320,000 shares held by Enplas Corporation, a Japanese corporation.
Mr. Tsutsumi, a director of the Company, is a vice president of Enplas Tech
(U.S.A.), Inc., a California corporation and wholly owned subsidiary of
Enplas Corporation. Mr. Tsutsumi disclaims beneficial ownership of the
shares held by Enplas Corporation.
(5) Includes 273,800 shares held jointly with Betty Torresdal, 6,800 shares held
by Barbara Long, trustee for the benefit of Brock Frank Torresdal, 6,800
shares held by Barbara Long, trustee for the benefit of Candice Ann
Torresdal, 6,800 shares held by Barbara Long, trustee for the benefit of
Eric Nels Torresdal, 6,800 shares held by Barbara Long, trustee for the
benefit of Kyler David Torresdal, 6,800 shares held by Barbara Long, trustee
for the benefit of Kevin Allen Torresdal, and 5,833 shares issuable upon the
exercise of stock options exercisable within 60 days of May 31, 1997.
(6) Includes 27,000 shares held by Mario Rosati and Douglas Laurice, trustees
for the benefit of Mario M. Rosati, 158,516 shares held by Mario M. Rosati,
Trustee of the Mario M. Rosati Trust,
U/D/T dated 1/9/90, 20,000 shares held by Douglas M. Laurice and Mario M.
Rosati TTEE FBO Sally Rosati Banks and 5,833 shares issuable upon the
exercise of stock options exercisable within 60 days of May 31, 1997.
(7) Includes 1,750 shares issuable upon the exercise of stock option exercisable
within 60 days of May 31, 1997.
(8) Includes 62,083 shares issuable upon the exercise of stock options
exercisable within 60 days of May 31, 1997 and 2,500 shares held by William
Elder, Trustee of the William W. R. Elder Separate Property Trust, U/D/T
dated April 18, 1983.
(9) Consists of shares issuable upon the exercise of stock options exercisable
within 60 days of May 31, 1997.
(10) Includes 25,417 shares issuable upon the exercise of stock options
exercisable within 60 days of May 31, 1997.
(11) Consists of 22,916 shares issuable upon the exercise of stock options
exercisable within 60 days of May 31, 1997.
(12) Includes 4,996 shares held by Richard F. Sette, 1,000 shares held by Carl
N. Buck, and 286,351 shares issuable upon the exercise of stock options
exercisable within 60 days of May 31, 1997.
(13) The address of this beneficial owner is as follows: Enplas Corporation,
2-30-1, Namiki, Kawaguchi City, Saitama, Pref. 332, Japan.
(14) Includes 1,238 shares held by Summit Investors, L.P., 180,457 shares held
by Summit Ventures, L.P. and 118,930 shares held by SV Eurofund C.V. All of
the shares held by Summit Investors, L.P., 155,971 shares held by Summit
Ventures, L.P. and 103,833 shares held by SV Eurofund C.V. are being sold in
the Offering. The address of this beneficial owner is as follows: Summit
Ventures, L.P., One Boston Place, Boston, MA 02108.
(15) Includes 29,000 shares held by JAFCO G-2(A) Investment Enterprise
Partnership, 29,000 shares held by JAFCO G-2(B) Investment Enterprise
Partnership, 84,000 shares held by JAFCO G-3 Investment Enterprise
Partnership, 43,000 shares held by JAFCO No. 5 Investment Enterprise
Partnership, 43,000 shares held by JAFCO No. 6 Investment Enterprise
Partnership and 57,715 shares held by Japan Associated Finance Co., Ltd.
39,490 shares held by JAFCO No. 5 Investment Enterprise Partnership are
being sold in the Offering. The address of this beneficial owner is as
follows: Japan Associated Finance Co., Ltd., Toshiba Bldg., 10th Floor,
1-1-1 Shibaura, Minato-Ku, Tokyo, 105, Japan.
(16) The address of this beneficial owner is as follows: Mayfield III, 2800 Sand
Hill Road, Suite 250, Menlo Park, CA 94025.
49
<PAGE>
DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK
Upon the closing of the Offering, the authorized capital stock of the
Company will consist of 75,000,000 shares of Common Stock, $0.01 par value, and
10,000,000 shares of Preferred Stock, $0.01 par value.
COMMON STOCK
On May 31, 1997, there were 4,295,522 shares of Common Stock outstanding,
held of record by approximately 165 shareholders. The holders of Common Stock
are entitled to one vote for each share held of record on all matters submitted
to a vote of shareholders. Accordingly, holders of a majority of the shares of
Common Stock entitled to vote in any election of directors may elect all of the
directors standing for election. Subject to preferences that may be applicable
to any outstanding Preferred Stock, holders of Common Stock are entitled to
receive ratably such dividends, if any, as may be declared from time to time by
the Board of Directors out of funds legally available therefor. See "Dividend
Policy." In the event of a liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the
Company, holders of Common Stock are entitled to share ratably in all assets
remaining after payment of the Company's liabilities and the liquidation
preference, if any, of any outstanding Preferred Stock. Holders of Common Stock
have no preemptive rights and no rights to convert their Common Stock into any
other securities, and there are no redemption provisions with respect to such
shares. All of the outstanding shares of Common Stock are, and the shares to be
sold in the Offering when issued and paid for will be, fully paid and
non-assessable. The rights, preferences and privileges of holders of Common
Stock are subject to, and may be adversely affected by, the rights of the
holders of shares of any series of Preferred Stock which the Company may
designate and issue in the future.
PREFERRED STOCK
Effective upon the closing of the Offering, the Board of Directors will have
the authority, without further action by the shareholders, to provide for the
issuance of up to 10,000,000 shares of Preferred Stock from time to time in one
or more series, to establish the number of shares to be included in each such
series, to fix the designations, powers, preferences, privileges and relative
participating, optional or special rights and the qualifications, limitations or
restrictions of the shares of each series, including dividend rights, conversion
rights, voting rights, terms of redemption and liquidation preferences of each
such series, any or all of which may be greater than the rights of the Common
Stock. The Board of Directors, without shareholder approval, can issue Preferred
Stock with voting, conversion or other rights that could adversely affect the
voting power and other rights of the holders of Common Stock. Preferred Stock
could thus be issued quickly with terms calculated to delay or prevent a change
in control of the Company or make removal of management more difficult. The
issuance of Preferred Stock could also decrease the amount of earnings and
assets available for distribution to holders of Common Stock. The Company has no
current plans to issue any of the Preferred Stock.
REGISTRATION RIGHTS
As of the date hereof, the holders of approximately 609,245 shares of Common
Stock are entitled to certain rights with respect to the registration of such
shares under the Securities Act. Under the terms of the registration rights
agreements between the Company and each of such holders, if the Company proposes
to register any of its securities under the Securities Act, either for its own
account or the account of other security holders, the holders are entitled to
notice of such registration and are entitled to include shares of such Common
Stock therein; provided, among other conditions, that the underwriters of any
offering have the right to limit the number of such shares included in such
registration. In addition, certain of the holders benefitting from these rights
may require the Company, beginning 120 days after the effective date of the
registration statement for the Offering, on not more than one occasion, to file
a registration statement under the Securities Act at the Company's expense with
respect to such shares, and
50
<PAGE>
the Company is required to use its best efforts to effect such registration,
subject to certain conditions and limitations. Further, holders may require the
Company to register, subject to certain conditions and limitations, all or a
portion of their shares with registration rights on Form S-3, when the Company
qualifies to use such form.
TRANSFER AGENT AND REGISTRAR
The Transfer Agent and Registrar for the Company's Common Stock is U.S.
Stock Transfer, whose telephone number is (818) 502-1404.
SHARES ELIGIBLE FOR FUTURE SALE
Prior to this Offering, there has been no market for the Common Stock of the
Company. Future sales of substantial amounts of Common Stock in the public
market could adversely affect prevailing market prices from time to time.
Furthermore, since only a limited number of shares will be available for sale
shortly after the Offering because of certain contractual and legal restrictions
on resale (as described below), sales of substantial amounts of Common Stock of
the Company in the public market after the restrictions lapse could adversely
affect the prevailing market price and the ability of the Company to raise
equity capital in the future.
Upon completion of the Offering, based on the outstanding shares of Common
Stock at May 31, 1997, the Company will have 6,495,522 shares of Common Stock
outstanding, assuming no exercise of the Underwriters' over-allotment option and
no exercise of outstanding and vested options to purchase 403,974 shares of
Common Stock. Of the 6,495,522 shares of Common Stock, the 3,300,000 shares of
Common Stock offered hereby will be freely transferable without restriction or
further registration under the Securities Act. The remaining 3,195,522 shares of
Common Stock held by existing shareholders are "restricted shares" as defined in
Rule 144 ("Restricted Shares"). Restricted Shares may be sold in the public
market only if registered or if they qualify for an exemption from registration
under Rules 144, 144(k) or 701 promulgated under the Securities Act, which rules
are summarized below. As a result of the contractual restrictions described
below and the provisions of Rules 144, 144(k) and 701, shares will be available
for sale in the public market as follows: (i) 202,413 shares will be available
for immediate sale in the public market on the date of this Prospectus, and the
remaining (ii) 2,993,109 shares will be eligible for sale upon expiration of the
lock-up agreements 180 days after the date of this Prospectus.
Upon completion of the Offering, the holders of 468,494 shares of Common
Stock, or their transferees, will be entitled to certain rights with respect to
the registration of such shares under the Securities Act. Registration of such
shares under the Securities Act would result in such shares becoming freely
tradeable without restriction under the Securities Act (except for shares
purchased by "Affiliates" of the Company, as that term is defined in Rule 144
under the Securities Act) immediately upon the effectiveness of such
registration. See "Description of Capital Stock--Registration Rights."
The Company, its officers and directors, the Selling Shareholders and other
current shareholders have agreed not to offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell,
sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to
sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, or otherwise transfer or
dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of Common Stock or any securities
convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock, or enter into
any swap or similar agreement that transfers, in whole or in part, the economic
risk of ownership of the Common Stock, for a period of 180 days after the date
of this Prospectus, except (i) the shares of Common Stock offered hereby, (ii)
with the prior written consent of Oppenheimer & Co., Inc. and (iii) in the case
of the Company, for the issuance of Common Stock upon the exercise of options,
or the grant of options to purchase Common Stock under outstanding stock option
plans or the 1997 Purchase Plan.
In general, under Rule 144 as currently in effect, beginning 90 days after
the date of this Prospectus, a person (or persons whose shares are aggregated)
who has beneficially owned Restricted Shares for at least
51
<PAGE>
one year is entitled to sell within any three-month period a number of shares
that does not exceed the greater of 1% of the then outstanding shares of the
Company's Common Stock (approximately 64,956 shares immediately after the
Offering) or the average weekly trading volume of the Company's Common Stock on
the Nasdaq National Market during the four calendar weeks preceding the date on
which notice of the sale is filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
(the "Commission"). Sales under Rule 144 are also subject to certain manner of
sale provisions, notice requirements and the availability of current public
information about the Company. Any person (or persons whose shares are
aggregated) who is not deemed to have been an Affiliate of the Company at any
time during the three months preceding a sale, and who owns Restricted Shares
that were purchased from the Company (or any Affiliate) at least two years
previously, would be entitled to sell such shares under Rules 144(k) without
regard to the volume limitations, manner of sale provisions, public information
requirements or notice requirements.
Subject to certain limitations on the aggregate offering price of a
transaction and other conditions, Rule 701 may be relied upon with respect to
the resale of securities originally purchased from the Company by its employees,
directors, officers, consultants or advisors prior to the date the issuer
becomes subject to the reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), pursuant to written compensatory benefit
plans or written contracts relating the compensation of such persons. In
addition, the Commission had indicated that Rule 701 will apply to typical stock
options granted by an issuer before it becomes subject to the reporting
requirements of the Exchange Act, along with the share acquired upon exercise of
such options (including exercises after the date of this Prospectus). Securities
issued in reliance on Rule 701 are restricted securities and, subject to the
contractual restrictions described above, beginning 90 days after the date of
this Prospectus, may be sold by persons other than Affiliates subject only to
the manner of sale provisions of Rule 144 and by Affiliates under Rule 144
without compliance with its one-year minimum holding period requirements.
The Company intends to file a registration statement on Form S-8 under the
Securities Act covering the 1,684,950 shares subject to outstanding options or
reserved for issuance under the Company's 1986 Plan, the 1996 Plan or the 1997
Purchase Plan. Accordingly, shares registered under such registration statement
will, subject to Rule 144 volume limitations applicable to Affiliates, be
available for sale in the open market, except to the extent that such shares are
subject to vesting restrictions with the Company or the contractual restrictions
described above. All of the shares issuable upon exercise of outstanding options
are subject to 180-day lock-up agreements with the Company and/or
representatives of the Underwriters. An aggregate of 531,029 shares will be
issuable upon the exercise of the currently outstanding options vested and
exercisable 180 days following the date of this Prospectus. Such shares will be
freely tradeable in the public market upon exercise, pursuant to such
registration statement on Form S-8. See "Management--Stock Plans."
52
<PAGE>
UNDERWRITING
Subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the Underwriting Agreement,
the Company and the Selling Shareholders have agreed to sell to each of the
underwriters named below (the "Underwriters"), and each of the Underwriters, for
whom Oppenheimer & Co., Inc. and Needham & Company, Inc. are acting as
Representatives (the "Representatives"), have severally agreed to purchase from
the Company and the Selling Shareholders the respective number of shares of
Common Stock set forth opposite the name of each such Underwriter:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
UNDERWRITER NUMBER OF SHARES
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------
<S> <C>
Oppenheimer & Co., Inc.....................................................
Needham & Company, Inc.....................................................
-----------------
Total.................................................................. 3,300,000
-----------------
-----------------
</TABLE>
The Underwriters propose to offer the shares of Common Stock directly to the
public at the initial public offering price set forth on the cover page of this
Prospectus and in part to certain securities dealers at such price less a
concession of $ per share. The Underwriters may allow, and such dealers
may reallow, a concession not in excess of $ per share to certain
brokers and dealers. After the shares of Common Stock are released for sale to
the public, the offering price and other selling terms may from time to time be
varied by the Representatives. The Underwriters are obligated to take and pay
for all of the shares of Common Stock offered pursuant to this Prospectus (other
than those covered by the over-allotment option described below) if any are
taken.
The Selling Shareholders have granted the Underwriters an option,
exercisable for up to 30 days after the date of this Prospectus, to purchase up
to an aggregate of 495,000 additional shares of Common Stock to cover
over-allotments, if any, at the initial public offering price less the
underwriting discount set forth on the cover page of this Prospectus. If the
Underwriters exercise such option to purchase any of the additional 495,000
shares of Common Stock, the Underwriters have severally agreed, subject to
certain conditions, to purchase approximately the same percentage thereof that
the number of shares to be purchased by each of them represents with respect to
the 3,300,000 shares of Common Stock offered pursuant to this Prospectus. The
Underwriters may exercise such option only to cover over-allotments made in
connection with the sale of the shares of Common Stock offered pursuant to this
Prospectus. The Selling Shareholders will be obligated, pursuant to the
over-allotment option, to sell shares of Common Stock to the Underwriters to the
extent such over-allotment is exercised.
In connection with the Offering, certain Underwriters and selling group
members and their respective affiliates may engage in transactions that
stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the market price of the shares of Common
Stock. Such transactions may include stabilization transactions effected in
accordance with Rule 104 of Regulation M under the Exchange Act pursuant to
which such persons may bid for or purchase shares of Common Stock for the
purpose of stabilizing the market price for shares of Common Stock. The
Underwriters also may create a short position for the account of the
Underwriters by selling more shares of Common Stock in connection with the
Offering than they are committed to purchase from the Company and the Selling
Shareholders, and in such case may purchase shares of Common Stock in the open
market following completion of the Offering to cover all or a portion of the
shares of Common Stock or by exercising the Underwriters' over-allotment options
referred to above. In addition, Oppenheimer & Co. Inc., on behalf of the
Underwriters, may impose "penalty bids" under contractual arrangements with the
other Underwriters whereby it may reclaim from an Underwriter (or dealer
participating in the Offering) for the account of the other Underwriters, the
selling concession with respect to shares of Common Stock that are distributed
in the Offering but subsequently purchased for the account of the Underwriters
in the open market. Any of the transactions described in this paragraph may
result in the maintenance of the price of the shares of Common Stock at a level
above that which might otherwise
53
<PAGE>
prevail in the open market. None of the transactions described in this paragraph
is required, and, if they are undertaken, they may be discontinued at any time.
The Company and the Selling Shareholders have agreed to indemnify the
Representatives of the Underwriters and the several Underwriters against certain
liabilities, including, without limitation, liabilities under the Securities
Act, and to contribute to certain payments that the Underwriters may be required
to make in respect thereof.
The Representatives of the Underwriters do not intend to confirm sales of
shares of Common Stock in the Offering to any account over which any of the
Representatives exercise discretionary control.
The Company and all of its officers, directors and Selling Shareholders have
agreed not to offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge or grant any option to
purchase or otherwise transfer or dispose of shares of Common Stock of the
Company or any security convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for, or
warrants, options or rights to acquire any shares of Common Stock (other than
shares issuable upon exercise of outstanding options) for 180 days after the
date of this Prospectus without the prior written consent of Oppenheimer & Co.,
Inc., subject to certain limited exceptions. See "Shares Eligible for Future
Sale."
Prior to the Offering, there has been no public market for the Common Stock.
Consequently, the initial public offering price will be determined by
negotiations among the Company, the Selling Shareholders and the
Representatives. Among the factors considered in such negotiations will be
prevailing market conditions, the results of operations of the Company in recent
periods, the market capitalizations and stages of development of other companies
which the Company, the Selling Shareholders and the Representative believe to be
comparable to the Company, estimates of the business potential of the Company,
the history of and prospects for the industry in which the Company competes, the
present state of the Company's development and other factors deemed relevant.
LEGAL MATTERS
The validity of the Common Stock offered hereby will be passed upon for the
Company by Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, Professional Corporation, Palo
Alto, California. Mario Rosati, a director of the Company, is a member of Wilson
Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati and beneficially owned 203,849 shares of Common Stock
of the Company as of the date of this Prospectus. See "Principal and Selling
Shareholders." As of the date of this Prospectus, an investment partnership of
which certain members of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, Professional
Corporation, are partners beneficially owned 43,707 shares of the Company's
Common Stock. Certain legal matters in connection with the Offering will be
passed upon for the Underwriters by Gray Cary Ware & Freidenrich, A Professional
Corporation, Palo Alto, California.
EXPERTS
The consolidated balance sheets of Aehr Test Systems as of May 31, 1996 and
1997 and the consolidated statements of operations, shareholders' equity and
cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended May 31, 1997 included
in this Prospectus and the financial statement schedule for the aforementioned
periods included in the registration statement for the Offering have been
included in reliance on the reports of Coopers & Lybrand L.L.P., independent
accountants, given the authority of said firm as experts in accounting and
auditing.
54
<PAGE>
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission,
Washington, D.C. 20549, a Registration Statement on Form S-1 under the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended, with respect to the shares of Common Stock
offered hereby. This Prospectus does not contain all of the information set
forth in the Registration Statement and the exhibits and schedules filed
thereto. For further information with respect to the Company, reference is made
to the Registration Statement and the exhibits and schedules filed as a part
thereof. Statements contained in this Prospectus as to the contents of any
contract or any other document referred to are not necessarily complete, and in
each instance, if such contract or document is filed as an exhibit, reference is
made to the copy of such contract or other document filed as an exhibit to the
Registration Statement, each such statement being qualified in all respects by
reference to such exhibit. A copy of the Registration Statement may be inspected
without charge and may be obtained at prescribed rates at the Commission's
principal office, Public Reference Room of the Securities and Exchange
Commission, 450 Fifth Street, Washington, D.C. 20549, and at the Commission's
regional offices at 7 World Trade Center, Suite 1300, New York, New York 10048
and 500 West Madison Street, Chicago, Illinois 60661. Copies of all or any part
of the Registration Statement may be obtained from the Public Reference Section
of the Commission, Washington, D.C. 20549 upon the payment of the fees
prescribed by the Commission. Such reports and other information may also be
inspected without charge at a web site maintained by the Commission. The address
of such site is "http://www.sec.gov."
The Company intends to furnish to its shareholders annual reports containing
financial statements audited by an independent public accounting firm and
quarterly reports for the first three quarters of each fiscal year containing
unaudited interim financial information.
55
<PAGE>
AEHR TEST SYSTEMS AND SUBSIDIARIES
INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
PAGE
-----
<S> <C>
Report of Independent Accountants.......................................................................... F-2
Consolidated Balance Sheets................................................................................ F-3
Consolidated Statements of Operations...................................................................... F-4
Consolidated Statements of Shareholders' Equity............................................................ F-5
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows...................................................................... F-6
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements................................................................. F-7
</TABLE>
F-1
<PAGE>
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS
To the Board of Directors and Shareholders of
Aehr Test Systems:
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Aehr Test
Systems and Subsidiaries as of May 31, 1996 and 1997 and the related
consolidated statements of operations, shareholders' equity and cash flows for
each of the three years in the period ended May 31, 1997. These financial
statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our
responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on
our audits.
We conducted our audits in accordance with generally accepted auditing
standards. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain
reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material
misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting
the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes
assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by
management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation.
We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly,
in all material respects, the consolidated financial position of Aehr Test
Systems and Subsidiaries as of May 31, 1996 and 1997, and the consolidated
results of their operations and their cash flows for each of the three years in
the period ended May 31, 1997, in conformity with generally accepted accounting
principles.
COOPERS & LYBRAND L.L.P.
San Jose, California
June 30, 1997
F-2
<PAGE>
AEHR TEST SYSTEMS AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(IN THOUSANDS, EXCEPT PER SHARE DATA)
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
MAY 31,
--------------------
1996 1997
--------- ---------
<S> <C> <C>
ASSETS
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents ................................................................. $ 535 $ 1,176
Short-term cash deposits .................................................................. 1,946 1,614
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $241 and $270 at May 31,
1996 and 1997, respectively ............................................................. 10,565 7,515
Inventories ............................................................................... 7,921 10,498
Deferred income taxes...................................................................... -- 900
Prepaid expenses and other ................................................................ 259 155
--------- ---------
Total current assets .................................................................. 21,226 21,858
Property and equipment, net ................................................................. 1,382 1,691
Other assets, net ........................................................................... 1,141 685
Deferred income taxes........................................................................ -- 155
--------- ---------
Total assets .......................................................................... $ 23,749 $ 24,389
--------- ---------
--------- ---------
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY
Current liabilities:
Notes payable -- banks .................................................................... $ 6,688 $ 4,656
Current portion of long-term debt ......................................................... 500 117
Accounts payable .......................................................................... 5,590 4,482
Accrued expenses .......................................................................... 3,474 4,495
Deferred revenue .......................................................................... 175 213
--------- ---------
Total current liabilities ............................................................. 16,427 13,963
Long-term debt, net of current portion ...................................................... 146 136
Deferred lease commitment ................................................................... 387 220
--------- ---------
Total liabilities ..................................................................... 16,960 14,319
--------- ---------
Commitments (Note 7).
Shareholders' equity:
Preferred stock, $.01 par value:
Authorized: 10,000 shares;
Issued and outstanding: none -- --
Common stock, $.01 par value:
Authorized: 75,000 shares;
Issued and outstanding: 4,298 shares and 4,296 shares at May 31, 1996 and 1997,
respectively............................................................................ 43 43
Additional paid-in capital ................................................................ 8,094 8,085
Accumulated deficit ....................................................................... (3,445) (130)
Cumulative translation adjustment ......................................................... 2,097 2,072
--------- ---------
Total shareholders' equity ............................................................ 6,789 10,070
--------- ---------
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity ............................................ $ 23,749 $ 24,389
--------- ---------
--------- ---------
</TABLE>
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial
statements.
F-3
<PAGE>
AEHR TEST SYSTEMS AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(IN THOUSANDS, EXCEPT PER SHARE DATA)
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
YEAR ENDED MAY 31,
-------------------------------
1995 1996 1997
--------- --------- ---------
<S> <C> <C> <C>
Net sales ....................................................................... $ 23,257 $ 33,234 $ 42,020
Cost of sales ................................................................... 16,192 19,942 25,715
--------- --------- ---------
Gross profit .................................................................... 7,065 13,292 16,305
--------- --------- ---------
Operating expenses:
Selling, general and administrative ........................................... 6,316 7,534 8,878
Research and development ...................................................... 3,783 4,113 4,536
Research and development cost reimbursement--DARPA ............................ (954) (891) (793)
--------- --------- ---------
Total operating expenses .................................................... 9,145 10,756 12,621
--------- --------- ---------
Income (loss) from operations ............................................... (2,080) 2,536 3,684
Interest expense ................................................................ (341) (446) (577)
Other income (expense), net ..................................................... 255 (559) (565)
--------- --------- ---------
Income (loss) before income taxes and minority interest in subsidiary ......... (2,166) 1,531 2,542
Income tax expense (benefit) .................................................... 10 130 (773)
--------- --------- ---------
Income (loss) before minority interest in subsidiary .......................... (2,176) 1,401 3,315
Minority interest in subsidiary ................................................. 189 (1) --
--------- --------- ---------
Net income (loss) ........................................................... $ (1,987) $ 1,400 $ 3,315
--------- --------- ---------
--------- --------- ---------
Net income (loss) per share ..................................................... $ (0.45) $ 0.31 $ 0.73
--------- --------- ---------
--------- --------- ---------
Shares used in per share calculations ........................................... 4,442 4,487 4,536
--------- --------- ---------
--------- --------- ---------
</TABLE>
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial
statements.
F-4
<PAGE>
AEHR TEST SYSTEMS AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY
(IN THOUSANDS)
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
COMMON STOCK ADDITIONAL CUMULATIVE
------------------------ PAID-IN ACCUMULATED TRANSLATION
SHARES AMOUNT CAPITAL DEFICIT ADJUSTMENT TOTAL
----------- ----------- ----------- ------------ ----------- ---------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Balances, May 31, 1994....................... 4,320 $ 43 $ 8,175 $ (2,858) $ 2,079 $ 7,439
Repurchase of common stock................. (12) -- (37) -- -- (37)
Net loss................................... -- -- -- (1,987) -- (1,987)
Translation adjustment..................... -- -- -- -- 129 129
----- --- ----------- ------------ ----------- ---------
Balances, May 31, 1995....................... 4,308 43 8,138 (4,845) 2,208 5,544
Issuance of common stock................... 1 -- 3 -- -- 3
Repurchase of common stock................. (11) -- (47) -- -- (47)
Net income................................. -- -- -- 1,400 -- 1,400
Translation adjustment..................... -- -- -- -- (111) (111)
----- --- ----------- ------------ ----------- ---------
Balances, May 31, 1996....................... 4,298 43 8,094 (3,445) 2,097 6,789
Repurchase of common stock................. (2) -- (9) -- -- (9)
Net income................................. -- -- -- 3,315 -- 3,315
Translation adjustment..................... -- -- -- -- (25) (25)
----- --- ----------- ------------ ----------- ---------
Balances, May 31, 1997....................... 4,296 $ 43 $ 8,085 $ (130) $ 2,072 $ 10,070
----- --- ----------- ------------ ----------- ---------
----- --- ----------- ------------ ----------- ---------
</TABLE>
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial
statements.
F-5
<PAGE>
AEHR TEST SYSTEMS AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(IN THOUSANDS)
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
YEAR ENDED MAY 31,
-------------------------------
1995 1996 1997
--------- --------- ---------
<S> <C> <C> <C>
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income (loss)................................................................ $ (1,987) $ 1,400 $ 3,315
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net
cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Minority interest in subsidiary................................................ (189) 1 --
Provision for doubtful accounts................................................ 34 71 34
Loss on disposition of fixed assets............................................ 156 34 9
Depreciation and amortization.................................................. 622 622 633
Deferred income taxes.......................................................... -- -- (1,055)
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable.......................................................... 1,068 (4,367) 2,608
Inventories.................................................................. 156 (2,631) (2,854)
Accounts payable............................................................. 250 2,092 (795)
Accrued expenses and deferred revenue........................................ (648) 2,043 1,180
Deferred lease commitment.................................................... (91) (143) (167)
Other current assets......................................................... (81) 124 118
--------- --------- ---------
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities........................ (710) (754) 3,026
--------- --------- ---------
Cash flows from investing activities:
(Increase) decrease in short-term cash deposits................................ (86) 16 188
Additions to property and equipment............................................ (396) (581) (647)
(Increase) decrease in other assets............................................ (67) 105 246
--------- --------- ---------
Net cash used in investing activities...................................... (549) (460) (213)
--------- --------- ---------
Cash flows from financing activities:
Increase (decrease) in notes payable--banks.................................... (475) 1,914 (1,784)
Borrowings under long-term debt................................................ 947 327 141
Long-term debt and capital lease principal payments............................ (904) (1,069) (488)
Proceeds from issuance of common stock and exercise of stock options........... -- 3 --
Repurchase of common stock..................................................... (37) (47) (9)
--------- --------- ---------
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities........................ (469) 1,128 (2,140)
--------- --------- ---------
Effect of exchange rates on cash................................................... (104) 23 (32)
--------- --------- ---------
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents....................... (1,832) (63) 641
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period..................................... 2,430 598 535
--------- --------- ---------
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period........................................... $ 598 $ 535 $ 1,176
--------- --------- ---------
--------- --------- ---------
Supplemental cash flow information:
Cash paid during the year for:
Interest..................................................................... $ 420 $ 473 $ 522
Income taxes, net............................................................ $ 10 $ 30 $ 155
</TABLE>
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial
statements.
F-6
<PAGE>
AEHR TEST SYSTEMS AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
1. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES:
BUSINESS:
Aehr Test Systems ("Company") was incorporated in California in June 1977
and primarily designs, engineers and manufactures test and burn-in equipment
used in the semiconductor industry. The Company's principal products are the MTX
massively parallel test system, the DiePak carrier and the MAX and ATX burn-in
systems and test fixtures.
CONSOLIDATION:
The financial statements include the accounts of the Company, its wholly
owned foreign sales corporation ("FSC") and both its wholly owned and majority
owned foreign subsidiaries. Intercompany accounts and transactions have been
eliminated.
FOREIGN CURRENCY TRANSLATION AND TRANSACTIONS:
Assets and liabilities of the Company's foreign subsidiaries are translated
into U.S. dollars using the exchange rate in effect at the balance sheet date.
Additionally, their revenues and expenses are translated using exchange rates
approximating average rates prevailing during the fiscal year. Translation
adjustments that arise from translating their financial statements from their
local currencies to U.S. dollars are accumulated and reflected as a separate
component of shareholders' equity.
Transaction gains and losses that arise from exchange rate changes
denominated in currencies other than the local currency are included in the
statements of operations as incurred.
USE OF ESTIMATES:
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally
accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and
assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, and
disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial
statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the
reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
CASH EQUIVALENTS AND SHORT-TERM CASH DEPOSITS:
All highly liquid instruments purchased with a maturity of three months or
less are considered to be cash equivalents.
Short-term cash deposits represent interest-bearing time deposits with an
original maturity greater than three months.
CONCENTRATION OF CREDIT RISK:
The Company sells its products primarily to semiconductor manufacturers in
North America, the Far East, and Europe. As of May 31, 1997, approximately 15%,
28% and 57% of accounts receivable are from customers located in the United
States, Europe and the Far East, respectively. Two customers accounted for 24%
and 17% of accounts receivable at May 31, 1996 and one customer accounted for
44% of accounts receivable at May 31, 1997. The Company performs ongoing credit
evaluations of its customers and generally does not require collateral. The
Company also maintains allowances for potential credit losses
F-7
<PAGE>
AEHR TEST SYSTEMS AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
1. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES: (CONTINUED)
and such losses have been within management's expectations. The Company uses
letter of credit terms for some of its international customers.
Primarily all of the Company's cash, cash equivalents and short-term cash
deposits are deposited with major banks in the United States and Japan. The
Company invests its excess cash in money market funds and short-term cash
deposits. The money market funds and short-term cash deposits bear the risk
associated with each fund. The money market funds have variable interest rates,
and the short-term cash deposits have fixed rates. The Company has not
experienced any losses on its money market funds or short-term cash deposits.
INVENTORIES:
Inventories are stated at the lower of standard cost (which approximates
cost on a first-in, first-out basis) or market.
PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT:
Property and equipment are stated at cost. Leasehold improvements are
amortized over the lesser of their estimated useful lives or the term of the
related lease. Furniture, fixtures, machinery and equipment are depreciated on a
straight-line basis over their estimated useful lives. The ranges of estimated
useful lives for furniture, fixtures, machinery and equipment are as follows:
<TABLE>
<S> <C>
2 to 15
Furniture and fixtures........................................ years
4 to 11
Machinery and equipment....................................... years
</TABLE>
GOODWILL:
Cost in excess of the fair value of net assets of acquired companies of
$882,000 is being amortized on a straight-line basis over 24.5 years and is
included in other assets, net of accumulated amortization of $418,000 and
$454,000 at May 31, 1996 and 1997, respectively.
REVENUE RECOGNITION:
Revenue is recognized upon shipment of product and a provision for the
estimated future cost of warranty is recorded. Actual warranty costs incurred
have not materially differed from those provided.
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT COSTS AND CAPITALIZED SOFTWARE:
Costs incurred in the research and development of new products or systems
are charged to operations as incurred.
Costs incurred in the development of software programs for the Company's
products are charged to operations as incurred until technological feasibility
of the software has been established. Generally, technological feasibility is
established when the software module performs its primary functions described in
its original specifications, contains features required for it to be usable in a
production environment, is completely documented and the related hardware
portion of the product is complete. After technological feasibility is
established, any additional costs are capitalized. Capitalized costs are
amortized over the estimated life of the related software product using the
greater of the units of sales or straight-line
F-8
<PAGE>
AEHR TEST SYSTEMS AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
1. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES: (CONTINUED)
methods over ten years. Capitalized costs, net of accumulated amortization, of
approximately $213,000 and $57,000 are included in other assets at May 31, 1996
and 1997, respectively.
During 1994, the Company entered into a cost-sharing research agreement with
the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency ("DARPA"), a U.S. government
agency, under which DARPA will provide co-funding up to a maximum amount of $6.5
million during fiscal 1994 through January 1999 for the development of a new
product that will allow for burn-in at the wafer level. Payments from DARPA will
be received upon DARPA's approval of the achievement by the Company of
milestones as outlined in the contract. The Company recognizes such
reimbursements as a reduction to research and development expenses in an amount
equal to actual reimbursable project costs incurred. Amounts due from DARPA are
$153,000 and $500,000 at May 31, 1996 and 1997, respectively.
FAIR VALUE OF FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS:
Carrying amounts of certain of the Company's financial instruments including
cash and cash equivalents, short-term cash deposits, accounts receivable,
accounts payable and accrued expenses approximate fair value due to their short
maturities. Based on borrowing rates currently available to the Company for
loans with similar terms, the carrying value of notes payable approximates fair
value.
CARRYING VALUE OF LONG-TERM ASSETS:
The Company writes off the carrying value of long-term assets to the extent
that projected net operating income is not sufficient to recover the carrying
value of these assets over their remaining useful life.
INCOME TAXES:
Deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on differences
between financial reporting and tax bases of assets and liabilities and are
measured using the enacted tax rates and laws that will be in effect when the
differences are expected to reverse. Valuation allowances are established when
necessary to reduce deferred tax assets to amounts expected to be realized.
STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION:
In October 1995, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued Statement
of Financial Accounting Standards No. 123 ("SFAS No. 123"), "Accounting for
Stock-Based Compensation," which is effective for the Company's financial
statements beginning in fiscal 1997. SFAS No. 123 allows companies to either
account for stock-based compensation under the new provisions of SFAS No. 123 or
under the provisions of Accounting Principles Board Opinion No. 25 ("APB No.
25"), "Accounting for Stock Issued to Employees," but requires pro forma
disclosure in the footnotes to the financial statements as if the measurement
provisions of SFAS No. 123 had been adopted. The Company accounts for its stock
based compensation in accordance with the provisions of APB No. 25 and presents
disclosures required by SFAS No. 123.
F-9
<PAGE>
AEHR TEST SYSTEMS AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
1. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES: (CONTINUED)
COMPUTATION OF NET INCOME (LOSS) PER SHARE:
Net income (loss) per share is computed using the weighted average number of
common stock and dilutive common equivalent shares outstanding during the
period. Dilutive common equivalent shares consist of stock options (using the
treasury stock method for all periods presented).
The Company has computed the number of common and dilutive common equivalent
shares for all periods presented pursuant to the Securities and Exchange
Commission Staff Accounting Bulletin ("SAB") No. 83. SAB No. 83 requires the
Company to include in its calculation on net income (loss) per share, all common
equivalent shares, whether or not dilutive, issued during the twelve months
preceding the filing date of an initial public offering, as if the shares had
been outstanding for all periods presented.
RECENT ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS:
In February 1997, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued Statement
of Financial Accounting Standards No. 128 ("SFAS No. 128"), "Earnings Per
Share," which specifies the computation, presentation and disclosure
requirements for earning per share. SFAS No. 128 supersedes Accounting
Principles Board Opinion No. 15 and is effective for financial statements issued
for periods ending after December 15, 1997. SFAS No. 128 requires restatement of
all prior-period earnings per share data presented after the effective date.
SFAS No. 128 will not have a material impact on the Company's financial
position, results of operations or cash flows.
2. INVENTORIES:
Inventories are comprised of the following (in thousands):
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
MAY 31,
--------------------
1996 1997
--------- ---------
<S> <C> <C>
Raw materials and subassemblies.......................................... $ 3,153 $ 4,376
Work in process.......................................................... 4,162 5,508
Finished product......................................................... 606 614
--------- ---------
$ 7,921 $ 10,498
--------- ---------
--------- ---------
</TABLE>
F-10
<PAGE>
AEHR TEST SYSTEMS AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
3. PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT:
Property and equipment comprise (in thousands):
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
MAY 31,
--------------------
1996 1997
--------- ---------
<S> <C> <C>
Leasehold improvements................................................... $ 389 $ 473
Furniture and fixtures................................................... 3,686 3,617
Machinery and equipment.................................................. 3,107 3,174
Test equipment........................................................... 2,267 2,283
--------- ---------
9,449 9,547
Less accumulated depreciation and amortization........................... (8,067) (7,856)
--------- ---------
$ 1,382 $ 1,691
--------- ---------
--------- ---------
</TABLE>
4. NOTES PAYABLE--BANKS:
At May 31, 1996 and 1997 short-term bank borrowings totaled $6,688,000 and
$4,656,000, respectively. Outstanding borrowings at May 31, 1996 and 1997 were
comprised of borrowings under a domestic line of credit and of short-term bank
loans of the Company's majority owned Japanese subsidiary for $3,415,000 and
$1,897,000 at an interest rate of 4.8% and 3.8%, respectively. These borrowings
are partially collateralized by certain time deposits and accounts receivable.
As of May 31, 1997, the Company's revolving bank line of credit provides for
maximum borrowings of up to the lesser of $2,000,000 or 80% of eligible accounts
receivable. This revolving credit line had a stated interest rate of prime (8.5%
at May 31, 1997) plus 1.0%. Under this agreement, which expires in December
1997, the Company's U.S. operation is required to maintain certain financial
ratios on a monthly basis including tangible net worth of $6,000,000 and a ratio
of debt to tangible net worth of not more than 2.0 to 1. There was no
outstanding balance under this line of credit at May 31, 1996 or at May 31,
1997.
The Company has a second line of credit agreement with a bank which provides
for a maximum borrowing of up to the lesser of $1,150,000 or 90% of eligible
foreign accounts receivable. The credit line has a stated interest rate of prime
(8.5% at May 31, 1997) plus 1.25%. Under this agreement, which expired on August
30, 1996 and has been guaranteed by The California Export Finance Office, the
Company's U.S. operation is required to maintain certain financial ratios on a
monthly basis including tangible net worth of $3,250,000 and a ratio of debt to
tangible net worth of not more than 1.9 to 1. Borrowings outstanding under this
line of credit amounted to $1,110,000 at May 31, 1996, and none at May 31, 1997.
In 1996, the Company entered into a third line of credit agreement with a
bank which provides for maximum borrowings of $5,000,000 or 90% of eligible
foreign accounts receivable and certain inventories. This revolving credit line
has a stated interest rate of prime (8.5% at May 31, 1997) plus .75%. Under this
agreement, which expires on December 4, 1997 and has been guaranteed by The
Export Import Bank, the Company's U.S. operations are required to maintain
certain financial ratios on a monthly basis including tangible net worth of
$6,000,000 and a ratio of debt to tangible net worth of not more than 2.0 to 1.
Borrowings outstanding under this line of credit amounted to $2,163,000 at May
31, 1996 and $2,759,000 at May 31, 1997.
F-11
<PAGE>
AEHR TEST SYSTEMS AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
4. NOTES PAYABLE--BANKS: (CONTINUED)
The Company's majority owned Japanese subsidiary has overdraft facilities
with a bank up to a limit of $1,115,000 against which certain time deposits and
accounts receivable are pledged as collateral for the facilities.
5. LONG-TERM DEBT:
Long-term debt comprises (in thousands):
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
MAY 31,
--------------------
1996 1997
--------- ---------
<S> <C> <C>
Various notes payable to Japanese banks, denominated in Japanese Yen, bearing
interest at 0.5% to 4.9% per annum. These notes are payable in monthly
principal installments of $1,000 to $37,000 plus accrued interest, maturing
through October 2002 and are collateralized by certain time deposits and
accounts receivable........................................................ $ 646 $ 253
Less current portion......................................................... (500) (117)
--------- ---------
$ 146 $ 136
--------- ---------
--------- ---------
</TABLE>
The long-term debt agreements contain certain cross-default covenants under
which outstanding borrowings would become payable on demand if the Company were
to be in default of any other debt agreement and any lender were to accelerate
the other debt.
Principal payments under long-term debt obligations for each of the next
five fiscal years as of May 31, 1997 are as follows (in thousands):
<TABLE>
<S> <C>
1998................................................................. $ 118
1999................................................................. 77
2000................................................................. 34
2001................................................................. 12
2002................................................................. 12
---------
$ 253
---------
---------
</TABLE>
F-12
<PAGE>
AEHR TEST SYSTEMS AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
6. ACCRUED EXPENSES:
Accrued expenses comprise (in thousands):
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
MAY 31,
--------------------
1996 1997
--------- ---------
<S> <C> <C>
Advances from customer..................................................... $ 1,036 --
Payroll related............................................................ 733 $ 993
Commissions and bonuses.................................................... 788 1,882
Warranty................................................................... 119 173
Deferred rent, current..................................................... 141 290
Other...................................................................... 657 1,157
--------- ---------
$ 3,474 $ 4,495
--------- ---------
--------- ---------
</TABLE>
7. COMMITMENTS:
The Company leases most of its manufacturing and office space under
operating leases. The Company has entered into a noncancelable operating lease
agreement for its United States manufacturing and office facilities, which
commenced in October 1991 and expires in September 1999. Under the lease
agreement, the Company is responsible for payments of utilities, taxes and
insurance.
Minimum annual rentals payable under operating leases in each of the next
five fiscal years and thereafter are as follows (in thousands):
<TABLE>
<S> <C>
1998................................................................ $ 1,077
1999................................................................ 1,073
2000................................................................ 386
2001................................................................ 11
</TABLE>
Rent expense for the years ended May 31, 1995, 1996 and 1997 was
approximately $1,419,000, $1,425,000 and $1,226,000, respectively.
The Company has a $67,000 certificate of deposit held by a financial
institution representing a security deposit for its United States manufacturing
office and facilities lease.
8. CAPITAL STOCK:
PREFERRED STOCK:
The Board of Directors is authorized to determine the rights of the
preferred shareholders.
STOCK OPTIONS:
The Company has reserved 1,341,350 shares of common stock for issuance to
employees and consultants under its two stock option plans. Both plans provide
that qualified options be granted at an exercise price equal to the fair market
value at the date of grant, as determined by the Board of Directors (85% of fair
market value in the case of nonstatutory options and purchase rights and 110% of
fair market value in certain circumstances). Options generally expire five years
from date of grant. Most options become exercisable in increments over a
four-year period from the date of grant. Options to purchase approximately
409,353 shares were exercisable at May 31, 1997.
F-13
<PAGE>
AEHR TEST SYSTEMS AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
8. CAPITAL STOCK (CONTINUED)
Activity under the Company's stock option plans was as follows:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
OUTSTANDING OPTIONS
----------------------------------------
AVAILABLE NUMBER OF
SHARES SHARES PRICE PER SHARE TOTAL
----------- ----------- ---------------- ---------
(IN THOUSANDS, EXCEPT PER SHARE DATA)
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Balances, May 31, 1994....................... 103 361 $3.00--$6.00 $ 1,186
Options granted............................ (112) 112 $3.25 365
Options terminated......................... 66 (66) $3.00--$4.00 (210)
--- --- ---------
Balances, May 31, 1995....................... 57 407 $3.00--$6.00 1,341
Options granted............................ (548) 548 $4.00 2,193
Options exercised.......................... -- (1) $3.00 (3)
Options terminated......................... 222 (222) $3.00--$6.00 (712)
Additional shares reserved................. 335 -- -- --
1978 Plan expiration....................... (27) -- -- --
1983 Plan expiration....................... (37) -- -- --
--- --- ---------
Balances, May 31, 1996....................... 2 732 $3.25--$6.00 2,819
Additional shares reserved................. 650 -- -- --
Options granted............................ (70) 70 $4.25--$6.00 397
Options terminated......................... 43 (43) $3.25--$6.00 (167)
1986 Plan expiration....................... (43) -- -- --
--- --- ---------
Balances, May 31, 1997....................... 582 759 $3.25--$6.00 $ 3,049
--- --- ---------
--- --- ---------
</TABLE>
The following information concerning the Company's stock option and employee
stock purchase plans is provided in accordance with SFAS No. 123, "Accounting
for Stock-Based Compensation." The Company accounts for such plans in accordance
with APB No. 25 and related Interpretations.
The fair value of each option grant has been estimated on the date of grant
using the Black-Scholes option pricing model with the following weighted average
assumptions used for grants:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
YEAR ENDED MAY 31,
----------------------
1996 1997
---------- ----------
<S> <C> <C>
Risk-free Interest Rates........................................... 6.47% 6.47%
Expected Life...................................................... 5 years 5 years
Volatility......................................................... -- --
Dividend Yield..................................................... -- --
</TABLE>
The weighted average expected life was calculated based on the exercise
behavior. The weighted average fair value of those options granted in 1996 and
1997 was $3.84 and $4.01, respectively.
F-14
<PAGE>
AEHR TEST SYSTEMS AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
8. CAPITAL STOCK (CONTINUED)
The following pro forma income information has been prepared following the
provisions of SFAS No. 123:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
YEAR ENDED MAY 31,
--------------------
1996 1997
--------- ---------
(AMOUNTS IN
THOUSANDS EXCEPT PER
SHARE DATA)
<S> <C> <C>
Net income--as reported.................................................. $ 1,400 $ 3,315
Net income--pro forma.................................................... $ 1,339 $ 3,215
Net income per share--as reported........................................ $ 0.31 $ 0.73
Net income per share--pro forma.......................................... $ 0.30 $ 0.71
</TABLE>
The above pro forma effects on income may not be representative of the
effects on net income for future years as option grants typically vest over
several years and additional options are generally granted each year.
The following table summarizes information with respect to stock options at
May 31, 1997:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
OPTIONS OUTSTANDING
------------------------------------------- OPTIONS EXERCISABLE
WEIGHTED --------------------------
NUMBER AVERAGE WEIGHTED NUMBER WEIGHTED
OUTSTANDING REMAINING AVERAGE EXERCISABLE AVERAGE
RANGE OF AT MAY 31, CONTRACTUAL EXERCISE AT MAY 31, EXERCISE
EXERCISE PRICES 1997 LIFE (YEARS) PRICE 1997 PRICE
- ---------------- ----------- --------------- ------------- ----------- -------------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
$3.25 158,150 2.08 $ 3.25 126,032 $ 3.25
$4.00 508,200 3.40 $ 4.00 259,403 $ 4.00
$4.25 11,500 4.40 $ 4.25 1,674 $ 4.25
$4.40 25,000 3.41 $ 4.40 19,791 $ 4.40
$6.00 56,500 4.79 $ 6.00 2,453 $ 6.00
----------- -----------
$3.25--$6.00 759,350 3.25 $ 4.01 409,353 $ 3.80
</TABLE>
9. EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS
EMPLOYEE STOCK BONUS PLAN:
The Company has a noncontributory, trusteed employee stock bonus plan for
full-time employees who have completed three consecutive months of service and
for part time employees who have completed one year of service and have attained
an age of 21. The Company can contribute either shares of the Company's stock or
cash to the plan. The contribution is determined annually by the Company and
cannot exceed 15% of the annual aggregate salaries of those employees eligible
for participation in the plan. Individuals' account balances vest at a rate of
25% per year commencing upon completion of three years of service. Nonvested
balances, which are forfeited, are allocated to the remaining employees in the
plan. Contributions made to the plan during fiscal 1995, 1996 and 1997 were
none, $50,000 and $200,000, respectively.
F-15
<PAGE>
AEHR TEST SYSTEMS AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
9. EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS (CONTINUED)
401(K) PLAN:
The Company maintains a 401(k) profit-sharing plan for its full-time
employees who have completed three consecutive months of service and for
part-time employees who have completed one year of service and have attained an
age of 21. Each participant in the plan may elect to contribute from 1% to 20%
of their annual salary to the plan, subject to certain limitations. The Company,
at its discretion, may make an annual contribution to the plan. No contributions
were made by the Company to the plan during fiscal 1995, 1996 and 1997.
EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN:
The Company's 1997 Employee Stock Purchase Plan was adopted by the Board of
Directors in June 1997. A total of 300,000 shares of Common Stock have been
reserved for issuance under the plan. The plan has consecutive, overlapping,
twenty-four month offering periods. The offering periods generally begin on the
first trading day on or after April 1 and October 1 each year, except that the
first such offering period commences with the effectiveness of the Company's
initial public offering and ends on the last trading day on or before March 31,
1999. Shares are purchased through employee payroll deductions at exercise
prices equal to 85% of the lesser of the fair market value of the Company's
Common Stock at either the first day of an offering period or the last day of
such offering period. If a participant's rights to purchase stock under all
employee stock purchase plans of the Company accrue at a rate which exceeds
$25,000 worth of stock for a calendar year, such participant may not be granted
an option to purchase stock under the 1997 Employee Stock Purchase Plan. To
date, no shares have been issued under the plan.
10. INCOME TAXES:
Domestic and foreign components of pretax income (loss) are as follows (in
thousands):
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
YEAR ENDED MAY 31,
-------------------------------
1995 1996 1997
--------- --------- ---------
<S> <C> <C> <C>
Domestic....................................................... $ (725) $ 1,283 $ 3,672
Foreign........................................................ (1,441) 248 (1,130)
--------- --------- ---------
$ (2,166) $ 1,531 $ 2,542
--------- --------- ---------
--------- --------- ---------
</TABLE>
The provision (benefit) for income taxes consists of the following (in
thousands):
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
YEAR ENDED MAY 31,
---------------------------------
1995 1996 1997
----- --------- ---------
<S> <C> <C> <C>
Federal income taxes:
Current............................................................ -- $ 40 $ 150
Deferred........................................................... -- -- (910)
State income taxes:
Current............................................................ -- 5 15
Deferred........................................................... -- -- (145)
Foreign income taxes:
Current............................................................ $ 10 85 117
Deferred........................................................... -- -- --
--- --------- ---------
$ 10 $ 130 $ (773)
--- --------- ---------
--- --------- ---------
</TABLE>
F-16
<PAGE>
AEHR TEST SYSTEMS AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
10. INCOME TAXES: (CONTINUED)
The components of the net deferred tax asset (liability) are as follows (in
thousands):
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
MAY 31,
--------------------
1996 1997
--------- ---------
<S> <C> <C>
Noncurrent assets:
Net operating losses................................................... $ 2,996 $ 1,836
Credit carryforwards................................................... 95 24
Depreciation and amortization.......................................... (184) (7)
--------- ---------
2,907 1,853
Less valuation allowance................................................. (2,907) (1,698)
--------- ---------
-- 155
--------- ---------
Current assets:
Inventory and other revenues........................................... 542 1,295
Accrued liabilities.................................................... 1,497 860
--------- ---------
2,039 2,155
Less valuation allowance................................................. (2,039) (1,255)
--------- ---------
-- 900
--------- ---------
Net deferred tax asset................................................... $ -- $ 1,055
--------- ---------
--------- ---------
</TABLE>
The Company's effective tax rate differs from the U.S. federal statutory tax
rate, as follows:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
YEAR ENDED MAY 31,
---------------------------------
1995 1996 1997
---------- ---------- ---------
<S> <C> <C> <C>
Maximum statutory (benefit) rate.................................. (34.0)% 34.0% 34.0%
Net operating losses without current year income tax
benefit carried forward......................................... 34.0 -- --
Net operating loss utilized....................................... -- (34.0) (34.0)
Foreign taxes..................................................... 0.5 5.4 4.6
State taxes, net of federal tax effect............................ -- 0.3 0.6
Other............................................................. -- 2.8 5.9
Recognition of deferred taxes..................................... -- -- (41.5)
----- ----- ---------
Effective tax rate................................................ 0.5% 8.5 % (30.4)%
----- ----- ---------
----- ----- ---------
</TABLE>
Foreign net operating loss carryforwards of approximately $3,600,000 are
available to reduce future foreign taxable income and expire in 2010 if not
utilized. A valuation allowance has been provided for the deferred tax assets of
the Japanese subsidiary as management does not believe it is more likely than
not the tax assets will be realized, due to the subsidiary's cumulative losses.
F-17
<PAGE>
AEHR TEST SYSTEMS AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
11. OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE), NET:
Other Income (Expense), Net comprises the following:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
YEAR ENDED MAY 31,
-------------------------------
1995 1996 1997
--------- --------- ---------
<S> <C> <C> <C>
Foreign exchange gain (loss)......................................... $ 258 $ (573) $ (393)
Other, net........................................................... (3) 14 (172)
--------- --------- ---------
$ 255 $ (559) $ (565)
--------- --------- ---------
--------- --------- ---------
</TABLE>
12. SEGMENT INFORMATION:
FOREIGN OPERATIONS:
The Company develops, manufactures and sells systems to semiconductor
manufacturers and operates in one industry segment. The following presents
information about the Company's operations in different geographic areas (in
thousands):
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
UNITED
STATES ASIA EUROPE ADJUSTMENTS TOTAL
--------- --------- --------- ----------- ---------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
1995:
Net sales.............................................. $ 12,270 $ 12,447 $ 1,917 $ (3,377) $ 23,257
Portion of U.S. net sales from export sales............ 4,931 -- -- -- 4,931
Income (loss) from operations.......................... (1,589) (1,003) (93) 605 (2,080)
Identifiable assets.................................... 12,368 11,912 612 (5,002) 19,890
1996:
Net sales.............................................. $ 21,486 $ 14,204 $ 3,497 $ (5,953) $ 33,234
Portion of U.S. net sales from export sales............ 13,150 -- -- -- 13,150
Income (loss) from operations.......................... 1,330 707 199 300 2,536
Identifiable assets.................................... 18,515 9,453 1,103 (5,322) 23,749
1997:
Net sales.............................................. $ 35,404 $ 8,718 $ 3,986 $ (6,088) $ 42,020
Portion of U.S. net sales from export sales............ 27,102 -- -- -- 27,102
Income (loss) from operations.......................... 3,972 (668) (32) 412 3,684
Identifiable assets.................................... 22,983 5,093 910 (4,597) 24,389
</TABLE>
The Company's foreign operations are primarily those of its Japanese
subsidiary. Substantially all of their sales are made to unaffiliated Japanese
customers. Net sales and income (loss) from operations from outside the United
States include the operating results of Aehr Test Systems Japan K.K. and Aehr
Test Systems GmbH. Adjustments consist of intercompany eliminations.
Identifiable assets are all assets identified with operations in each geographic
area.
F-18
<PAGE>
AEHR TEST SYSTEMS AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
12. SEGMENT INFORMATION: (CONTINUED)
MAJOR CUSTOMERS:
One customer accounted for 18% of 1995 net sales, and another customer
accounted for 29% of 1996 net sales, and 56% of 1997 net sales.
13. SUBSEQUENT EVENTS: (UNAUDITED)
In June 1997, the Board of Directors authorized management of the Company to
file a Registration Statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission
permitting the Company to sell shares of its Common Stock to the public.
F-19
<PAGE>
BACK COVER
<TABLE>
<S> <C>
TITLE: Leading-Edge Test and Burn-in Technology
[PHOTOGRAPH of MAX Burn-in System]
CAPTION: Aehr Test Systems is a leader in the development and marketing of
dynamic burn-in systems, including the MAX and ATX systems, which are
designed for use with memory devices and microprocessors.
[PHOTOGRAPH of prototype wafer test fixture]
CAPTION: Leveraging expertise gained in the development of the MTX Massively
Parallel Test System and the DiePak carrier, Aehr Test Systems is
working on a long-term research project co-funded by DARPA to develop
a system to test and burn-in semiconductor wafers.
</TABLE>
<PAGE>
- ------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------
NO DEALER, SALESPERSON OR ANY OTHER PERSON HAS BEEN AUTHORIZED TO GIVE ANY
INFORMATION OR TO MAKE ANY REPRESENTATION NOT CONTAINED IN THIS PROSPECTUS, AND,
IF GIVEN OR MADE, SUCH INFORMATION OR REPRESENTATION MUST NOT BE RELIED UPON AS
HAVING BEEN AUTHORIZED BY THE COMPANY, THE SELLING SHAREHOLDERS OR ANY OF THE
UNDERWRITERS. THIS PROSPECTUS DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER TO SELL OR A
SOLICITATION OF ANY OFFER TO BUY ANY SECURITY OTHER THAN THE SHARES OF COMMON
STOCK REFERRED TO BY THIS PROSPECTUS, NOR DOES IT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER TO SELL OR
A SOLICITATION TO SUCH PERSON IN ANY JURISDICTION TO ANY PERSON TO WHOM SUCH
OFFER OR SOLICITATION MAY NOT BE LAWFULLY MADE. NEITHER THE DELIVERY OF THIS
PROSPECTUS NOR ANY SALE MADE HEREUNDER SHALL, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, CREATE AN
IMPLICATION THAT THERE HAS NOT BEEN ANY CHANGE IN THE FACTS SET FORTH IN THIS
PROSPECTUS OR IN THE AFFAIRS OF THE COMPANY SINCE THE DATE HEREOF.
-------------------
TABLE OF CONTENTS
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
PAGE
-----
<S> <C>
Prospectus Summary............................ 3
Risk Factors.................................. 6
The Company................................... 18
Use of Proceeds............................... 18
Dividend Policy............................... 18
Capitalization................................ 19
Dilution...................................... 20
Selected Consolidated Financial Data.......... 21
Management's Discussion and Analysis of
Financial Condition and Results of
Operations.................................. 22
Business...................................... 29
Management.................................... 40
Certain Transactions.......................... 46
Principal and Selling Shareholders............ 47
Description of Capital Stock.................. 50
Shares Eligible for Future Sale............... 51
Underwriting.................................. 53
Legal Matters................................. 54
Experts....................................... 54
Additional Information........................ 55
Index to Consolidated Financial Statements.... F-1
</TABLE>
-------------------
UNTIL , 1997 (25 DAYS AFTER THE
DATE OF THIS PROSPECTUS), ALL DEALERS EFFECTING TRANSACTIONS IN THE REGISTERED
SECURITIES, WHETHER OR NOT PARTICIPATING IN THIS DISTRIBUTION, MAY BE REQUIRED
TO DELIVER A PROSPECTUS. THIS IS IN ADDITION TO THE OBLIGATIONS OF DEALERS TO
DELIVER A PROSPECTUS WHEN ACTING AS UNDERWRITERS AND WITH RESPECT TO THEIR
UNSOLD ALLOTMENTS OR SUBSCRIPTIONS.
3,300,000 SHARES
[LOGO]
COMMON STOCK
-----------------
P R O S P E C T U S
-----------------
OPPENHEIMER & CO., INC.
NEEDHAM & COMPANY, INC.
, 1997
- ------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------
<PAGE>
PART II
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
ITEM 13. OTHER EXPENSES OF ISSUANCE AND DISTRIBUTION
The following table sets forth the costs and expenses, other than
underwriting discounts, payable by the Registrant in connection with the sale of
Common Stock being registered. All amounts are estimates except the SEC
registration fee, the NASD filing fee and the Nasdaq listing fee.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
AMOUNT TO
BE PAID
-----------
<S> <C>
SEC registration fee.............................................................. $ 12,650
NASD filing fee................................................................... 4,675
Nasdaq National Market listing fee................................................ 33,739
Director and officer liability insurance.......................................... 250,000
Printing and engraving expenses................................................... 125,000
Legal fees and expenses........................................................... 300,000
Accounting fees and expenses...................................................... 140,000
Blue Sky fees and expenses........................................................ 15,000
Transfer agent and registrar fees................................................. 10,000
Miscellaneous expenses............................................................ 8,936
-----------
Total......................................................................... $ 900,000
-----------
-----------
</TABLE>
ITEM 14. INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS
Section 317 of the California Corporations Code allows for indemnification
of officers, directors, and other corporate agents in terms sufficiently broad
to indemnify such persons under certain circumstances for liabilities (including
reimbursement for expenses incurred) arising under the Securities Act of 1933,
as amended (the "Act"). Article IV of the Registrant's Restated Articles of
Incorporation (Exhibit 3.1 hereto) and Article VI of the Registrant's Bylaws
(Exhibit 3.2 hereto) provide for indemnification of the Registrant's directors,
officers, employees and other agents to the extent and under the circumstances
permitted by the California Corporations Code. The Registrant has also entered
into agreements with its directors and executive officers that will require the
Registrant, among other things, to indemnify them against certain liabilities
that may arise by reason of their status or service as directors and executive
officers to the fullest extent not prohibited by law.
The Underwriting Agreement (Exhibit 1.1) provides for indemnification by the
Underwriters of the Registrant, its directors and officers, and by the
Registrant of the Underwriters, for certain liabilities, including liabilities
arising under the Act, and affords certain rights of contribution with respect
thereto.
See also the undertakings set out in response to Item 17 herein.
ITEM 15. RECENT SALES OF UNREGISTERED SECURITIES
Since May 31, 1994, Registrant has sold and issued the following securities
which were not registered under the Act:
(a) Since May 31, 1994, Registrant has granted stock options to
employees and directors under its 1986 Incentive Stock Plan and 1996 Stock
Option Plan covering an aggregate of 730,000 shares of Registrant's Common
Stock, at exercise prices ranging from $3.00 to $6.00 per share.
(b) Since May 1994, the Registrant issued and sold 1,000 shares of
Common Stock to employees at $3.00 per share upon exercise of stock options
pursuant to the Registrant's 1983 Incentive Stock Plan.
II-1
<PAGE>
(c) Since May 1994, the Registrant issued 1,958 shares of Common Stock
to terminated employees at $4.00 per share representing their vested
interest in the Employee Stock Bonus Plan.
The sales and issuances of securities in the transactions described above
were deemed to be exempt from registration under the Act by virtue of Rule 701
promulgated thereunder in that they were offered and sold either pursuant to
written compensatory benefit plans or pursuant to a written contract relating to
compensation, as provided by Rule 701.
In all such transactions which relied upon the exemption set forth in
Section 4(2) of the Act, the recipients of securities represented their
intentions to acquire the securities for investment only and not with a view to
or for sale in connection with any distribution thereof and appropriate legends
were affixed to the securities issued in such transactions.
ITEM 16. EXHIBITS AND CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES.
(A) EXHIBITS
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
EXHIBIT
NUMBER DESCRIPTION
- ------ --------------------------------------------------------------------------
<C> <S>
1.1* Form of Underwriting Agreement.
3.1+ Restated Articles of Incorporation of Registrant.
3.2+ Bylaws of Registrant.
4.1++ Form of Common Stock certificate.
5.1++ Opinion of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, Professional Corporation.
10.1+ Amended 1986 Incentive Stock Plan and form of agreement thereunder.
10.2++ 1996 Stock Option Plan (as amended and restated) and forms of Incentive
Stock Option Agreement and Nonstatutory Stock Option Agreement
thereunder.
10.3++ 1997 Employee Stock Purchase Plan and form of subscription agreement
thereunder.
10.4++ Form of Indemnification Agreement entered into between Registrant and its
directors and executive officers.
10.5+ Capital Stock Purchase Agreement dated September 11, 1979 between
Registrant and certain holders of Common Stock.
10.6+ Capital Stock Investment Agreement dated April 12, 1984 between Registrant
and certain holders of Common Stock.
10.7+ Amendment dated September 17, 1985 to Capital Stock Purchase Agreement
dated April 12, 1984 between Registrant and certain holders of Common
Stock.
10.8+ Amendment dated February 26, 1990 to Capital Stock Purchase Agreement
dated April 12, 1984 between Registrant and certain holders of Common
Stock.
10.9+ Stock Purchase Agreement dated September 18, 1985 between Registrant and
certain holders of Common Stock.
10.10+ Common Stock Purchase Agreement dated February 26, 1990 between Registrant
and certain holders of Common Stock.
10.11+ Lease dated May 14, 1991 for facilities located at 1667 Plymouth Street,
Mountain View, California.
11.1++ Computations of Net Income (Loss) Per Share.
21.1+ Subsidiaries of the Company.
</TABLE>
II-2
<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<C> <S>
23.1++ Consent of Independent Accountants.
23.2++ Consent of Counsel (included in Exhibit 5.1).
24.1+ Power of Attorney (see page II-4).
27.1++ Financial Data Schedule.
</TABLE>
- ------------------------
* To be filed by amendment.
+ Filed with the Company's Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed June 11,
1997 (File No. 333-28987).
++ Filed herewith.
(B) CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES
SCHEDULE II--VALUATION AND QUALIFYING ACCOUNTS AND RESERVES
Schedules not listed above have been omitted because the information
required to be set forth therein is not applicable or is shown in the financial
statements of the Registrant or notes thereto.
ITEM 17. UNDERTAKINGS
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Act may be
permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant
pursuant to the provisions referenced in Item 14 of this Registration Statement
or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the
Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy
as expressed in the Act, and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a
claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by
the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer, or
controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action,
suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person
in connection with the securities being registered hereunder, the Registrant
will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by
controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the
question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as
expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such
issue.
The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that:
(1) For purposes of determining any liability under the Act, the
information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this
registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in a form of
prospectus filed by the Registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(1) or (4) or
497(h) under the Act shall be deemed to be part of this registration
statement as of the time it was declared effective.
(2) For the purpose of determining any liability under the Act, each
post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus shall be deemed
to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered
therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to
be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes to provide to the Underwriters
at the closing, as specified in the Underwriting Agreement, certificates in such
denomination and registered in such names as required by the Underwriters to
permit prompt delivery to each Purchaser.
II-3
<PAGE>
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the
Registrant has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its
behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Mountain
View, State of California, on this 17th day of July, 1997.
AEHR TEST SYSTEMS
By: /s/ RHEA J. POSEDEL
-----------------------------------------
Rhea J. Posedel
PRESIDENT, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER AND
CHAIRMAN
OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this
Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the
capacities and on the dates indicated:
SIGNATURE TITLE DATE
- ------------------------------ --------------------------- -------------------
/s/ RHEA J. POSEDEL President, Chief Executive July 17, 1997
- ------------------------------ Officer and Chairman of the
Rhea J. Posedel Board of Directors
(Principal Executive
Officer)
/s/ GARY L. LARSON Vice President of Finance July 17, 1997
- ------------------------------ and Chief Financial Officer
Gary L. Larson (Principal Financial and
Accounting Officer)
/s/ WILLIAM W. R. ELDER* Director July 17, 1997
- ------------------------------
William W. R. Elder
/s/ MARIO M. ROSATI* Director July 17, 1997
- ------------------------------
Mario M. Rosati
/s/ DAVID TORRESDAL* Director July 17, 1997
- ------------------------------
David Torresdal
/s/ KATSUJI TSUTSUMI* Director July 17, 1997
- ------------------------------
Katsuji Tsutsumi
*By: /s/ RHEA J. POSEDEL
-------------------------
Rhea J. Posedel
ATTORNEY-IN-FACT
II-4
<PAGE>
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS
ON FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULE
In connection with our audits of the consolidated financial statements of
Aehr Test Systems as of May 31, 1996 and 1997, and for each of the three years
in the period ended May 31, 1997, which financial statements are included in the
Registration Statement, we have also audited the financial statement schedule
listed in Item 16(b) herein.
In our opinion, the financial statement schedule, when considered in
relation to the basic financial statements taken as a whole, presents fairly, in
all material respects, the information required to be included therein.
COOPERS & LYBRAND L.L.P.
San Jose, California
June 30, 1997
S-1
<PAGE>
SCHEDULE II
AEHR TEST SYSTEMS AND SUBSIDIARIES
VALUATION AND QUALIFYING ACCOUNTS
(IN THOUSANDS)
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
BALANCE AT CHARGED TO BALANCE AT
BEGINNING OF COSTS AND END OF THE
DESCRIPTION THE PERIOD EXPENSES DEDUCTIONS PERIOD
- -------------------------------------------------------------- --------------- --------------- ------------- -------------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Balance for the year ended May 31, 1995:
Allowance for doubtful accounts receivable.................. $ 136 $ 34 -- $ 170
Balance for the year ended May 31, 1996:
Allowance for doubtful accounts receivable.................. $ 170 $ 71 -- $ 241
Balance for the year ended May 31, 1997:
Allowance for doubtful accounts receivable.................. $ 241 $ 29 -- $ 270
</TABLE>
S-2
<PAGE>
EXHIBIT INDEX
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
EXHIBIT
NUMBER DESCRIPTION
- ------ --------------------------------------------------------------------------
<C> <S>
1.1* Form of Underwriting Agreement.
3.1+ Restated Articles of Incorporation of Registrant.
3.2+ Bylaws of Registrant.
4.1++ Form of Common Stock certificate.
5.1++ Opinion of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, Professional Corporation.
10.1+ Amended 1986 Incentive Stock Plan and form of agreement thereunder.
10.2++ 1996 Stock Option Plan (as amended and restated) and forms of Incentive
Stock Option Agreement and Nonstatutory Stock Option Agreement
thereunder.
10.3++ 1997 Employee Stock Purchase Plan and form of subscription agreement
thereunder.
10.4++ Form of Indemnification Agreement entered into between Registrant and its
directors and executive officers.
10.5+ Capital Stock Purchase Agreement dated September 11, 1979 between
Registrant and certain holders of Common Stock.
10.6+ Capital Stock Investment Agreement dated April 12, 1984 between Registrant
and certain holders of Common Stock.
10.7+ Amendment dated September 17, 1985 to Capital Stock Purchase Agreement
dated April 12, 1984 between Registrant and certain holders of Common
Stock.
10.8+ Amendment dated February 26, 1990 to Capital Stock Purchase Agreement
dated April 12, 1984 between Registrant and certain holders of Common
Stock.
10.9+ Stock Purchase Agreement dated September 18, 1985 between Registrant and
certain holders of Common Stock.
10.10+ Common Stock Purchase Agreement dated February 26, 1990 between Registrant
and certain holders of Common Stock.
10.11+ Lease dated May 14, 1991 for facilities located at 1667 Plymouth Street,
Mountain View, California.
11.1++ Computations of Net Income (Loss) Per Share.
21.1+ Subsidiaries of the Company.
23.1++ Consent of Independent Accountants.
23.2++ Consent of Counsel (included in Exhibit 5.1).
24.1+ Power of Attorney (see page II-4).
27.1++ Financial Data Schedule.
</TABLE>
- ------------------------
* To be filed by amendment.
+ Filed with the Company's Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed June 11,
1997 (File No. 333-28987).
++ Filed herewith.
<PAGE>
NUMBER SHARES
AEHR
ATS TEST SYSTEMS [LOGO] __________
INCORPORATED UNDER THE LAWS SEE REVERSE FOR STATEMENTS
OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA RELATING TO RIGHTS,
PREFERENCES, PRIVILEGES AND
RESTRICTIONS, IF ANY
CUSIP 00760J 10 8
THIS CERTIFIES THAT
is the owner of
FULLY PAID AND NONASSESSABLE SHARES OF THE COMMON STOCK, $.01 PAR VALUE OF
- ---------------------------- ----------------------------
- ---------------------------- AEHR TEST SYSTEMS ----------------------------
- ---------------------------- ----------------------------
transferable only on the books of the Corporation by the holder hereof in
person or by duly authorized attorney upon surrender of this Certificate
properly endorsed. This Certificate is not valid unless countersigned and
registered by the Transfer Agent and Registrar.
WITNESS the facsimile seal of the Corporation and the facsimile
signatures of its duly authorized officers.
Dated:
AEHR TEST SYSTEMS
/s/ Gary L. Larson SEAL /s/ Rhea J. Posedel
VICE PRESIDENT PRESIDENT
AND CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
COUNTERSIGNED AND REGISTERED:
U.S. STOCK TRANSFER CORPORATION
TRANSFER AGENT AND REGISTRAR
BY
AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE
<PAGE>
A statement of the rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions
granted to or imposed upon the respective classes or series of shares and
upon the holders thereof as established, from time to time, by the Articles
of Incorporation of the Corporation and by any certificate of determination,
and the number of shares constituting each class and series and the
designations thereof, may be obtained by the holder hereof upon written
request and without charge from the Secretary of the Corporation at its
corporate headquarters.
The following abbreviations, when used in the inscription on the face of
this certificate, shall be construed as though they were written out in full
according to applicable laws or regulations:
<TABLE>
<S> <C>
TEN COM - as tenants in common UNIF GIFT MIN ACT - Custodian
TEN ENT - as tenants by the entireties -----------------------------
JT TEN - as joint tenants with right of (Cust) (Minor)
survivorship and not as tenants under Uniform Gifts to Minors
in common Act
--------------------------
(State)
UNIF TRF MIN ACT - Custodian (until age____)
------------------------------
(Cust)
under Uniform Transfers
------
(Minor)
to Minors Act
-----------------
(State)
</TABLE>
Additional abbreviations may also be used though not in the above
list.
FOR VALUE RECEIVED, __________________ hereby sell, assign and transfer
unto
PLEASE INSERT SOCIAL SECURITY OR OTHER
IDENTIFYING NUMBER OF ASSIGNEE
--------------------------------------
--------------------------------------
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
(PLEASE PRINT OR TYPEWRITE NAME AND ADDRESS, INCLUDING ZIP CODE, OF ASSIGNEE)
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
- --------------------------------------------------------------------- Shares
of the capital stock represented by the within Certificate, and do hereby
irrevocably constitute and appoint
- -------------------------------------------------------------------- Attorney
to transfer the said stock on the books of the within named Corporation with
full power of substitution in the premises.
Dated
----------------------
X
------------------------------------------
X
------------------------------------------
THE SIGNATURE(S) TO THIS ASSIGNMENT MUST
CORRESPOND WITH THE NAME(S) AS WRITTEN UPON
NOTICE: THE FACE OF THE CERTIFICATE IN EVERY
PARTICULAR, WITHOUT ALTERATION OR
ENLARGEMENT OR ANY CHANGE WHATSOEVER.
Signature(s) Guaranteed
By
---------------------------------------
THE SIGNATURE(S) MUST BE GUARANTEED BY AN
ELIGIBLE GUARANTOR INSTITUTION (BANKS,
STOCKBROKERS, SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATIONS
AND CREDIT UNIONS WITH MEMBERSHIP IN AN
APPROVED SIGNATURE GUARANTEE MEDALLION
PROGRAM), PURSUANT TO S.E.C. RULE 17Ad-15.
<PAGE>
EXHIBIT 5.1
July 17, 1997
Aehr Test System
1667 Plymouth Street
Mountain View, CA 94043
RE: REGISTRATION STATEMENT ON FORM S-1
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have examined the Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed by you with
the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") on or about June 11,
1997 (as such may be further amended or supplemented, the "Registration
Statement"), in connection with the registration under the Securities Act of
1933, as amended (the "Act"), of up to 3,795,000 shares of your Common Stock
(the "Shares"). The Shares, which include up to 495,000 shares of Common Stock
issuable pursuant to an over-allotment option granted to the underwriters (the
"Underwriters"), are to be sold to the Underwriters as described in such
Registration Statement for sale to the public. Of the 3,795,000 shares being
sold, 2,200,000 shares are being sold by the Company and 1,595,000 shares are
being sold by the Selling Shareholders (including the 495,000 Shares of Common
Stock in the over-allotment option). As your counsel in connection with this
transaction, we have examined the proceedings proposed to be taken by you in
connection with the issuance and sale of the Shares.
Based on the foregoing, it is our opinion that, upon conclusion of the
proceedings being taken or contemplated by us, as your counsel, to be taken
prior to the issuance of the Shares and upon completion of the proceedings taken
in order to permit such transactions to be carried out in accordance with the
securities laws of various states where required, the Shares, when issued and
sold in the manner described in the Registration Statement, will be legally and
validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
We consent to the use of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration
Statement, and further consent to the use of our name wherever appearing in the
Registration Statement, including the prospectus constituting a part thereof,
which has been approved by us, as such may be further amended or supplemented,
or incorporated by reference in any Registration Statement relating to the
prospectus file pursuant to Rule 462(b) of the Act.
Very truly yours,
WILSON SONSINI GOODRICH & ROSATI
Professional Corporation
<PAGE>
AEHR TEST SYSTEMS
1996 STOCK OPTION PLAN
(AS AMENDED AND RESTATED)
1. PURPOSES OF THE PLAN. The purposes of this Stock Plan are:
- to attract and retain the best available personnel for positions
of substantial responsibility,
- to provide additional incentive to Employees, Directors and
Consultants, and
- to promote the success of the Company's business.
Options granted under the Plan may be Incentive Stock Options or
Nonstatutory Stock Options, as determined by the Administrator at the time of
grant. Stock Purchase Rights may also be granted under the Plan.
2. DEFINITIONS. As used herein, the following definitions shall apply:
(a) "ADMINISTRATOR" means the Board or any of its Committees as shall
be administering the Plan, in accordance with Section 4 of the Plan.
(b) "APPLICABLE LAWS" means the requirements relating to the
administration of stock option plans under U. S. state corporate laws, U.S.
federal and state securities laws, the Code, any stock exchange or quotation
system on which the Common Stock is listed or quoted and the applicable laws of
any foreign country or jurisdiction where Options or Stock Purchase Rights are,
or will be, granted under the Plan.
(c) "BOARD" means the Board of Directors of the Company.
(d) "CODE" means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
(e) "COMMITTEE" means a committee of Directors appointed by the
Board in accordance with Section 4 of the Plan.
(f) "COMMON STOCK" means the common stock of the Company.
(g) "COMPANY" means Aehr Test Systems, a California corporation.
<PAGE>
(h) "CONSULTANT" means any person, including an advisor, engaged by
the Company or a Parent or Subsidiary to render services to such entity.
(i) "DIRECTOR" means a member of the Board.
(j) "DISABILITY" means total and permanent disability as defined in
Section 22(e)(3) of the Code.
(k) "EMPLOYEE" means any person, including Officers and Directors,
employed by the Company or any Parent or Subsidiary of the Company. A Service
Provider shall not cease to be an Employee in the case of (i) any leave of
absence approved by the Company or (ii) transfers between locations of the
Company or between the Company, its Parent, any Subsidiary, or any successor.
For purposes of Incentive Stock Options, no such leave may exceed ninety days,
unless reemployment upon expiration of such leave is guaranteed by statute or
contract. If reemployment upon expiration of a leave of absence approved by the
Company is not so guaranteed, on the 181st day of such leave any Incentive Stock
Option held by the Optionee shall cease to be treated as an Incentive Stock
Option and shall be treated for tax purposes as a Nonstatutory Stock Option.
Neither service as a Director nor payment of a director's fee by the Company
shall be sufficient to constitute "employment" by the Company.
(l) "EXCHANGE ACT" means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended.
(m) "FAIR MARKET VALUE" means, as of any date, the value of Common
Stock determined as follows:
(i) If the Common Stock is listed on any established stock
exchange or a national market system, including without limitation the Nasdaq
National Market or The Nasdaq SmallCap Market of The Nasdaq Stock Market, its
Fair Market Value shall be the closing sales price for such stock (or the
closing bid, if no sales were reported) as quoted on such exchange or system for
the last market trading day prior to the time of determination, as reported in
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL or such other source as the Administrator deems
reliable;
(ii) If the Common Stock is regularly quoted by a recognized
securities dealer but selling prices are not reported, the Fair Market Value of
a Share of Common Stock shall be the mean between the high bid and low asked
prices for the Common Stock on the last market trading day prior to the day of
determination, as reported in THE WALL STREET JOURNAL or such other source as
the Administrator deems reliable; or
(iii) In the absence of an established market for the Common
Stock, the Fair Market Value shall be determined in good faith by the
Administrator.
-2-
<PAGE>
(n) "INCENTIVE STOCK OPTION" means an Option intended to qualify as
an incentive stock option within the meaning of Section 422 of the Code and the
regulations promulgated thereunder.
(o) "NONSTATUTORY STOCK OPTION" means an Option not intended to
qualify as an Incentive Stock Option.
(p) "NOTICE OF GRANT" means a written or electronic notice evidencing
certain terms and conditions of an individual Option or Stock Purchase Right
grant. The Notice of Grant is part of the Option Agreement.
(q) "OFFICER" means a person who is an officer of the Company within
the meaning of Section 16 of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations
promulgated thereunder.
(r) "OPTION" means a stock option granted pursuant to the Plan.
(s) "OPTION AGREEMENT" means an agreement between the Company and an
Optionee evidencing the terms and conditions of an individual Option grant. The
Option Agreement is subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan.
(t) "OPTION EXCHANGE PROGRAM" means a program whereby outstanding
Options are surrendered in exchange for Options with a lower exercise price.
(u) "OPTIONED STOCK" means the Common Stock subject to an Option or
Stock Purchase Right.
(v) "OPTIONEE" means the holder of an outstanding Option or Stock
Purchase Right granted under the Plan.
(w) "PARENT" means a "parent corporation," whether now or hereafter
existing, as defined in Section 424(e) of the Code.
(x) "PLAN" means this 1996 Stock Option Plan.
(y) "RESTRICTED STOCK" means shares of Common Stock acquired pursuant
to a grant of Stock Purchase Rights under Section 11 of the Plan.
(z) "RESTRICTED STOCK PURCHASE AGREEMENT" means a written agreement
between the Company and the Optionee evidencing the terms and restrictions
applying to stock purchased under a Stock Purchase Right. The Restricted Stock
Purchase Agreement is subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan and the
Notice of Grant.
-3-
<PAGE>
(aa) "RULE 16b-3" means Rule 16b-3 of the Exchange Act or any
successor to Rule 16b-3, as in effect when discretion is being exercised with
respect to the Plan.
(bb) "SECTION 16(b)" means Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act.
(cc) "SERVICE PROVIDER" means an Employee, Director or Consultant.
(dd) "SHARE" means a share of the Common Stock, as adjusted in
accordance with Section 13 of the Plan.
(ee) "STOCK PURCHASE RIGHT" means the right to purchase Common Stock
pursuant to Section 11 of the Plan, as evidenced by a Notice of Grant.
(ff) "SUBSIDIARY" means a "subsidiary corporation", whether now or
hereafter existing, as defined in Section 424(f) of the Code.
3. STOCK SUBJECT TO THE PLAN. Subject to the provisions of Section 13 of
the Plan, the maximum aggregate number of Shares which may be optioned and sold
under the Plan is 650,000 Shares. The Shares may be authorized, but unissued,
or reacquired Common Stock.
If an Option or Stock Purchase Right expires or becomes unexercisable
without having been exercised in full, or is surrendered pursuant to an Option
Exchange Program, the unpurchased Shares which were subject thereto shall become
available for future grant or sale under the Plan (unless the Plan has
terminated); PROVIDED, however, that Shares that have actually been issued under
the Plan, whether upon exercise of an Option or Right, shall not be returned to
the Plan and shall not become available for future distribution under the Plan,
except that if Shares of Restricted Stock are repurchased by the Company at
their original purchase price, such Shares shall become available for future
grant under the Plan.
4. ADMINISTRATION OF THE PLAN.
(a) PROCEDURE.
(i) MULTIPLE ADMINISTRATIVE BODIES. The Plan may be
administered by different Committees with respect to different groups of Service
Providers.
(ii) SECTION 162(m). To the extent that the Administrator
determines it to be desirable to qualify Options granted hereunder as
"performance-based compensation" within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the
Code, the Plan shall be administered by a Committee of two or more "outside
directors" within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the Code.
-4-
<PAGE>
(iii) RULE 16b-3. To the extent desirable to qualify
transactions hereunder as exempt under Rule 16b-3, the transactions contemplated
hereunder shall be structured to satisfy the requirements for exemption under
Rule 16b-3.
(iv) OTHER ADMINISTRATION. Other than as provided above,
the Plan shall be administered by (A) the Board or (B) a Committee, which
committee shall be constituted to satisfy Applicable Laws.
(b) POWERS OF THE ADMINISTRATOR. Subject to the provisions of the
Plan, and in the case of a Committee, subject to the specific duties delegated
by the Board to such Committee, the Administrator shall have the authority, in
its discretion:
(i) to determine the Fair Market Value;
(ii) to select the Service Providers to whom Options and
Stock Purchase Rights may be granted hereunder;
(iii) to determine the number of shares of Common Stock to be
covered by each Option and Stock Purchase Right granted hereunder;
(iv) to approve forms of agreement for use under the Plan;
(v) to determine the terms and conditions, not
inconsistent with the terms of the Plan, of any Option or Stock Purchase
Right granted hereunder. Such terms and conditions include, but are not
limited to, the exercise price, the time or times when Options or Stock
Purchase Rights may be exercised (which may be based on performance
criteria), any vesting acceleration or waiver of forfeiture restrictions, and
any restriction or limitation regarding any Option or Stock Purchase Right of
the shares of Common Stock relating thereto, based in each case on such
factors as the Administrator, in its sole discretion, shall determine;
(vi) to reduce the exercise price of any Option or Stock
Purchase Right to the then current Fair Market Value if the Fair Market Value
of the Common Stock covered by such Option or Stock Purchase Right shall have
declined since the date the Option or Stock Purchase Right was granted;
(vii) to institute an Option Exchange Program;
(viii) to construe and interpret the terms of the Plan and
awards granted pursuant to the Plan;
-5-
<PAGE>
(ix) to prescribe, amend and rescind rules and regulations
relating to the Plan, including rules and regulations relating to sub-plans
established for the purpose of qualifying for preferred tax treatment under
foreign tax laws;
(x) to modify or amend each Option or Stock Purchase Right
(subject to Section 15(c) of the Plan), including the discretionary authority to
extend the post-termination exercisability period of Options longer than is
otherwise provided for in the Plan;
(xi) to allow Optionees to satisfy withholding tax
obligations by electing to have the Company withhold from the Shares to be
issued upon exercise of an Option or Stock Purchase Right that number of
Shares having a Fair Market Value equal to the amount required to be
withheld. The Fair Market Value of the Shares to be withheld shall be
determined on the date that the amount of tax to be withheld is to be
determined. All elections by an Optionee to have Shares withheld for this
purpose shall be made in such form and under such conditions as the
Administrator may deem necessary or advisable;
(xii) to authorize any person to execute on behalf of the
Company any instrument required to effect the grant of an Option or Stock
Purchase Right previously granted by the Administrator;
(xiii) to make all other determinations deemed necessary or
advisable for administering the Plan.
(c) EFFECT OF ADMINISTRATOR'S DECISION. The Administrator's
decisions, determinations and interpretations shall be final and binding on all
Optionees and any other holders of Options or Stock Purchase Rights.
5. ELIGIBILITY. Nonstatutory Stock Options and Stock Purchase Rights may
be granted to Service Providers. Incentive Stock Options may be granted only to
Employees.
6. LIMITATIONS.
(a) Each Option shall be designated in the Option Agreement as either
an Incentive Stock Option or a Nonstatutory Stock Option. However,
notwithstanding such designation, to the extent that the aggregate Fair Market
Value of the Shares with respect to which Incentive Stock Options are
exercisable for the first time by the Optionee during any calendar year (under
all plans of the Company and any Parent or Subsidiary) exceeds $100,000, such
Options shall be treated as Nonstatutory Stock Options. For purposes of this
Section 6(a), Incentive Stock Options shall be taken into account in the order
in which they were granted. The Fair Market Value of the Shares shall be
determined as of the time the Option with respect to such Shares is granted.
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(b) Neither the Plan nor any Option or Stock Purchase Right shall
confer upon an Optionee any right with respect to continuing the Optionee's
relationship as a Service Provider with the Company, nor shall they interfere in
any way with the Optionee's right or the Company's right to terminate such
relationship at any time, with or without cause.
(c) The following limitations shall apply to grants of Options:
(i) No Service Provider shall be granted, in any fiscal year
of the Company, Options to purchase more than 200,000 Shares.
(ii) In connection with his or her initial service, a Service
Provider may be granted Options to purchase up to an additional 200,000 Shares
which shall not count against the limit set forth in subsection (i) above.
(iii) The foregoing limitations shall be adjusted
proportionately in connection with any change in the Company's capitalization
as described in Section 13.
(iv) If an Option is cancelled in the same fiscal year of
the Company in which it was granted (other than in connection with a transaction
described in Section 13), the cancelled Option will be counted against the
limits set forth in subsections (i) and (ii) above. For this purpose, if the
exercise price of an Option is reduced, the transaction will be treated as a
cancellation of the Option and the grant of a new Option.
7. TERM OF PLAN. Subject to Section 19 of the Plan, the Plan shall
become effective upon its adoption by the Board. It shall continue in effect
for a term of ten (10) years unless terminated earlier under Section 15 of the
Plan.
8. TERM OF OPTION. The term of each Option shall be stated in the Option
Agreement. In the case of an Incentive Stock Option, the term shall be ten (10)
years from the date of grant or such shorter term as may be provided in the
Option Agreement. Moreover, in the case of an Incentive Stock Option granted to
an Optionee who, at the time the Incentive Stock Option is granted, owns stock
representing more than ten percent (10%) of the total combined voting power of
all classes of stock of the Company or any Parent or Subsidiary, the term of the
Incentive Stock Option shall be five (5) years from the date of grant or such
shorter term as may be provided in the Option Agreement.
9. OPTION EXERCISE PRICE AND CONSIDERATION.
(a) EXERCISE PRICE. The per share exercise price for the Shares to
be issued pursuant to exercise of an Option shall be determined by the
Administrator, subject to the following:
(i) In the case of an Incentive Stock Option
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(A) granted to an Employee who, at the time the Incentive
Stock Option is granted, owns stock representing more than ten percent (10%) of
the voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or any Parent or
Subsidiary, the per Share exercise price shall be no less than 110% of the Fair
Market Value per Share on the date of grant.
(B) granted to any Employee other than an Employee
described in paragraph (A) immediately above, the per Share exercise price shall
be no less than 100% of the Fair Market Value per Share on the date of grant.
(ii) In the case of a Nonstatutory Stock Option, the per Share
exercise price shall be determined by the Administrator. In the case of a
Nonstatutory Stock Option intended to qualify as "performance-based
compensation" within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the Code, the per Share
exercise price shall be no less than 100% of the Fair Market Value per Share on
the date of grant.
(iii) Notwithstanding the foregoing, Options may be granted
with a per Share exercise price of less than 100% of the Fair Market Value per
Share on the date of grant pursuant to a merger or other corporate transaction.
(b) WAITING PERIOD AND EXERCISE DATES. At the time an Option is
granted, the Administrator shall fix the period within which the Option may be
exercised and shall determine any conditions which must be satisfied before the
Option may be exercised.
(c) FORM OF CONSIDERATION. The Administrator shall determine the
acceptable form of consideration for exercising an Option, including the method
of payment. In the case of an Incentive Stock Option, the Administrator shall
determine the acceptable form of consideration at the time of grant. Such
consideration may consist entirely of:
(i) cash;
(ii) check;
(iii) promissory note;
(iv) other Shares which (A) in the case of Shares acquired upon
exercise of an option, have been owned by the Optionee for more than six months
on the date of surrender, and (B) have a Fair Market Value on the date of
surrender equal to the aggregate exercise price of the Shares as to which said
Option shall be exercised;
(v) consideration received by the Company under a cashless
exercise program implemented by the Company in connection with the Plan;
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(vi) a reduction in the amount of any Company liability to the
Optionee, including any liability attributable to the Optionee's participation
in any Company-sponsored deferred compensation program or arrangement;
(vii) any combination of the foregoing methods of payment; or
(viii) such other consideration and method of payment for the
issuance of Shares to the extent permitted by Applicable Laws.
10. EXERCISE OF OPTION.
(a) PROCEDURE FOR EXERCISE; RIGHTS AS A SHAREHOLDER. Any Option
granted hereunder shall be exercisable according to the terms of the Plan and at
such times and under such conditions as determined by the Administrator and set
forth in the Option Agreement. Unless the Administrator provides otherwise,
vesting of Options granted hereunder shall be tolled during any unpaid leave of
absence. An Option may not be exercised for a fraction of a Share.
An Option shall be deemed exercised when the Company receives:
(i) written or electronic notice of exercise (in accordance with the Option
Agreement) from the person entitled to exercise the Option, and (ii) full
payment for the Shares with respect to which the Option is exercised. Full
payment may consist of any consideration and method of payment authorized by the
Administrator and permitted by the Option Agreement and the Plan. Shares issued
upon exercise of an Option shall be issued in the name of the Optionee or, if
requested by the Optionee, in the name of the Optionee and his or her spouse.
Until the Shares are issued (as evidenced by the appropriate entry on the books
of the Company or of a duly authorized transfer agent of the Company), no right
to vote or receive dividends or any other rights as a shareholder shall exist
with respect to the Optioned Stock, notwithstanding the exercise of the Option.
The Company shall issue (or cause to be issued) such Shares promptly after the
Option is exercised. No adjustment will be made for a dividend or other right
for which the record date is prior to the date the Shares are issued, except as
provided in Section 13 of the Plan.
Exercising an Option in any manner shall decrease the number of
Shares thereafter available, both for purposes of the Plan and for sale under
the Option, by the number of Shares as to which the Option is exercised.
(b) TERMINATION OF RELATIONSHIP AS A SERVICE PROVIDER. If an
Optionee ceases to be a Service Provider, other than upon the Optionee's death
or Disability, the Optionee may exercise his or her Option within such period of
time as is specified in the Option Agreement to the extent that the Option is
vested on the date of termination (but in no event later than the expiration of
the term of such Option as set forth in the Option Agreement). In the absence
of a specified time in the Option Agreement, the Option shall remain exercisable
for three (3) months following the Optionee's termination. If, on the date of
termination, the Optionee is not vested as to his or her entire Option,
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the Shares covered by the unvested portion of the Option shall revert to the
Plan. If, after termination, the Optionee does not exercise his or her Option
within the time specified by the Administrator, the Option shall terminate, and
the Shares covered by such Option shall revert to the Plan.
(c) DISABILITY OF OPTIONEE. If an Optionee ceases to be a Service
Provider as a result of the Optionee's Disability, the Optionee may exercise his
or her Option within such period of time as is specified in the Option Agreement
to the extent the Option is vested on the date of termination (but in no event
later than the expiration of the term of such Option as set forth in the Option
Agreement). In the absence of a specified time in the Option Agreement, the
Option shall remain exercisable for twelve (12) months following the Optionee's
termination. If, on the date of termination, the Optionee is not vested as to
his or her entire Option, the Shares covered by the unvested portion of the
Option shall revert to the Plan. If, after termination, the Optionee does not
exercise his or her Option within the time specified herein, the Option shall
terminate, and the Shares covered by such Option shall revert to the Plan.
(d) DEATH OF OPTIONEE. If an Optionee dies while a Service Provider,
the Option may be exercised within such period of time as is specified in the
Option Agreement (but in no event later than the expiration of the term of such
Option as set forth in the Notice of Grant), by the Optionee's estate or by a
person who acquires the right to exercise the Option by bequest or inheritance,
but only to the extent that the Option is vested on the date of death. In the
absence of a specified time in the Option Agreement, the Option shall remain
exercisable for twelve (12) months following the Optionee's termination. If, at
the time of death, the Optionee is not vested as to his or her entire Option,
the Shares covered by the unvested portion of the Option shall immediately
revert to the Plan. The Option may be exercised by the executor or
administrator of the Optionee's estate or, if none, by the person(s) entitled to
exercise the Option under the Optionee's will or the laws of descent or
distribution. If the Option is not so exercised within the time specified
herein, the Option shall terminate, and the Shares covered by such Option shall
revert to the Plan.
(e) BUYOUT PROVISIONS. The Administrator may at any time offer to
buy out for a payment in cash or Shares an Option previously granted based on
such terms and conditions as the Administrator shall establish and communicate
to the Optionee at the time that such offer is made.
11. STOCK PURCHASE RIGHTS.
(a) RIGHTS TO PURCHASE. Stock Purchase Rights may be issued either
alone, in addition to, or in tandem with other awards granted under the Plan
and/or cash awards made outside of the Plan. After the Administrator determines
that it will offer Stock Purchase Rights under the Plan, it shall advise the
offeree in writing or electronically, by means of a Notice of Grant, of the
terms, conditions and restrictions related to the offer, including the number of
Shares that the offeree shall be entitled to purchase, the price to be paid, and
the time within which the offeree must accept such
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offer. The offer shall be accepted by execution of a Restricted Stock Purchase
Agreement in the form determined by the Administrator.
(b) REPURCHASE OPTION. Unless the Administrator determines
otherwise, the Restricted Stock Purchase Agreement shall grant the Company a
repurchase option exercisable upon the voluntary or involuntary termination of
the purchaser's service with the Company for any reason (including death or
Disability). The purchase price for Shares repurchased pursuant to the
Restricted Stock Purchase Agreement shall be the original price paid by the
purchaser and may be paid by cancellation of any indebtedness of the purchaser
to the Company. The repurchase option shall lapse at a rate determined by the
Administrator.
(c) OTHER PROVISIONS. The Restricted Stock Purchase Agreement shall
contain such other terms, provisions and conditions not inconsistent with the
Plan as may be determined by the Administrator in its sole discretion.
(d) RIGHTS AS A SHAREHOLDER. Once the Stock Purchase Right is
exercised, the purchaser shall have the rights equivalent to those of a
shareholder, and shall be a shareholder when his or her purchase is entered upon
the records of the duly authorized transfer agent of the Company. No adjustment
will be made for a dividend or other right for which the record date is prior to
the date the Stock Purchase Right is exercised, except as provided in Section 13
of the Plan.
12. NON-TRANSFERABILITY OF OPTIONS AND STOCK PURCHASE RIGHTS. Unless
determined otherwise by the Administrator, an Option or Stock Purchase Right may
not be sold, pledged, assigned, hypothecated, transferred, or disposed of in any
manner other than by will or by the laws of descent or distribution and may be
exercised, during the lifetime of the Optionee, only by the Optionee. If the
Administrator makes an Option or Stock Purchase Right transferable, such Option
or Stock Purchase Right shall contain such additional terms and conditions as
the Administrator deems appropriate.
13. ADJUSTMENTS UPON CHANGES IN CAPITALIZATION, DISSOLUTION, MERGER OR
ASSET SALE.
(a) CHANGES IN CAPITALIZATION. Subject to any required action by the
shareholders of the Company, the number of shares of Common Stock covered by
each outstanding Option and Stock Purchase Right, and the number of shares of
Common Stock which have been authorized for issuance under the Plan but as to
which no Options or Stock Purchase Rights have yet been granted or which have
been returned to the Plan upon cancellation or expiration of an Option or Stock
Purchase Right, as well as the price per share of Common Stock covered by each
such outstanding Option or Stock Purchase Right, shall be proportionately
adjusted for any increase or decrease in the number of issued shares of Common
Stock resulting from a stock split, reverse stock split, stock dividend,
combination or reclassification of the Common Stock, or any other increase or
decrease in the number of issued shares of Common Stock effected without receipt
of consideration by the Company; provided, however, that conversion of any
convertible securities of the Company shall not
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be deemed to have been "effected without receipt of consideration." Such
adjustment shall be made by the Board, whose determination in that respect shall
be final, binding and conclusive. Except as expressly provided herein, no
issuance by the Company of shares of stock of any class, or securities
convertible into shares of stock of any class, shall affect, and no adjustment
by reason thereof shall be made with respect to, the number or price of shares
of Common Stock subject to an Option or Stock Purchase Right.
(b) DISSOLUTION OR LIQUIDATION. In the event of the proposed
dissolution or liquidation of the Company, the Administrator shall notify each
Optionee as soon as practicable prior to the effective date of such proposed
transaction. The Administrator in its discretion may provide for an Optionee to
have the right to exercise his or her Option until ten (10) days prior to such
transaction as to all of the Optioned Stock covered thereby, including Shares as
to which the Option would not otherwise be exercisable. In addition, the
Administrator may provide that any Company repurchase option applicable to any
Shares purchased upon exercise of an Option or Stock Purchase Right shall lapse
as to all such Shares, provided the proposed dissolution or liquidation takes
place at the time and in the manner contemplated. To the extent it has not been
previously exercised, an Option or Stock Purchase Right will terminate
immediately prior to the consummation of such proposed action.
(c) MERGER OR ASSET SALE. In the event of a merger of the Company
with or into another corporation, or the sale of substantially all of the assets
of the Company, each outstanding Option and Stock Purchase Right shall be
assumed or an equivalent option or right substituted by the successor
corporation or a Parent or Subsidiary of the successor corporation. In the
event that the successor corporation refuses to assume or substitute for the
Option or Stock Purchase Right, the Optionee shall fully vest in and have the
right to exercise the Option or Stock Purchase Right as to all of the Optioned
Stock, including Shares as to which it would not otherwise be vested or
exercisable. If an Option or Stock Purchase Right becomes fully vested and
exercisable in lieu of assumption or substitution in the event of a merger or
sale of assets, the Administrator shall notify the Optionee in writing or
electronically that the Option or Stock Purchase Right shall be fully vested and
exercisable for a period of fifteen (15) days from the date of such notice, and
the Option or Stock Purchase Right shall terminate upon the expiration of such
period. For the purposes of this paragraph, the Option or Stock Purchase Right
shall be considered assumed if, following the merger or sale of assets, the
option or right confers the right to purchase or receive, for each Share of
Optioned Stock subject to the Option or Stock Purchase Right immediately prior
to the merger or sale of assets, the consideration (whether stock, cash, or
other securities or property) received in the merger or sale of assets by
holders of Common Stock for each Share held on the effective date of the
transaction (and if holders were offered a choice of consideration, the type of
consideration chosen by the holders of a majority of the outstanding Shares);
provided, however, that if such consideration received in the merger or sale of
assets is not solely common stock of the successor corporation or its Parent,
the Administrator may, with the consent of the successor corporation, provide
for the consideration to be received upon the exercise of the Option or Stock
Purchase Right, for each Share of Optioned Stock subject to the Option or Stock
Purchase Right, to be solely common stock of the
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successor corporation or its Parent equal in fair market value to the per share
consideration received by holders of Common Stock in the merger or sale of
assets.
14. DATE OF GRANT. The date of grant of an Option or Stock Purchase Right
shall be, for all purposes, the date on which the Administrator makes the
determination granting such Option or Stock Purchase Right, or such other later
date as is determined by the Administrator. Notice of the determination shall
be provided to each Optionee within a reasonable time after the date of such
grant.
15. AMENDMENT AND TERMINATION OF THE PLAN.
(a) AMENDMENT AND TERMINATION. The Board may at any time amend,
alter, suspend or terminate the Plan.
(b) SHAREHOLDER APPROVAL. The Company shall obtain shareholder
approval of any Plan amendment to the extent necessary and desirable to comply
with Applicable Laws.
(c) EFFECT OF AMENDMENT OR TERMINATION. No amendment, alteration,
suspension or termination of the Plan shall impair the rights of any Optionee,
unless mutually agreed otherwise between the Optionee and the Administrator,
which agreement must be in writing and signed by the Optionee and the Company.
Termination of the Plan shall not affect the Administrator's ability to exercise
the powers granted to it hereunder with respect to Options granted under the
Plan prior to the date of such termination.
16. CONDITIONS UPON ISSUANCE OF SHARES.
(a) LEGAL COMPLIANCE. Shares shall not be issued pursuant to the
exercise of an Option or Stock Purchase Right unless the exercise of such Option
or Stock Purchase Right and the issuance and delivery of such Shares shall
comply with Applicable Laws and shall be further subject to the approval of
counsel for the Company with respect to such compliance.
(b) INVESTMENT REPRESENTATIONS. As a condition to the exercise of an
Option or Stock Purchase Right, the Company may require the person exercising
such Option or Stock Purchase Right to represent and warrant at the time of any
such exercise that the Shares are being purchased only for investment and
without any present intention to sell or distribute such Shares if, in the
opinion of counsel for the Company, such a representation is required.
17. INABILITY TO OBTAIN AUTHORITY. The inability of the Company to obtain
authority from any regulatory body having jurisdiction, which authority is
deemed by the Company's counsel to be necessary to the lawful issuance and sale
of any Shares hereunder, shall relieve the Company of any liability in respect
of the failure to issue or sell such Shares as to which such requisite authority
shall not have been obtained.
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18. RESERVATION OF SHARES. The Company, during the term of this Plan,
will at all times reserve and keep available such number of Shares as shall be
sufficient to satisfy the requirements of the Plan.
19. SHAREHOLDER APPROVAL. The Plan shall be subject to approval by the
shareholders of the Company within twelve (12) months after the date the Plan is
adopted. Such shareholder approval shall be obtained in the manner and to the
degree required under Applicable Laws.
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1996 STOCK OPTION PLAN
STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT
Unless otherwise defined herein, the terms defined in the Plan shall have
the same defined meanings in this Option Agreement.
I. NOTICE OF STOCK OPTION GRANT
[Optionee's Name and Address]
You have been granted an option to purchase Common Stock of the Company,
subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan and this Option Agreement, as
follows:
Grant Number
---------------------------
Date of Grant
---------------------------
Vesting Commencement Date
---------------------------
Exercise Price per Share $
--------------------------
Total Number of Shares Granted
---------------------------
Total Exercise Price $
--------------------------
Type of Option: Incentive Stock Option
---
Nonstatutory Stock Option
---
Term/Expiration Date:
--------------------------
VESTING SCHEDULE:
This Option may be exercised, in whole or in part, in accordance with the
following schedule:
[25% OF THE SHARES SUBJECT TO THE OPTION SHALL VEST TWELVE MONTHS AFTER THE
VESTING COMMENCEMENT DATE, AND 1/48 OF THE SHARES SUBJECT TO THE OPTION SHALL
VEST EACH MONTH THEREAFTER, SUBJECT TO THE OPTIONEE CONTINUING TO BE A SERVICE
PROVIDER ON SUCH DATES].
<PAGE>
TERMINATION PERIOD:
This Option may be exercised for [THIRTY DAYS] after Optionee ceases to be
a Service Provider. Upon the death or Disability of the Optionee, this Option
may be exercised for [ONE YEAR] after Optionee ceases to be a Service Provider.
In no event shall this Option be exercised later than the Term/Expiration Date
as provided above.
II. AGREEMENT
1. GRANT OF OPTION. The Plan Administrator of the Company hereby grants
to the Optionee named in the Notice of Grant attached as Part I of this
Agreement (the "Optionee") an option (the "Option") to purchase the number of
Shares, as set forth in the Notice of Grant, at the exercise price per share set
forth in the Notice of Grant (the "Exercise Price"), subject to the terms and
conditions of the Plan, which is incorporated herein by reference. Subject to
Section 15(c) of the Plan, in the event of a conflict between the terms and
conditions of the Plan and the terms and conditions of this Option Agreement,
the terms and conditions of the Plan shall prevail.
If designated in the Notice of Grant as an Incentive Stock Option
("ISO"), this Option is intended to qualify as an Incentive Stock Option under
Section 422 of the Code. However, if this Option is intended to be an Incentive
Stock Option, to the extent that it exceeds the $100,000 rule of Code Section
422(d) it shall be treated as a Nonstatutory Stock Option ("NSO").
2. EXERCISE OF OPTION.
(a) RIGHT TO EXERCISE. This Option is exercisable during its term in
accordance with the Vesting Schedule set out in the Notice of Grant and the
applicable provisions of the Plan and this Option Agreement.
(b) METHOD OF EXERCISE. This Option is exercisable by delivery of an
exercise notice, in the form attached as Exhibit A (the "Exercise Notice"),
which shall state the election to exercise the Option, the number of Shares in
respect of which the Option is being exercised (the "Exercised Shares"), and
such other representations and agreements as may be required by the Company
pursuant to the provisions of the Plan. The Exercise Notice shall be completed
by the Optionee and delivered to [SECRETARY] of the Company. The Exercise
Notice shall be accompanied by payment of the aggregate Exercise Price as to all
Exercised Shares. This Option shall be deemed to be exercised upon receipt by
the Company of such fully executed Exercise Notice accompanied by such aggregate
Exercise Price.
No Shares shall be issued pursuant to the exercise of this Option
unless such issuance and exercise complies with Applicable Laws. Assuming such
compliance, for income tax purposes the Exercised Shares shall be considered
transferred to the Optionee on the date the Option is exercised with respect to
such Exercised Shares.
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3. METHOD OF PAYMENT. Payment of the aggregate Exercise Price shall be
by any of the following, or a combination thereof, at the election of the
Optionee:
(a) cash;
(b) check;
(c) consideration received by the Company under a cashless exercise
program implemented by the Company in connection with the Plan; or
(d) surrender of other Shares which (i) in the case of Shares
acquired upon exercise of an option, have been owned by the Optionee for more
than six (6) months on the date of surrender, AND (ii) have a Fair Market Value
on the date of surrender equal to the aggregate Exercise Price of the Exercised
Shares.
4. NON-TRANSFERABILITY OF OPTION. This Option may not be transferred in
any manner otherwise than by will or by the laws of descent or distribution and
may be exercised during the lifetime of Optionee only by the Optionee. The
terms of the Plan and this Option Agreement shall be binding upon the executors,
administrators, heirs, successors and assigns of the Optionee.
5. TERM OF OPTION. This Option may be exercised only within the term set
out in the Notice of Grant, and may be exercised during such term only in
accordance with the Plan and the terms of this Option Agreement.
6. TAX CONSEQUENCES. Some of the federal tax consequences relating to
this Option, as of the date of this Option, are set forth below. THIS SUMMARY
IS NECESSARILY INCOMPLETE, AND THE TAX LAWS AND REGULATIONS ARE SUBJECT TO
CHANGE. THE OPTIONEE SHOULD CONSULT A TAX ADVISER BEFORE EXERCISING THIS OPTION
OR DISPOSING OF THE SHARES.
(a) EXERCISING THE OPTION.
(i) NONSTATUTORY STOCK OPTION. The Optionee may incur
regular federal income tax liability upon exercise of a NSO. The Optionee
will be treated as having received compensation income (taxable at ordinary
income tax rates) equal to the excess, if any, of the Fair Market Value of
the Exercised Shares on the date of exercise over their aggregate Exercise
Price. If the Optionee is an Employee or a former Employee, the Company will
be required to withhold from his or her compensation or collect from Optionee
and pay to the applicable taxing authorities an amount in cash equal to a
percentage of this compensation income at the time of exercise, and may
refuse to honor the exercise and refuse to deliver Shares if such withholding
amounts are not delivered at the time of exercise.
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(ii) INCENTIVE STOCK OPTION. If this Option qualifies as an
ISO, the Optionee will have no regular federal income tax liability upon its
exercise, although the excess, if any, of the Fair Market Value of the
Exercised Shares on the date of exercise over their aggregate Exercise Price
will be treated as an adjustment to alternative minimum taxable income for
federal tax purposes and may subject the Optionee to alternative minimum tax
in the year of exercise. In the event that the Optionee ceases to be an
Employee but remains a Service Provider, any Incentive Stock Option of the
Optionee that remains unexercised shall cease to qualify as an Incentive
Stock Option and will be treated for tax purposes as a Nonstatutory Stock
Option on the date three (3) months and one (1) day following such change of
status.
(b) DISPOSITION OF SHARES.
(i) NSO. If the Optionee holds NSO Shares for at least one
year, any gain realized on disposition of the Shares will be treated as
long-term capital gain for federal income tax purposes.
(ii) ISO. If the Optionee holds ISO Shares for at least one year
after exercise and two years after the grant date, any gain realized on
disposition of the Shares will be treated as long-term capital gain for federal
income tax purposes. If the Optionee disposes of ISO Shares within one year
after exercise or two years after the grant date, any gain realized on such
disposition will be treated as compensation income (taxable at ordinary income
rates) to the extent of the excess, if any, of the lesser of (A) the difference
between the Fair Market Value of the Shares acquired on the date of exercise and
the aggregate Exercise Price, or (B) the difference between the sale price of
such Shares and the aggregate Exercise Price. Any additional gain will be taxed
as capital gain, short-term or long-term depending on the period that the ISO
Shares were held.
(c) NOTICE OF DISQUALIFYING DISPOSITION OF ISO SHARES. If the
Optionee sells or otherwise disposes of any of the Shares acquired pursuant to
an ISO on or before the later of (i) two years after the grant date, or (ii) one
year after the exercise date, the Optionee shall immediately notify the Company
in writing of such disposition. The Optionee agrees that he or she may be
subject to income tax withholding by the Company on the compensation income
recognized from such early disposition of ISO Shares by payment in cash or out
of the current earnings paid to the Optionee.
7. ENTIRE AGREEMENT; GOVERNING LAW. The Plan is incorporated herein by
reference. The Plan and this Option Agreement constitute the entire agreement
of the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersede in their
entirety all prior undertakings and agreements of the Company and Optionee with
respect to the subject matter hereof, and may not be modified adversely to the
Optionee's interest except by means of a writing signed by the Company and
Optionee. This agreement is governed by the internal substantive laws, but not
the choice of law rules, of California.
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<PAGE>
8. NO GUARANTEE OF CONTINUED SERVICE. OPTIONEE ACKNOWLEDGES AND AGREES
THAT THE VESTING OF SHARES PURSUANT TO THE VESTING SCHEDULE HEREOF IS EARNED
ONLY BY CONTINUING AS A SERVICE PROVIDER AT THE WILL OF THE COMPANY (AND NOT
THROUGH THE ACT OF BEING HIRED, BEING GRANTED AN OPTION OR PURCHASING SHARES
HEREUNDER). OPTIONEE FURTHER ACKNOWLEDGES AND AGREES THAT THIS AGREEMENT, THE
TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREUNDER AND THE VESTING SCHEDULE SET FORTH HEREIN DO
NOT CONSTITUTE AN EXPRESS OR IMPLIED PROMISE OF CONTINUED ENGAGEMENT AS A
SERVICE PROVIDER FOR THE VESTING PERIOD, FOR ANY PERIOD, OR AT ALL, AND SHALL
NOT INTERFERE WITH OPTIONEE'S RIGHT OR THE COMPANY'S RIGHT TO TERMINATE
OPTIONEE'S RELATIONSHIP AS A SERVICE PROVIDER AT ANY TIME, WITH OR WITHOUT
CAUSE.
By your signature and the signature of the Company's representative below,
you and the Company agree that this Option is granted under and governed by the
terms and conditions of the Plan and this Option Agreement. Optionee has
reviewed the Plan and this Option Agreement in their entirety, has had an
opportunity to obtain the advice of counsel prior to executing this Option
Agreement and fully understands all provisions of the Plan and Option Agreement.
Optionee hereby agrees to accept as binding, conclusive and final all decisions
or interpretations of the Administrator upon any questions relating to the Plan
and Option Agreement. Optionee further agrees to notify the Company upon any
change in the residence address indicated below.
OPTIONEE: AEHR TEST SYSTEMS
- ------------------------------------ -----------------------------------
Signature By
- ------------------------------------ -----------------------------------
Print Name Title
- ------------------------------------
Residence Address
- ------------------------------------
-5-
<PAGE>
CONSENT OF SPOUSE
The undersigned spouse of Optionee has read and hereby approves the terms
and conditions of the Plan and this Option Agreement. In consideration of the
Company's granting his or her spouse the right to purchase Shares as set forth
in the Plan and this Option Agreement, the undersigned hereby agrees to be
irrevocably bound by the terms and conditions of the Plan and this Option
Agreement and further agrees that any community property interest shall be
similarly bound. The undersigned hereby appoints the undersigned's spouse as
attorney-in-fact for the undersigned with respect to any amendment or exercise
of rights under the Plan or this Option Agreement.
---------------------------------------
Spouse of Optionee
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<PAGE>
EXHIBIT A
1996 STOCK OPTION PLAN
EXERCISE NOTICE
Aehr Test Systems
1667 Plymouth Street
Mountain View, CA 94043
Attention: [SECRETARY]
1. EXERCISE OF OPTION. Effective as of today, ________________, 199__,
the undersigned ("Purchaser") hereby elects to purchase ______________ shares
(the "Shares") of the Common Stock of Aehr Test Systems (the "Company") under
and pursuant to the 1996 Stock Option Plan (the "Plan") and the Stock Option
Agreement dated , 19___ (the "Option Agreement"). The purchase
price for the Shares shall be $ , as required by the Option
Agreement.
2. DELIVERY OF PAYMENT. Purchaser herewith delivers to the Company the
full purchase price for the Shares.
3. REPRESENTATIONS OF PURCHASER. Purchaser acknowledges that Purchaser
has received, read and understood the Plan and the Option Agreement and agrees
to abide by and be bound by their terms and conditions.
4. RIGHTS AS SHAREHOLDER. Until the issuance (as evidenced by the
appropriate entry on the books of the Company or of a duly authorized transfer
agent of the Company) of the Shares, no right to vote or receive dividends or
any other rights as a shareholder shall exist with respect to the Optioned
Stock, notwithstanding the exercise of the Option. The Shares so acquired shall
be issued to the Optionee as soon as practicable after exercise of the Option.
No adjustment will be made for a dividend or other right for which the record
date is prior to the date of issuance, except as provided in Section 13 of the
Plan.
5. TAX CONSULTATION. Purchaser understands that Purchaser may suffer
adverse tax consequences as a result of Purchaser's purchase or disposition of
the Shares. Purchaser represents that Purchaser has consulted with any tax
consultants Purchaser deems advisable in connection with the purchase or
disposition of the Shares and that Purchaser is not relying on the Company for
any tax advice.
6. ENTIRE AGREEMENT; GOVERNING LAW. The Plan and Option Agreement are
incorporated herein by reference. This Agreement, the Plan and the Option
Agreement constitute the entire agreement of the parties with respect to the
subject matter hereof and supersede in their entirety all prior undertakings and
agreements of the Company and Purchaser with respect to the subject matter
<PAGE>
hereof, and may not be modified adversely to the Purchaser's interest except by
means of a writing signed by the Company and Purchaser. This agreement is
governed by the internal substantive laws, but not the choice of law rules, of
California.
Submitted by: Accepted by:
PURCHASER: AEHR TEST SYSTEMS
- ---------------------------------- -----------------------------------
Signature By
- ---------------------------------- -----------------------------------
Print Name Its
ADDRESS: ADDRESS:
- --------------------------------- 1667 Plymouth Street
- --------------------------------- Mountain View, CA 94043
-----------------------------------
Date Received
-2-
<PAGE>
AEHR TEST SYSTEMS
1997 EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN
The following constitute the provisions of the 1997 Employee Stock Purchase
Plan of Aehr Test Systems.
1. PURPOSE. The purpose of the Plan is to provide employees of the
Company and its Designated Subsidiaries with an opportunity to purchase
Common Stock of the Company through accumulated payroll deductions. It is
the intention of the Company to have the Plan qualify as an "Employee Stock
Purchase Plan" under Section 423 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as
amended. The provisions of the Plan, accordingly, shall be construed so as
to extend and limit participation in a manner consistent with the
requirements of that section of the Code.
2. DEFINITIONS.
(a) "BOARD" shall mean the Board of Directors of the Company.
(b) "CODE" shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
(c) "COMMON STOCK" shall mean the Common Stock of the Company.
(d) "COMPANY" shall mean Aehr Test Systems and any Designated
Subsidiary of the Company.
(e) "COMPENSATION" shall mean all base straight time gross earnings
and commissions, but exclusive of payments for overtime, shift premium,
incentive compensation, incentive payments, bonuses and other compensation.
(f) "DESIGNATED SUBSIDIARY" shall mean any Subsidiary which has been
designated by the Board from time to time in its sole discretion as eligible to
participate in the Plan.
(g) "EMPLOYEE" shall mean any individual who is an Employee of the
Company for tax purposes whose customary employment with the Company is at least
twenty (20) hours per week and more than five (5) months in any calendar year.
For purposes of the Plan, the employment relationship shall be treated as
continuing intact while the individual is on sick leave or other leave of
absence approved by the Company. Where the period of leave exceeds 90 days and
the individual's right to reemployment is not guaranteed either by statute or by
contract, the employment relationship shall be deemed to have terminated on the
91st day of such leave.
(h) "ENROLLMENT DATE" shall mean the first day of each Offering
Period.
<PAGE>
(i) "EXERCISE DATE" shall mean the last day of each Purchase Period.
(j) "FAIR MARKET VALUE" shall mean, as of any date, the value of
Common Stock determined as follows:
(1) If the Common Stock is listed on any established stock
exchange or a national market system, including without limitation
the Nasdaq National Market or The Nasdaq SmallCap Market of The
Nasdaq Stock Market, its Fair Market Value shall be the closing
sales price for such stock (or the closing bid, if no sales were
reported) as quoted on such exchange or system for the last market
trading day on the date of such determination, as reported in THE
WALL STREET JOURNAL or such other source as the Administrator deems
reliable, or;
(2) If the Common Stock is regularly quoted by a
recognized securities dealer but selling prices are not reported,
its Fair Market Value shall be the mean of the closing bid and
asked prices for the Common Stock on the date of such
determination, as reported in THE WALL STREET JOURNAL or such other
source as the Board deems reliable, or;
(3) In the absence of an established market for the
Common Stock, the Fair Market Value thereof shall be determined in
good faith by the Board, or;
(4) For purposes of the Enrollment Date of the first
Offering Period under the Plan, the Fair Market Value shall be the
initial price to the public as set forth in the final prospectus
included within the registration statement in Form S-1 filed with
the Securities and Exchange Commission for the initial public
offering of the Company's Common Stock (the "Registration
Statement").
(k) "OFFERING PERIODS" shall mean the periods of approximately
twenty-four (24) months during which an option granted pursuant to the Plan may
be exercised, commencing on the first Trading Day on or after April 1 and
October 1 of each year and terminating on the last Trading Day in the periods
ending twenty-four months later; provided, however, that the first Offering
Period under the Plan shall commence with the first Trading Day on or after the
date on which the Securities and Exchange Commission declares the Company's
Registration Statement effective and ending on the last Trading Day on or before
March 31, 1999. The duration and timing of Offering Periods may be changed
pursuant to Section 4 of this Plan.
(l) "PLAN" shall mean this Employee Stock Purchase Plan.
(m) "PURCHASE PRICE" shall mean an amount equal to 85% of the Fair
Market Value of a share of Common Stock on the Enrollment Date or on the
Exercise Date, whichever is lower.
(n) "PURCHASE PERIOD" shall mean the approximately six month period
commencing after one Exercise Date and ending with the next Exercise Date,
except that the first
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<PAGE>
Purchase Period of any Offering Period shall commence on the Enrollment Date
and end with the next Exercise Date.
(o) "RESERVES" shall mean the number of shares of Common Stock
covered by each option under the Plan which have not yet been exercised and the
number of shares of Common Stock which have been authorized for issuance under
the Plan but not yet placed under option.
(p) "SUBSIDIARY" shall mean a corporation, domestic or foreign, of
which not less than 50% of the voting shares are held by the Company or a
Subsidiary, whether or not such corporation now exists or is hereafter
organized or acquired by the Company or a Subsidiary.
(q) "TRADING DAY" shall mean a day on which national stock exchanges
and the Nasdaq System are open for trading.
3. ELIGIBILITY.
(a) Any Employee who shall be employed by the Company on a given
Enrollment Date shall be eligible to participate in the Plan.
(b) Any provisions of the Plan to the contrary notwithstanding, no
Employee shall be granted an option under the Plan (i) to the extent that,
immediately after the grant, such Employee (or any other person whose stock
would be attributed to such Employee pursuant to Section 424(d) of the Code)
would own capital stock of the Company and/or hold outstanding options to
purchase such stock possessing five percent (5%) or more of the total
combined voting power or value of all classes of the capital stock of the
Company or of any Subsidiary, or (ii) to the extent that his or her rights to
purchase stock under all employee stock purchase plans of the Company and its
subsidiaries accrues at a rate which exceeds Twenty-Five Thousand Dollars
($25,000) worth of stock (determined at the fair market value of the shares
at the time such option is granted) for each calendar year in which such
option is outstanding at any time.
4. OFFERING PERIODS. The Plan shall be implemented by consecutive,
overlapping Offering Periods with a new Offering Period commencing on the
first Trading Day on or after April 1 and October 1 each year, or on such
other date as the Board shall determine, and continuing thereafter until
terminated in accordance with Section 20 hereof; provided, however, that the
first Offering Period under the Plan shall commence with the first Trading
Day on or after the date on which the Securities and Exchange Commission
declares the Company's Registration Statement effective and ending on the
last Trading Day on or before March 31, 1999. The Board shall have the
power to change the duration of Offering Periods (including the commencement
dates thereof) with respect to future offerings without shareholder approval
if such change is announced at least five (5) days prior to the scheduled
beginning of the first Offering Period to be affected thereafter.
-3-
<PAGE>
5. PARTICIPATION.
(a) An eligible Employee may become a participant in the Plan by
completing a subscription agreement authorizing payroll deductions in the form
of Exhibit A to this Plan and filing it with the Company's payroll office prior
to the applicable Enrollment Date.
(b) Payroll deductions for a participant shall commence on the first
payroll following the Enrollment Date and shall end on the last payroll in the
Offering Period to which such authorization is applicable, unless sooner
terminated by the participant as provided in Section 10 hereof.
6. PAYROLL DEDUCTIONS.
(a) At the time a participant files his or her subscription
agreement, he or she shall elect to have payroll deductions made on each pay
day during the Offering Period in an amount not exceeding ten percent (10%)
of the Compensation which he or she receives on each pay day during the
Offering Period.
(b) All payroll deductions made for a participant shall be credited
to his or her account under the Plan and shall be withheld in whole
percentages only. A participant may not make any additional payments into
such account.
(c) A participant may discontinue his or her participation in the
Plan as provided in Section 10 hereof, or may increase or decrease the rate
of his or her payroll deductions during the Offering Period by completing or
filing with the Company a new subscription agreement authorizing a change in
payroll deduction rate. The Board may, in its discretion, limit the number
of participation rate changes during any Offering Period. The change in rate
shall be effective with the first full payroll period following five (5)
business days after the Company's receipt of the new subscription agreement
unless the Company elects to process a given change in participation more
quickly. A participant's subscription agreement shall remain in effect for
successive Offering Periods unless terminated as provided in Section 10
hereof.
(d) Notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent necessary to
comply with Section 423(b)(8) of the Code and Section 3(b) hereof, a
participant's payroll deductions may be decreased to zero percent (0%) at any
time during a Purchase Period. Payroll deductions shall recommence at the
rate provided in such participant's subscription agreement at the beginning
of the first Purchase Period which is scheduled to end in the following
calendar year, unless terminated by the participant as provided in Section 10
hereof.
(e) At the time the option is exercised, in whole or in part, or at
the time some or all of the Company's Common Stock issued under the Plan is
disposed of, the participant must make adequate provision for the Company's
federal, state, or other tax withholding obligations, if any,
-4-
<PAGE>
which arise upon the exercise of the option or the disposition of the Common
Stock. At any time, the Company may, but shall not be obligated to, withhold
from the participant's compensation the amount necessary for the Company to
meet applicable withholding obligations, including any withholding required
to make available to the Company any tax deductions or benefits attributable
to sale or early disposition of Common Stock by the Employee.
7. GRANT OF OPTION. On the Enrollment Date of each Offering Period,
each eligible Employee participating in such Offering Period shall be granted
an option to purchase on each Exercise Date during such Offering Period (at
the applicable Purchase Price) up to a number of shares of the Company's
Common Stock determined by dividing such Employee's payroll deductions
accumulated prior to such Exercise Date and retained in the Participant's
account as of the Exercise Date by the applicable Purchase Price; provided
that in no event shall an Employee be permitted to purchase during each
Purchase Period more than 3,000 shares of the Company's Common Stock (subject
to any adjustment pursuant to Section 19) on the Enrollment Date, and
provided further that such purchase shall be subject to the limitations set
forth in Sections 3(b) and 12 hereof. Exercise of the option shall occur as
provided in Section 8 hereof, unless the participant has withdrawn pursuant
to Section 10 hereof. The option shall expire on the last day of the
Offering Period.
8. EXERCISE OF OPTION. Unless a participant withdraws from the Plan as
provided in Section 10 hereof, his or her option for the purchase of shares
shall be exercised automatically on the Exercise Date, and the maximum number
of full shares subject to option shall be purchased for such participant at
the applicable Purchase Price with the accumulated payroll deductions in his
or her account. No fractional shares shall be purchased; any payroll
deductions accumulated in a participant's account which are not sufficient to
purchase a full share shall be retained in the participant's account for the
subsequent Purchase Period or Offering Period, subject to earlier withdrawal
by the participant as provided in Section 10 hereof. Any other monies left
over in a participant's account after the Exercise Date shall be returned to
the participant. During a participant's lifetime, a participant's option to
purchase shares hereunder is exercisable only by him or her.
9. DELIVERY. As promptly as practicable after each Exercise Date on
which a purchase of shares occurs, the Company shall arrange the delivery to
each participant, as appropriate, of a certificate representing the shares
purchased upon exercise of his or her option.
10. WITHDRAWAL.
(a) A participant may withdraw all but not less than all the
payroll deductions credited to his or her account and not yet used to
exercise his or her option under the Plan at any time by giving written
notice to the Company in the form of Exhibit B to this Plan. All of the
participant's payroll deductions credited to his or her account shall be paid
to such participant promptly after receipt of notice of withdrawal and such
participant's option for the Offering Period shall be automatically
terminated, and no further payroll deductions for the purchase of shares
shall
-5-
<PAGE>
be made for such Offering Period. If a participant withdraws from an
Offering Period, payroll deductions shall not resume at the beginning of the
succeeding Offering Period unless the participant delivers to the Company a
new subscription agreement.
(b) A participant's withdrawal from an Offering Period shall not
have any effect upon his or her eligibility to participate in any similar
plan which may hereafter be adopted by the Company or in succeeding Offering
Periods which commence after the termination of the Offering Period from
which the participant withdraws.
11. TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT.
Upon a participant's ceasing to be an Employee, for any reason, he or
she shall be deemed to have elected to withdraw from the Plan and the payroll
deductions credited to such participant's account during the Offering Period but
not yet used to exercise the option shall be returned to such participant or, in
the case of his or her death, to the person or persons entitled thereto under
Section 15 hereof, and such participant's option shall be automatically
terminated. The preceding sentence notwithstanding, a participant who receives
payment in lieu of notice of termination of employment shall be treated as
continuing to be an Employee for the participant's customary number of hours per
week of employment during the period in which the participant is subject to such
payment in lieu of notice.
12. INTEREST. No interest shall accrue on the payroll deductions of a
participant in the Plan.
13. STOCK.
(a) The maximum number of shares of the Company's Common Stock
which shall be made available for sale under the Plan shall be 300,000
shares, subject to adjustment upon changes in capitalization of the Company
as provided in Section 19 hereof. If, on a given Exercise Date, the number
of shares with respect to which options are to be exercised exceeds the
number of shares then available under the Plan, the Company shall make a pro
rata allocation of the shares remaining available for purchase in as uniform
a manner as shall be practicable and as it shall determine to be equitable.
(b) The participant shall have no interest or voting right in
shares covered by his option until such option has been exercised.
(c) Shares to be delivered to a participant under the Plan shall be
registered in the name of the participant or in the name of the participant
and his or her spouse.
-6-
<PAGE>
14. ADMINISTRATION. The Plan shall be administered by the Board or a
committee of members of the Board appointed by the Board. The Board or its
committee shall have full and exclusive discretionary authority to construe,
interpret and apply the terms of the Plan, to determine eligibility and to
adjudicate all disputed claims filed under the Plan. Every finding, decision
and determination made by the Board or its committee shall, to the full
extent permitted by law, be final and binding upon all parties.
15. DESIGNATION OF BENEFICIARY.
(a) A participant may file a written designation of a beneficiary
who is to receive any shares and cash, if any, from the participant's account
under the Plan in the event of such participant's death subsequent to an
Exercise Date on which the option is exercised but prior to delivery to such
participant of such shares and cash. In addition, a participant may file a
written designation of a beneficiary who is to receive any cash from the
participant's account under the Plan in the event of such participant's death
prior to exercise of the option. If a participant is married and the
designated beneficiary is not the spouse, spousal consent shall be required
for such designation to be effective.
(b) Such designation of beneficiary may be changed by the
participant at any time by written notice. In the event of the death of a
participant and in the absence of a beneficiary validly designated under the
Plan who is living at the time of such participant's death, the Company shall
deliver such shares and/or cash to the executor or administrator of the
estate of the participant, or if no such executor or administrator has been
appointed (to the knowledge of the Company), the Company, in its discretion,
may deliver such shares and/or cash to the spouse or to any one or more
dependents or relatives of the participant, or if no spouse, dependent or
relative is known to the Company, then to such other person as the Company
may designate.
16. TRANSFERABILITY. Neither payroll deductions credited to a
participant's account nor any rights with regard to the exercise of an option
or to receive shares under the Plan may be assigned, transferred, pledged or
otherwise disposed of in any way (other than by will, the laws of descent and
distribution or as provided in Section 15 hereof) by the participant. Any
such attempt at assignment, transfer, pledge or other disposition shall be
without effect, except that the Company may treat such act as an election to
withdraw funds from an Offering Period in accordance with Section 10 hereof.
17. USE OF FUNDS. All payroll deductions received or held by the Company
under the Plan may be used by the Company for any corporate purpose, and the
Company shall not be obligated to segregate such payroll deductions.
18. REPORTS. Individual accounts shall be maintained for each participant
in the Plan. Statements of account shall be given to participating Employees at
least annually, which statements shall set forth the amounts of payroll
deductions, the Purchase Price, the number of shares purchased and the remaining
cash balance, if any.
-7-
<PAGE>
19. ADJUSTMENTS UPON CHANGES IN CAPITALIZATION, DISSOLUTION, LIQUIDATION,
MERGER OR ASSET SALE.
(a) CHANGES IN CAPITALIZATION. Subject to any required action by
the shareholders of the Company, the Reserves, the maximum number of shares
each participant may purchase each Purchase Period (pursuant to Section 7),
as well as the price per share and the number of shares of Common Stock
covered by each option under the Plan which has not yet been exercised shall
be proportionately adjusted for any increase or decrease in the number of
issued shares of Common Stock resulting from a stock split, reverse stock
split, stock dividend, combination or reclassification of the Common Stock,
or any other increase or decrease in the number of shares of Common Stock
effected without receipt of consideration by the Company; provided, however,
that conversion of any convertible securities of the Company shall not be
deemed to have been "effected without receipt of consideration". Such
adjustment shall be made by the Board, whose determination in that respect
shall be final, binding and conclusive. Except as expressly provided herein,
no issuance by the Company of shares of stock of any class, or securities
convertible into shares of stock of any class, shall affect, and no
adjustment by reason thereof shall be made with respect to, the number or
price of shares of Common Stock subject to an option.
(b) DISSOLUTION OR LIQUIDATION. In the event of the proposed
dissolution or liquidation of the Company, the Offering Period then in
progress shall be shortened by setting a new Exercise Date (the "New Exercise
Date"), and shall terminate immediately prior to the consummation of such
proposed dissolution or liquidation, unless provided otherwise by the Board.
The New Exercise Date shall be before the date of the Company's proposed
dissolution or liquidation. The Board shall notify each participant in
writing, at least ten (10) business days prior to the New Exercise Date, that
the Exercise Date for the participant's option has been changed to the New
Exercise Date and that the participant's option shall be exercised
automatically on the New Exercise Date, unless prior to such date the
participant has withdrawn from the Offering Period as provided in Section 10
hereof.
(c) MERGER OR ASSET SALE. In the event of a proposed sale of all
or substantially all of the assets of the Company, or the merger of the
Company with or into another corporation, each outstanding option shall be
assumed or an equivalent option substituted by the successor corporation or a
Parent or Subsidiary of the successor corporation. In the event that the
successor corporation refuses to assume or substitute for the option, any
Purchase Periods then in progress shall be shortened by setting a new
Exercise Date (the "New Exercise Date") and any Offering Periods then in
progress shall end on the New Exercise Date. The New Exercise Date shall be
before the date of the Company's proposed sale or merger. The Board shall
notify each participant in writing, at least ten (10) business days prior to
the New Exercise Date, that the Exercise Date for the participant's option
has been changed to the New Exercise Date and that the participant's option
shall be exercised automatically on the New Exercise Date, unless prior to
such date the participant has withdrawn from the Offering Period as provided
in Section 10 hereof.
-8-
<PAGE>
20. AMENDMENT OR TERMINATION.
(a) The Board of Directors of the Company may at any time and for
any reason terminate or amend the Plan. Except as provided in Section 19
hereof, no such termination can affect options previously granted, provided
that an Offering Period may be terminated by the Board of Directors on any
Exercise Date if the Board determines that the termination of the Plan is in
the best interests of the Company and its shareholders. Except as provided
in Section 19 hereof, no amendment may make any change in any option
theretofore granted which adversely affects the rights of any participant.
To the extent necessary to comply with Section 423 of the Code (or any
successor rule or provision or any other applicable law, regulation or stock
exchange rule), the Company shall obtain shareholder approval in such a
manner and to such a degree as required.
(b) Without shareholder consent and without regard to whether any
participant rights may be considered to have been "adversely affected," the
Board (or its committee) shall be entitled to change the Offering Periods,
limit the frequency and/or number of changes in the amount withheld during an
Offering Period, establish the exchange ratio applicable to amounts withheld
in a currency other than U.S. dollars, permit payroll withholding in excess
of the amount designated by a participant in order to adjust for delays or
mistakes in the Company's processing of properly completed withholding
elections, establish reasonable waiting and adjustment periods and/or
accounting and crediting procedures to ensure that amounts applied toward the
purchase of Common Stock for each participant properly correspond with
amounts withheld from the participant's Compensation, and establish such
other limitations or procedures as the Board (or its committee) determines in
its sole discretion advisable which are consistent with the Plan.
21. NOTICES. All notices or other communications by a participant to
the Company under or in connection with the Plan shall be deemed to have been
duly given when received in the form specified by the Company at the
location, or by the person, designated by the Company for the receipt thereof.
22. CONDITIONS UPON ISSUANCE OF SHARES. Shares shall not be issued with
respect to an option unless the exercise of such option and the issuance and
delivery of such shares pursuant thereto shall comply with all applicable
provisions of law, domestic or foreign, including, without limitation, the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended, the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, and the
requirements of any stock exchange upon which the shares may then be listed,
and shall be further subject to the approval of counsel for the Company with
respect to such compliance.
As a condition to the exercise of an option, the Company may require
the person exercising such option to represent and warrant at the time of any
such exercise that the shares are being purchased only for investment and
without any present intention to sell or distribute such shares if, in the
opinion of counsel for the Company, such a representation is required by any
of the aforementioned applicable provisions of law.
-9-
<PAGE>
23. TERM OF PLAN. The Plan shall become effective upon the earlier to
occur of its adoption by the Board of Directors or its approval by the
shareholders of the Company. It shall continue in effect for a term of ten (10)
years unless sooner terminated under Section 20 hereof.
24. AUTOMATIC TRANSFER TO LOW PRICE OFFERING PERIOD. To the extent
permitted by any applicable laws, regulations, or stock exchange rules if the
Fair Market Value of the Common Stock on any Exercise Date in an Offering
Period is lower than the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock on the
Enrollment Date of such Offering Period, then all participants in such
Offering Period shall be automatically withdrawn from such Offering Period
immediately after the exercise of their option on such Exercise Date and
automatically re-enrolled in the immediately following Offering Period as of
the first day thereof.
-10-
<PAGE>
EXHIBIT A
AEHR TEST SYSTEMS
1997 EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN
SUBSCRIPTION AGREEMENT
_____ Original Application Enrollment Date: ___________
_____ Change in Payroll Deduction Rate
_____ Change of Beneficiary(ies)
1. hereby elects to
participate in the Aehr Test Systems 1997 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the
"Employee Stock Purchase Plan") and subscribes to purchase shares of the
Company's Common Stock in accordance with this Subscription Agreement and
the Employee Stock Purchase Plan.
2. I hereby authorize payroll deductions from each paycheck in the amount of
% of my Compensation on each payday (up to 10%) during the Offering
Period in accordance with the Employee Stock Purchase Plan. (Please note
that no fractional percentages are permitted.)
3. I understand that said payroll deductions shall be accumulated for the
purchase of shares of Common Stock at the applicable Purchase Price
determined in accordance with the Employee Stock Purchase Plan. I
understand that if I do not withdraw from an Offering Period, any
accumulated payroll deductions will be used to automatically exercise my
option.
4. I have received a copy of the complete Employee Stock Purchase Plan. I
understand that my participation in the Employee Stock Purchase Plan is in
all respects subject to the terms of the Plan. I understand that my
ability to exercise the option under this Subscription Agreement is subject
to shareholder approval of the Employee Stock Purchase Plan.
5. Shares purchased for me under the Employee Stock Purchase Plan should be
issued in the name(s) of (Employee or Employee and Spouse only):
.
6. I understand that if I dispose of any shares received by me pursuant to the
Plan within 2 years after the Enrollment Date (the first day of the
Offering Period during which I purchased such shares) or one year after the
Exercise Date, I will be treated for federal income tax purposes as having
received ordinary income at the time of such disposition in an amount equal
to the excess of the fair market value of the shares at the time such
shares were purchased by me over the price which I paid for the shares. I
HEREBY AGREE TO NOTIFY THE COMPANY IN WRITING
<PAGE>
WITHIN 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF ANY DISPOSITION OF MY SHARES AND I WILL
MAKE ADEQUATE PROVISION FOR FEDERAL, STATE OR OTHER TAX WITHHOLDING
OBLIGATIONS, IF ANY, WHICH ARISE UPON THE DISPOSITION OF THE COMMON
STOCK. The Company may, but will not be obligated to, withhold from my
compensation the amount necessary to meet any applicable withholding
obligation including any withholding necessary to make available to the
Company any tax deductions or benefits attributable to sale or early
disposition of Common Stock by me. If I dispose of such shares at any
time after the expiration of the 2-year and 1-year holding periods, I
understand that I will be treated for federal income tax purposes as
having received income only at the time of such disposition, and that
such income will be taxed as ordinary income only to the extent of an
amount equal to the lesser of (1) the excess of the fair market value of
the shares at the time of such disposition over the purchase price which
I paid for the shares, or (2) 15% of the fair market value of the shares
on the first day of the Offering Period. The remainder of the gain, if
any, recognized on such disposition will be taxed as capital gain.
7. I hereby agree to be bound by the terms of the Employee Stock Purchase
Plan. The effectiveness of this Subscription Agreement is dependent upon
my eligibility to participate in the Employee Stock Purchase Plan.
8. In the event of my death, I hereby designate the following as my
beneficiary(ies) to receive all payments and shares due me under the
Employee Stock Purchase Plan:
NAME: (Please print)__________________________________________________
(First) (Middle) (Last)
_______________________________ ____________________________________
Relationship
____________________________________
(Address)
-2-
<PAGE>
Employee's Social
Security Number: ____________________________________
Employee's Address: ____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS SUBSCRIPTION AGREEMENT SHALL REMAIN IN EFFECT THROUGHOUT
SUCCESSIVE OFFERING PERIODS UNLESS TERMINATED BY ME.
Dated:_________________________ ____________________________________
Signature of Employee
____________________________________
Spouse's Signature
(If beneficiary other than spouse)
-3-
<PAGE>
EXHIBIT B
AEHR TEST SYSTEMS
1997 EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN
NOTICE OF WITHDRAWAL
The undersigned participant in the Offering Period of the Aehr Test Systems
1997 Employee Stock Purchase Plan which began on , 19 (the
"Enrollment Date") hereby notifies the Company that he or she hereby withdraws
from the Offering Period. He or she hereby directs the Company to pay to the
undersigned as promptly as practicable all the payroll deductions credited to
his or her account with respect to such Offering Period. The undersigned
understands and agrees that his or her option for such Offering Period will be
automatically terminated. The undersigned understands further that no further
payroll deductions will be made for the purchase of shares in the current
Offering Period and the undersigned shall be eligible to participate in
succeeding Offering Periods only by delivering to the Company a new Subscription
Agreement.
Name and Address of Participant:
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________
Signature:
________________________________
Date:__________________________
<PAGE>
INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT
This Indemnification Agreement ("AGREEMENT") is made as of this th day
of , 1997, by and between Aehr Test Systems, a California corporation
(the "COMPANY"), and ("INDEMNITEE").
WHEREAS, the Company and Indemnitee recognize the increasing difficulty in
obtaining directors' and officers' liability insurance, the significant
increases in the cost of such insurance and the general reductions in the
coverage of such insurance;
WHEREAS, the Company and Indemnitee further recognize the substantial
increase in corporate litigation in general, subjecting officers and directors
to expensive litigation risks at the same time as the availability and coverage
of liability insurance has been severely limited;
WHEREAS, Indemnitee does not regard the current protection available as
adequate under the present circumstances, and Indemnitee and other officers and
directors of the Company may not be willing to continue to serve as officers and
directors without additional protection; and
WHEREAS, the Company desires to attract and retain the services of highly
qualified individuals, such as Indemnitee, to serve as officers and directors of
the Company and to indemnify its officers and directors so as to provide them
with the maximum protection permitted by law.
NOW, THEREFORE, the Company and Indemnitee hereby agree as follows:
1. INDEMNIFICATION.
(a) THIRD PARTY PROCEEDINGS. The Company shall indemnify
Indemnitee if Indemnitee is or was a party or is threatened to be made a
party to any threatened, pending or completed action or proceeding,
whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an
action by or in the right of the Company) by reason of the fact that
Indemnitee is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the
Company, or any subsidiary of the Company, by reason of any action or
inaction on the part of Indemnitee while an officer or director or by
reason of the fact that Indemnitee is or was serving at the request of
the Company as a director, officer, employee or agent of another
corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise,
against expenses (including attorneys' fees), judgments, fines and
amounts paid in settlement (if such settlement is approved in advance by
the Company, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld) actually
and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee in connection with such action or
proceeding if Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner Indemnitee
reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the
Company, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no
reasonable cause to believe Indemnitee's conduct was unlawful. The
termination of any action or proceeding by judgment, order, settlement,
conviction, or upon a plea of NOLO CONTENDERE or its equivalent, shall
not, of itself, create a presumption that (i) Indemnitee did not act in
good faith and in a manner which Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in
or not opposed to the best
<PAGE>
interests of the Company, or (ii) with respect to any criminal action or
proceeding, Indemnitee had reasonable cause to believe that Indemnitee's
conduct was unlawful.
(b) PROCEEDINGS BY OR IN THE RIGHT OF THE COMPANY. The Company shall
indemnify Indemnitee if Indemnitee was or is a party or is threatened to be made
a party to any threatened, pending or completed action or proceeding by or in
the right of the Company or any subsidiary of the Company to procure a judgment
in its favor by reason of the fact that Indemnitee is or was a director,
officer, employee or agent of the Company, or any subsidiary of the Company, by
reason of any action or inaction on the part of Indemnitee while an officer or
director or by reason of the fact that Indemnitee is or was serving at the
request of the Company as a director, officer, employee or agent of another
corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against
expenses (including attorneys' fees) and, to the fullest extent permitted by
law, amounts paid in settlement, in each case to the extent actually and
reasonably incurred by Indemnitee in connection with the defense or settlement
of such action or proceeding if Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner
Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of
the Company and its shareholders, except that no indemnification shall be made
in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which Indemnitee shall have been
finally adjudicated by court orders or judgment to be liable to the Company in
the performance of Indemnitee's duty to the Company and its shareholders unless
and only to the extent that the court in which such action or proceeding is or
was pending shall determine upon application that, in view of all the
circumstances of the case, Indemnitee is fairly and reasonably entitled to
indemnity for expenses and then only to the extent that the court shall
determine.
2. EXPENSES; INDEMNIFICATION PROCEDURE.
(a) ADVANCEMENT OF EXPENSES. The Company shall advance all expenses
incurred by Indemnitee in connection with the investigation, defense, settlement
or appeal of any civil or criminal action or proceeding referenced in
Section 1(a) or (b) hereof (but not amounts actually paid in settlement of any
such action or proceeding). Indemnitee hereby undertakes to repay such amounts
advanced only if, and to the extent that, it shall ultimately be determined that
Indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified by the Company as authorized
hereby. The advances to be made hereunder shall be paid by the Company to
Indemnitee within twenty (20) days following delivery of a written request
therefor by Indemnitee to the Company.
(b) NOTICE/COOPERATION BY INDEMNITEE. Indemnitee shall, as a
condition precedent to his right to be indemnified under this Agreement,
give the Company notice in writing as soon as practicable of any claim
made against Indemnitee for which indemnification will or will be sought
under this Agreement. Notice to the Company shall be directed to the
Chief Executive Officer of the Company at the address shown on the
signature page of this Agreement (or such other address as the Company
shall designate in writing to Indemnitee). Notice shall be deemed
received three business days after the date postmarked if sent by
domestic certified or registered mail, properly addressed; otherwise
notice shall be deemed received when such notice shall actually be
received by the Company. In addition, Indemnitee shall give the Company
such information and cooperation as it may reasonably require and as
shall be within Indemnitee's power.
-2-
<PAGE>
(c) PROCEDURE. Any indemnification and advances provided for
in Section 1 and this Section 2 shall be made no later than forty-five
(45) days after receipt of the written request of Indemnitee. If a
claim under this Agreement, under any statute, or under any provision of
the Company's Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws providing for
indemnification, is not paid in full by the Company within forty-five
(45) days after a written request for payment thereof has first been
received by the Company, Indemnitee may, but need not, at any time
thereafter bring an action against the Company to recover the unpaid
amount of the claim and, subject to Section 12 of this Agreement,
Indemnitee shall also be entitled to be paid for the expenses (including
attorneys' fees) of bringing such action. It shall be a defense to any
such action (other than an action brought to enforce a claim for
expenses incurred in connection with any action or proceeding in advance
of its final disposition) that Indemnitee has not met the standards of
conduct which make it permissible under applicable law for the Company
to indemnify Indemnitee for the amount claimed, but the burden of
proving such defense shall be on the Company and Indemnitee shall be
entitled to receive interim payments of expenses pursuant to Subsection
2(a) unless and until such defense may be finally adjudicated by court
order or judgment from which no further right of appeal exists. It is
the parties' intention that if the Company contests Indemnitee's right
to indemnification, the question of Indemnitee's right to
indemnification shall be for the court to decide, and neither the
failure of the Company (including its Board of Directors, any committee
or subgroup of the Board of Directors, independent legal counsel, or its
shareholders) to have made a determination that indemnification of
Indemnitee is proper in the circumstances because Indemnitee has met the
applicable standard of conduct required by applicable law, nor an actual
determination by the Company (including its Board of Directors, any
committee or subgroup of the Board of Directors, independent legal
counsel, or its shareholders) that Indemnitee has not met such
applicable standard of conduct, shall create a presumption that
Indemnitee has or has not met the applicable standard of conduct.
(d) NOTICE TO INSURERS. If, at the time of the receipt of a
notice of a claim pursuant to Section 3(b) hereof, the Company has
director and officer liability insurance in effect, the Company shall
give prompt notice of the commencement of such proceeding to the
insurers in accordance with the procedures set forth in the respective
policies. The Company shall thereafter take all necessary or desirable
action to cause such insurers to pay, on behalf of the Indemnitee, all
amounts payable as a result of such proceeding in accordance with the
terms of such policies.
(e) SELECTION OF COUNSEL. In the event the Company shall be
obligated under Section 2(a) hereof to pay the expenses of any proceeding
against Indemnitee, the Company, if appropriate, shall be entitled to assume the
defense of such proceeding, with counsel approved by Indemnitee, which approval
shall not be reasonably withheld, upon the delivery to Indemnitee of written
notice of its election so to do. After delivery of such notice, approval of
such counsel by Indemnitee and the retention of such counsel by the Company, the
Company will not be liable to Indemnitee under this Agreement for any fees of
counsel subsequently incurred by Indemnitee with respect to the same proceeding,
provided that (i) Indemnitee shall have the right to employ his counsel in any
such proceeding at Indemnitee's expense; and (ii) if (A) the employment of
counsel by Indemnitee has been previously authorized by the Company,
(B) Indemnitee shall have reasonably concluded that there may be a conflict of
interest between the Company and Indemnitee in the conduct of any such defense,
or (C) the Company
-3-
<PAGE>
shall not, in fact, have employed counsel to assume the defense of such
proceeding, then the fees and expenses of Indemnitee's counsel shall be
at the expense of the Company.
3. ADDITIONAL INDEMNIFICATION RIGHTS; NONEXCLUSIVITY.
(a) SCOPE. Notwithstanding any other provision of this
Agreement, the Company hereby agrees to indemnify the Indemnitee to the
fullest extent permitted by law, notwithstanding that such
indemnification is not specifically authorized by the other provisions
of this Agreement, the Company's Articles of Incorporation, the
Company's Bylaws or by statute. In the event of any change, after the
date of this Agreement, in any applicable law, statute or rule which
expands the right of a California corporation to indemnify a member of
its Board of Directors, an officer or other corporate agent, such
changes shall be ipso facto, within the preview of Indemnitee's rights
and Company's obligations, under this Agreement. In the event of any
change in any applicable law, statute or rule which narrows the right of
a California corporation to indemnify a member of its Board of
Directors, an officer or other corporate agent, such changes, to the
extent not otherwise required by such law, statute or rule to be applied
to this Agreement shall have no effect on this Agreement or the parties'
rights and obligations hereunder.
(b) NONEXCLUSIVITY. The indemnification provided by this
Agreement shall not be deemed exclusive of any rights to which
Indemnitee may be entitled under the Company's Articles of
Incorporation, its Bylaws, any agreement, any vote of shareholders or
disinterested Directors, the Corporation Law of the State of California,
or otherwise, both as to action in Indemnitee's official capacity and as
to action in another capacity while holding such office. The
indemnification provided under this Agreement shall continue as to
Indemnitee for any action taken or not taken while serving in an
indemnified capacity even though he may have ceased to serve in such
capacity at the time of any action, suit or other covered proceeding.
4. PARTIAL INDEMNIFICATION. If Indemnitee is entitled under any
provision of this Agreement to indemnification by the Company for some
or a portion of the expenses, judgments, fines or penalties actually or
reasonably incurred by him in the investigation, defense, appeal or
settlement of any civil or criminal action or proceeding, but not,
however, for the total amount thereof, the Company shall nevertheless
indemnify Indemnitee for the portion of such expenses, judgments, fines
or penalties to which Indemnitee is entitled.
5. MUTUAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. Both the Company and Indemnitee
acknowledge that in certain instances, Federal law or applicable public
policy may prohibit the Company from indemnifying its directors and
officers under this Agreement or otherwise. Indemnitee understands and
acknowledges that the Company has undertaken or may be required in the
future to undertake with the Securities and Exchange Commission to
submit the question of indemnification to a court in certain
circumstances for a determination of the Company's right under public
policy to indemnify Indemnitee.
-4-
<PAGE>
6. OFFICER AND DIRECTOR LIABILITY INSURANCE. The Company shall,
from time to time, make the good faith determination whether or not it
is practicable for the Company to obtain and maintain a policy or
policies of insurance with reputable insurance companies providing the
officers and directors of the Company with coverage for losses from
wrongful acts, or to ensure the Company's performance of its
indemnification obligations under this Agreement. Among other
considerations, the Company will weigh the costs of obtaining such
insurance coverage against the protection afforded by such coverage. In
all policies of director and officer liability insurance, Indemnitee
shall be named as an insured in such a manner as to provide Indemnitee
the same rights and benefits as are accorded to the most favorably
insured of the Company's directors, if Indemnitee is a director; or of
the Company's officers, if Indemnitee is not a director of the Company
but is an officer; or of the Company's key employees, if Indemnitee is
not an officer or director but is a key employee. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, the Company shall have no obligation to obtain or maintain
such insurance if the Company determines in good faith that such
insurance is not reasonably available, if the premium costs for such
insurance are disproportionate to the amount of coverage provided, if
the coverage provided by such insurance is limited by exclusions so as
to provide an insufficient benefit, or if Indemnitee is covered by
similar insurance maintained by a subsidiary or parent of the Company.
7. SEVERABILITY. Nothing in this Agreement is intended to require or
shall be construed as requiring the Company to do or fail to do any act in
violation of applicable law. The Company's inability, pursuant to court order,
to perform its obligations under this Agreement shall not constitute a breach of
this Agreement. The provisions of this Agreement shall be severable as provided
in this Section 8. If this Agreement or any portion hereof shall be invalidated
on any ground by any court of competent jurisdiction, then the Company shall
nevertheless indemnify Indemnitee to the full extent permitted by any applicable
portion of this Agreement that shall not have been invalidated, and the balance
of this Agreement not so invalidated shall be enforceable in accordance with its
terms.
8. EXCEPTIONS. Any other provision herein to the contrary
notwithstanding, the Company shall not be obligated pursuant to the terms of
this Agreement:
(a) EXCLUDED ACTS. To indemnify Indemnitee for any acts or omissions
or transactions from which a director may not be relieved of liability under the
California General Corporation Law.
(b) CLAIMS INITIATED BY INDEMNITEE. To indemnify or advance expenses
to Indemnitee with respect to proceedings or claims initiated or brought
voluntarily by Indemnitee and not by way of defense, except with respect to
proceedings brought to establish or enforce a right to indemnification under
this Agreement or any other statute or law or otherwise as required under
Section 317 of the California Corporation Law, but such indemnification or
advancement of expenses may be provided by the Company in specific cases if the
Board of Directors has approved the initiation or bringing of such suit; or
(c) LACK OF GOOD FAITH. To indemnify Indemnitee for any expenses
incurred by the Indemnitee with respect to any proceeding instituted by
Indemnitee to enforce or interpret this
-5-
<PAGE>
Agreement, if a court of competent jurisdiction determines that each of
the material assertions made by the Indemnitee in such proceeding was
not made in good faith or was frivolous; or
(d) INSURED CLAIMS. To indemnify Indemnitee for expenses or
liabilities of any type whatsoever (including, but not limited to, judgments,
fines, ERISA excise taxes or penalties, and amounts paid in settlement) which
have been paid directly to Indemnitee by an insurance carrier under a policy of
officers' and directors' liability insurance maintained by the Company.
(e) CLAIMS UNDER SECTION 16(b). To indemnify Indemnitee for expenses
and the payment of profits arising from the purchase and sale by Indemnitee of
securities in violation of Section 16(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
as amended, or any similar successor statute.
9. CONSTRUCTION OF CERTAIN PHRASES.
(a) For purposes of this Agreement, references to the "Company" shall
include, in addition to the resulting corporation, any constituent corporation
(including any constituent of a constituent) absorbed in a consolidation or
merger which, if its separate existence had continued, would have had power and
authority to indemnify its directors, officers, and employees or agents, so that
if Indemnitee is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of such
constituent corporation, or is or was serving at the request of such constituent
corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation,
partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, Indemnitee shall stand in
the same position under the provisions of this Agreement with respect to the
resulting or surviving corporation as Indemnitee would have with respect to such
constituent corporation if its separate existence had continued.
(b) For purposes of this Agreement, references to "other enterprises"
shall include employee benefit plans; references to "fines" shall include any
excise taxes assessed on Indemnitee with respect to an employee benefit plan;
and references to "serving at the request of the Company" shall include any
service as a director, officer, employee or agent of the Company which imposes
duties on, or involves services by, such director, officer, employee or agent
with respect to an employee benefit plan, its participants, or beneficiaries;
and if Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner Indemnitee reasonably
believed to be in the interest of the participants and beneficiaries of an
employee benefit plan, Indemnitee shall be deemed to have acted in a manner "not
opposed to the best interests of the Company" as referred to in this Agreement.
10. COUNTERPARTS. This Agreement may be executed in one or more
counterparts, each of which shall constitute an original.
11. SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS. This Agreement shall be binding upon the
Company and its successors and assigns, and shall inure to the benefit of
Indemnitee and Indemnitee's estate, heirs, legal representatives and assigns.
-6-
<PAGE>
12. ATTORNEYS' FEES. In the event that any action is instituted by
Indemnitee under this Agreement to enforce or interpret any of the terms hereof,
Indemnitee shall be entitled to be paid all costs and expenses, including
reasonable attorneys' fees, incurred by Indemnitee with respect to such action,
unless as a part of such action, the court of competent jurisdiction determines
that each of the material assertions made by Indemnitee as a basis for such
action were not made in good faith or were frivolous. In the event of an action
instituted by or in the name of the Company under this Agreement or to enforce
or interpret any of the terms of this Agreement, Indemnitee shall be entitled to
be paid all costs and expenses, including reasonable attorneys' fees, incurred
by Indemnitee in defense of such action (including with respect to Indemnitee's
counterclaims and cross-claims made in such action), unless as a part of such
action the court determines that each of Indemnitee's material defenses to such
action were made in bad faith or were frivolous.
13. NOTICE. All notices, requests, demands and other communications under
this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed duly given (i) if
delivered by hand and receipted for by the party addressee, on the date of such
receipt, or (ii) if mailed by domestic certified or registered mail with postage
prepaid, on the third business day after the date postmarked. Addresses for
notice to either party are as shown on the signature page of this Agreement, or
as subsequently modified by written notice.
14. CONSENT TO JURISDICTION. The Company and Indemnitee each hereby
irrevocably consent to the jurisdiction of the courts of the State of California
for all purposes in connection with any action or proceeding which arises out of
or relates to this Agreement and agree that any action instituted under this
Agreement shall be brought only in the state courts of the State of California.
15. CHOICE OF LAW. This Agreement shall be governed by and its provisions
construed in accordance with the laws of the State of California, as applied to
contracts between California residents entered into and to be performed entirely
within California.
16. SUBROGATION. In the event of payment under this Agreement, the
Company shall be subrogated to the extent of such payment to all of the rights
of recovery of Indemnitee, who shall execute all documents required and shall do
all acts that may be necessary to secure such rights and to enable to
corporation effectively to bring suit to enforce such rights.
17. CONTINUATION OF INDEMNIFICATION. All agreements and obligations of
the Company contained herein shall continue during the period that Indemnitee is
a director, officer or agent of the Company and shall continue thereafter so
long as Indemnitee shall be subject to any possible claim or threatened, pending
or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, arbitrational,
administrative or investigative, by reason of the fact that Indemnitee was
serving in the capacity referred to herein.
18. AMENDMENT AND TERMINATION. Subject to Section 17, no amendment,
modification, termination or cancellation of this Agreement shall be effective
unless in writing signed by both parties hereto.
-7-
<PAGE>
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of
the date first above written.
AEHR TEST SYSTEMS
By:______________________________
Title:___________________________
Address: 1667 Plymouth Street
Mountain View, CA 94043
AGREED TO AND ACCEPTED:
INDEMNITEE:
_____________________________
______________________________
(print name)
______________________________
(address)
______________________________
-8-
<PAGE>
EXHIBIT 11.1
AEHR TEST SYSTEMS AND SUBSIDIARIES
COMPUTATIONS OF NET INCOME (LOSS) PER SHARE
(IN THOUSANDS, EXCEPT PER SHARE DATA)
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
YEAR ENDED MAY 31,
-------------------------------
1995 1996 1997
--------- --------- ---------
<S> <C> <C> <C>
Primary:
Weighted average common shares outstanding........................................ 4,319 4,303 4,297
Weighted average common equivalent shares assuming conversion of stock options
under the treasury stock method................................................. -- 61 116
Common and common equivalent shares pursuant to Staff Accounting Bulletin No.
83.............................................................................. 123 123 123
--------- --------- ---------
Shares used in per share calculations............................................... 4,442 4,487 4,536
--------- --------- ---------
--------- --------- ---------
Net income (loss)................................................................... $ (1,987) $ 1,400 $ 3,315
--------- --------- ---------
--------- --------- ---------
Net income (loss) per share......................................................... $ (0.45) $ 0.31 $ 0.73
--------- --------- ---------
--------- --------- ---------
</TABLE>
The difference between primary and fully diluted earnings (loss) per share
is less than $0.01 for each period presented.
<PAGE>
EXHIBIT 23.1
CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS
We consent to the inclusion in this registration statement of Form S-1 (File
No. 333-28987) of our reports dated June 30, 1997 on our audits of the financial
statements and financial statement schedule of Aehr Test Systems and
Subsidiaries. We also consent to the reference to our firm under the caption
"Experts."
COOPERS & LYBRAND L.L.P.
San Jose, California
July 17, 1997
<TABLE> <S> <C>
<PAGE>
<ARTICLE> 5
<LEGEND>
THIS SCHEDULE CONTAINS SUMMARY FINANCIAL INFORMATION EXTRACTED FROM AEHR TEST
SYSTEMS - YEAR ENDED MAY 31, 1996 AND IS QUALIFIED IN ITS ENTIRETY BY REFERENCE
TO SUCH FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.
</LEGEND>
<MULTIPLIER> 1,000
<S> <C> <C>
<PERIOD-TYPE> YEAR YEAR
<FISCAL-YEAR-END> MAY-31-1996 MAY-31-1997
<PERIOD-START> JUN-01-1995 JUN-01-1996
<PERIOD-END> MAY-31-1996 MAY-31-1997
<CASH> 2,481 2,790
<SECURITIES> 0 0
<RECEIVABLES> 10,806 7,785
<ALLOWANCES> (241) (270)
<INVENTORY> 7,921 10,498
<CURRENT-ASSETS> 21,226 21,858
<PP&E> 9,449 9,547
<DEPRECIATION> (8,067) (7,856)
<TOTAL-ASSETS> 23,749 24,389
<CURRENT-LIABILITIES> 16,427 13,963
<BONDS> 0 0
0 0
0 0
<COMMON> 8,137 8,128
<OTHER-SE> (1,348) 1,942
<TOTAL-LIABILITY-AND-EQUITY> 23,749 24,389
<SALES> 33,234 42,020
<TOTAL-REVENUES> 33,234 42,020
<CGS> 19,942 25,715
<TOTAL-COSTS> 19,942 25,715
<OTHER-EXPENSES> 10,756 12,621
<LOSS-PROVISION> 0 0
<INTEREST-EXPENSE> 446 577
<INCOME-PRETAX> 1,531 2,542
<INCOME-TAX> 130 (773)
<INCOME-CONTINUING> 1,400 3,315
<DISCONTINUED> 0 0
<EXTRAORDINARY> 0 0
<CHANGES> 0 0
<NET-INCOME> 1,400 3,315
<EPS-PRIMARY> .31 .73
<EPS-DILUTED> .31 .73
</TABLE>
