INPHI 10-Q 7 May 14 2014 Q1 Quarterly report Financial data

Document_and_Entity_Informatio

Document and Entity Information	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014	1-May-14
Document Information [Line Items]	'	'
Document Type	'10-Q	'
Amendment Flag	'false	'
Document Period End Date	31-Mar-14	'
Document Fiscal Year Focus	'2014	'
Document Fiscal Period Focus	'Q1	'
Trading Symbol	'IPHI	'
Entity Registrant Name	'INPHI CORP	'
Entity Central Index Key	'0001160958	'
Current Fiscal Year End Date	'--12-31	'
Entity Filer Category	'Accelerated Filer	'
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding	'	31,312,009

CONDENSED_CONSOLIDATED_BALANCE

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Current assets:	'	'
Cash and cash equivalents	$27,834	$31,667
Investments in marketable securities	89,159	90,890
Accounts receivable, net	18,057	13,073
Inventories	7,205	6,767
Deferred tax assets	1,099	1,099
Income tax receivable	198	240
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	3,553	2,361
Total current assets	147,105	146,097
Property and equipment, net	24,595	22,460
Goodwill	5,875	5,875
Deferred tax charge	3,965	4,200
Other assets, net	4,335	3,710
Total assets	185,875	182,342
Current liabilities:	'	'
Accounts payable	8,580	7,280
Deferred revenue	1,500	1,686
Accrued employee expenses	3,156	4,626
Other accrued expenses	1,822	1,611
Other current liabilities	1,894	1,881
Total current liabilities	16,952	17,084
Other long-term liabilities	6,036	5,865
Total liabilities	22,988	22,949
Commitments and contingencies (Note 13)	'	'
Stockholders' equity:	'	'
Preferred stock, $0.001 par value; 10,000,000 shares authorized; no shares issued	'	'
Common stock, $0.001 par value; 500,000,000 shares authorized; 31,126,706 and 30,244,439 issued and outstanding at March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013, respectively	31	30
Additional paid-in capital	229,445	225,007
Accumulated deficit	-67,577	-66,582
Accumulated other comprehensive income	988	938
Total stockholders' equity	162,887	159,393
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	$185,875	$182,342

CONDENSED_CONSOLIDATED_BALANCE1

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Parenthetical) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Preferred stock, par value	$0.00	$0.00
Preferred stock, shares authorized	10,000,000	10,000,000
Preferred stock, no shares issued	'	'
Common stock, par value	$0.00	$0.00
Common stock, shares authorized	500,000,000	500,000,000
Common stock, shares issued	31,126,706	30,244,439
Common stock, shares outstanding	31,126,706	30,244,439

CONDENSED_CONSOLIDATED_STATEME

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013
Revenue	$31,189	$22,584
Cost of revenue	11,063	8,292
Gross profit	20,126	14,292
Operating expense:	'	'
Research and development	13,739	11,598
Sales and marketing	3,950	3,947
General and administrative	3,065	3,155
Total operating expense	20,754	18,700
Loss from operations	-628	-4,408
Other income	160	213
Loss before income taxes	-468	-4,195
Provision for income taxes	527	3,476
Net loss	($995)	($7,671)
Earnings per share:	'	'
Basic	($0.03)	($0.27)
Diluted	($0.03)	($0.27)
Weighted-average shares used in computing earnings per share:	'	'
Basic	30,697,808	28,933,105
Diluted	30,697,808	28,933,105

Recovered_Sheet1

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013
Net loss	($995)	($7,671)
Other comprehensive income (loss):	'	'
Change in unrealized gain, net of $0 tax	50	'
Realized gain reclassified into earnings, net of $0 tax	'	-13
Comprehensive loss	($945)	($7,684)

Condensed_Consolidated_Stateme1

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Parenthetical) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013
Change in unrealized gain, tax	$0	'
Realized gain reclassified earnings, tax	'	$0

Recovered_Sheet2

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013
Cash flows from operating activities	'	'
Net loss	($995)	($7,671)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by operating activities:	'	'
Depreciation and amortization	2,357	1,684
Stock-based compensation	4,506	4,026
Deferred income taxes and deferred tax charge	213	697
Excess tax benefit related to stock-based compensation	'	-1,998
Amortization of premiums on marketable securities	228	269
Other noncash items	'	-13
Changes in assets and liabilities:	'	'
Accounts receivable	-4,984	1,762
Inventories	-438	-107
Prepaid expenses and other assets	-1,782	9
Income tax payable/receivable	337	2,874
Accounts payable	34	154
Accrued expenses	-1,329	-1,059
Deferred revenue	-186	333
Other liabilities	-89	137
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	-2,128	1,097
Cash flows from investing activities	'	'
Purchases of property and equipment	-3,156	-3,745
Purchases of marketable securities	-16,713	-11,181
Sales and maturities of marketable securities	18,231	10,564
Net cash used in investing activities	-1,638	-4,362
Cash flows from financing activities	'	'
Proceeds from exercise of stock options	1,231	363
Excess tax benefit related to stock-based compensation	'	1,998
Proceeds from employee stock purchase plan	1,303	989
Minimum tax withholding paid on behalf of employees for restricted stock units	-2,601	-510
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	-67	2,840
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents	-3,833	-425
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	31,667	30,161
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	$27,834	$29,736

Organization_and_Basis_of_Pres

Organization and Basis of Presentation	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Organization and Basis of Presentation	'
	1. Organization and Basis of Presentation
	Inphi Corporation (the “Company”), a Delaware corporation, was incorporated in November 2000. The Company is a fabless provider of high-speed analog and mixed signal semiconductor solutions for the communications, data center and computing markets. The Company’s semiconductor solutions are designed to address bandwidth bottlenecks in networks, maximize throughput and minimize latency in computing environments and enable the rollout of next generation communications, data center and computing infrastructures. In addition, the semiconductor solutions provide a vital high-speed interface between analog signals and digital information in high-performance systems such as telecommunications transport systems, enterprise networking equipment, data centers and enterprise servers, storage platforms, test and measurement equipment and military systems.
	The interim unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”), for interim financial information and with the instructions to Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), Form 10-Q and Article 10 of SEC Regulation S-X. They do not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. Therefore, these financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto for the year ended December 31, 2013, included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 5, 2014.
	The interim condensed consolidated financial statements included herein are unaudited; however, they contain all normal recurring accruals and adjustments that, in the opinion of management, are necessary to state fairly the Company’s consolidated financial position at March 31, 2014, and its consolidated results of operations and cash flows for the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013. The results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2014 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for future quarters or the full year.

Recent_Accounting_Pronouncemen

Recent Accounting Pronouncements	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Recent Accounting Pronouncements	'
	2. Recent Accounting Pronouncements
	In January 2014, the Company adopted the guidance on the “Presentation of an Unrecognized Tax Benefit When a Net Operating Loss Carryforward, a Similar Tax Loss, or a Tax Credit Carryforward Exists.” The guidance provides that an unrecognized tax benefit, or a portion of an unrecognized tax benefit, should be presented in the financial statements as a reduction to a deferred tax asset for a net operating loss carryforward, a similar tax loss, or a tax credit carryforward, except as follows. To the extent a net operating loss carryforward, a similar tax loss, or a tax credit carryforward is not available at the reporting date under the tax law of the applicable jurisdiction to settle any additional income taxes that would result from the disallowance of a tax position or the tax law of the applicable jurisdiction does not require the entity to use, and the entity does not intend to use, the deferred tax asset for such purpose, the unrecognized tax benefit should be presented in the financial statements as a liability and should not be combined with deferred tax assets. The assessment of whether a deferred tax asset is available is based on the unrecognized tax benefit and deferred tax asset that exist at the reporting date and should be made presuming disallowance of the tax position at the reporting date. The amendments in this update do not require new recurring disclosures. The adoption of this guidance has no impact on the Company’s financial statements.

Investments

Investments	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Investments	'
	3. Investments
	The following table summarizes the investments by investment category:
		March 31, 2014				December 31, 2013
		Cost		Fair Value		Cost		Fair Value
	Available-for-sale securities:
	U.S. treasury securities	$	21,676	$	21,689	$	25,061	$	25,072
	Municipal bonds		33,796		33,901		34,912		34,983
	Corporate notes/bonds		31,537		31,635		28,565		28,648
	Certificate of deposit		1,500		1,500		1,500		1,501
	Asset backed securities		434		434		685		686
	Total investments	$	88,943	$	89,159	$	90,723	$	90,890
	As of March 31, 2014, we had 13 investments that were in an unrealized loss position. The gross unrealized losses on these investments at March 31, 2014 of $50 were determined to be temporary in nature. The Company reviews the investments to identify and evaluate investments that have an indication of possible other-than-temporary impairment. Factors considered in determining whether a loss is other-than-temporary include the length of time and extent to which fair value has been less than the cost basis, the financial condition and near-term prospects of the investee, and the intent and ability to hold the investment for a period of time sufficient to allow for any anticipated recovery in market value.
	The realized gain related to the Company’s available-for-sale investment, which were reclassified from other comprehensive income, was included in other income in the consolidated statements of income.
	The contractual maturities of available-for-sale securities at March 31, 2014 are presented in the following table:
		Cost		Fair Value
	Due in one year or less	$	34,094	$	34,165
	Due between one and five years		54,849		54,994
		$	88,943	$	89,159

Inventories

Inventories	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Inventories	'
	4. Inventories
	Inventories consist of the following:
		March 31,		December 31,
		2014		2013
	Raw materials	$	767	$	670
	Work in process		2,012		2,001
	Finished goods		4,426		4,096
		$	7,205	$	6,767
	Finished goods held by distributors were $490 and $543 as of March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013, respectively.

Property_and_Equipment_net

Property and Equipment, net	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Property and Equipment, net	'
	5. Property and Equipment, net
	Property and equipment consist of the following:
		March 31,			December 31,
		2014			2013
	Laboratory and production equipment	$	37,769		$	34,443
	Office, software and computer equipment		9,388			8,649
	Furniture and fixtures		834			834
	Leasehold improvements		3,951			3,952
			51,942			47,878
	Less accumulated depreciation		(27,347	)		(25,418	)
		$	24,595		$	22,460
	Depreciation and amortization expense of property and equipment for the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013 was $2,357 and $1,684, respectively.
	As of March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013, computer software costs included in property and equipment were $3,033 and $2,815, respectively. Amortization expense of capitalized computer software costs was $103 and $66 for the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively.

Product_Warranty_Obligation

Product Warranty Obligation	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Product Warranty Obligation	'
	6. Product Warranty Obligation
	As of March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013, the product warranty liability was $40. There was no movement in product warranty liability during the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013.

Other_longterm_liabilities

Other long-term liabilities	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Other long-term liabilities	'
	7. Other long-term liabilities
	Other long-term liabilities consist of the following:
		March 31,		December 31,
		2014		2013
	Deferred rent	$	1,368	$	1,471
	Income tax payable		3,569		3,295
	Deferred tax liabilities		1,099		1,099
		$	6,036	$	5,865

Income_Taxes

Income Taxes	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Income Taxes	'
	8. Income Taxes
	The Company normally determines its interim provision using an estimated single annual effective tax rate for all tax jurisdictions. ASC 740 provides that when an entity operates in a jurisdiction that has generated ordinary losses on a year-to-date basis or on the basis of the results anticipated for the full fiscal year and no benefit can be recognized on those losses, a separate effective tax rate should be computed and applied to ordinary income (or loss) in that jurisdiction. The Company incurred pretax loss during the three months ended March 31, 2014 from the Singapore operation and will not recognize tax benefit of the losses due to full valuation allowance established against deferred tax assets. Thus, separate effective tax rate was applied to losses from each loss jurisdiction to compute the Company’s interim tax expense. In addition, the discrete method was used to calculate the Company’s interim tax expense for the U.S. operations for the three months ended March 31, 2014. The Company has determined that a calculation of an annual effective tax rate would not represent a reliable estimate due to the sensitivity of the annual effective tax rate estimate to even minimal changes to forecasted earnings of the U.S. operations for the year. Under the discrete method, the Company determines its tax expense based upon actual results as if the interim period were an annual period.
	The Company recorded an income tax expense of $527 and $3,476 in the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively. The effective tax rates were (113%) and (83%) in the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively. The difference between the effective tax rates and the 34% and 35% federal statutory rate in the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively, resulted primarily due to the change in valuation allowance, foreign income taxes provided at lower rates, geographic mix in expected operating results, unrecognized tax benefits, stock-based compensation adjustments and recognition of state research and development credits.
	During the three months ended March 31, 2014, the gross amount of the Company’s unrecognized tax benefits increased approximately $556 as a result of tax positions taken during the current year. Substantially all of the unrecognized tax benefits as of March 31, 2014, if recognized, would affect the Company’s effective tax rate. The Company believes that in the next twelve months, it is reasonably possible that statute of limitation on income tax examination period will expire. Given the uncertainty, the Company can only determine a range of estimated potential decreases in underlying unrecognized tax benefits ranging from $0 to approximately $875.
	The Company does not provide for U.S. income taxes on undistributed earnings of its controlled foreign corporations that are intended to be invested indefinitely outside the United States.

Earnings_Per_Share

Earnings Per Share	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Earnings Per Share	'
	9. Earnings Per Share
	The following shows the computation of basic and diluted earnings per share:
		Three Months
		Ended March 31,
		2014			2013
	Numerator
	Net loss	$	(995	)	$	(7,671	)
	Denominator
	Weighted average common stock		30,699,590			28,943,810
	Less weighted average unvested restricted stock award		(1,782	)		(10,705	)
	Weighted average common stock—basic and diluted		30,697,808			28,933,105
	Earnings per share
	Basic	$	(0.03	)	$	(0.27	)
	Diluted	$	(0.03	)	$	(0.27	)
	The following securities were not included in the computation of diluted earnings per share as inclusion would have been anti-dilutive:
		Three Months
		Ended March 31,
		2014			2013
	Common stock options		3,760,969			4,623,434
	Restricted stock unit		2,771,758			2,889,093
	Restricted stock award		1,782			10,705
	Common stock warrant		—			2,142
			6,534,509			7,525,374

StockBased_Compensation

Stock-Based Compensation	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Stock-Based Compensation	'
	10. Stock–Based Compensation
	In 2000, the Company adopted the 2000 Stock Option/Stock Issuance Plan (the “2000 Plan”). Under the provisions of the 2000 Plan, employees, outside directors, consultants and other independent advisors who provide services to the Company may be issued incentive and non-qualified stock options to purchase common stock or may be issued shares of common stock directly. The Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors (the “Board”) is authorized to administer the 2000 Plan and establish the stock option terms, including the exercise price and vesting period. Options granted under the plan may have varying vesting schedules; however, options generally vest 25% upon completion of one year of service and thereafter in 36 equal monthly installments. Options granted are immediately exercisable and the shares issued upon exercise of the option are subject to a repurchase right held by the Company. The repurchase price under the repurchase right is the original exercise price and the right lapses in accordance with the option-vesting schedule. As of March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013, there were no unvested shares outstanding subject to the Company’s right of repurchase. The vesting of certain options granted or shares issued under the 2000 Plan is subject to acceleration of vesting upon the occurrence of certain events as defined in the 2000 Plan.
	Under the 2000 Plan, the exercise price, in the case of an incentive stock option, cannot be less than 100%, and in the case of a nonqualified stock option, not less than 85%, of the fair market value of such shares on the date of grant. The term of the option is determined by the Compensation Committee but in no case can exceed 10 years.
	In June 2010, the Board approved the Company’s 2010 Stock Incentive Plan (the “2010 Plan”), which became effective in November 2010. The 2010 Plan provides for the grants of restricted stock, stock appreciation rights and stock unit awards to employees, non-employee directors, advisors and consultants. The Compensation Committee administers the 2010 Plan, including the determination of the recipient of an award, the number of shares subject to each award, whether an option is to be classified as an incentive stock option or nonstatutory option, and the terms and conditions of each award, including the exercise and purchase prices and the vesting or duration of the award. Options granted under the 2010 Plan are exercisable only upon vesting. At March 31, 2014, 3,266,912 shares of common stock have been reserved for future grants under the 2010 Plan.
	Stock Option Awards
	The fair value of each option grant is estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option pricing model with the following weighted average assumptions:
		Three Months Ended
		March 31,
		2014			2013
	Risk-free interest rate		—			1.3	%
	Expected life (in years)		—			6.25
	Dividend yield		—			—
	Expected volatility		—			50	%
	The following table summarizes information regarding options outstanding:
		Number of			Weighted			Weighted		Aggregate
		Shares			Average			Average		Intrinsic
					Exercise			Remaining		Value
					Price			Contractual
								Life
	Outstanding at December 31, 2013		3,883,097		$	9.26			6.33	$	16,229
	Granted		—			—
	Exercised		(369,280	)		3.33
	Canceled		(44,071	)		10.25
	Outstanding at March 31, 2014		3,469,746		$	9.88			6.55	$	22,158
	Exercisable at March 31, 2014		2,378,360		$	9.44			5.94	$	17,450
	Vested at March 31, 2014		2,263,552		$	8.86			5.94	$	16,715
	Vested and expected to vest at March 31, 2014		3,447,063		$	9.86			6.54	$	22,055
	The intrinsic value of options outstanding, exercisable and vested and expected to vest is calculated based on the difference between the exercise price and the fair value of the Company’s common stock as of the respective balance sheet dates.
	The weighted average grant date fair value per share of stock options granted to employees during the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013 was $0 and $4.37, respectively.
	The total intrinsic value of options exercised during the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013 was $4,343 and $818, respectively. The intrinsic value of exercised options is calculated based on the difference between the exercise price and the fair value of the Company’s common stock as of the exercise date. Cash received from the exercise of stock options was $1,231 and $363 for the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively.
	Restricted Stock Units and Awards
	The Company granted restricted stock units (“RSUs”) to members of the Board and employees. Most of the Company’s outstanding RSUs vest over four years with vesting contingent upon continuous service. The Company estimates the fair value of RSUs using the market price of the common stock on the date of the grant. The fair value of these awards is amortized on a straight-line basis over the vesting period.
	The following table summarizes information regarding outstanding restricted stock units:
		Number of			Weighted
		Shares			Average
					Grant Date Fair
					Value Per Share
	Outstanding at December 31, 2013		3,209,567		$	11.69
	Granted		72,892			12.99
	Vested		(584,076	)		11.32
	Canceled		(84,217	)		11.42
	Outstanding at March 31, 2014		2,614,166			11.82
	Expected to vest at March 31, 2014		2,531,232
	The Company granted restricted stock awards (“RSAs”) to certain members of the Board. The Company estimates the fair value of RSAs using the market price of the common stock on the date of the grant. As of December 31, 2013, the Company had 2,851 outstanding unvested RSAs, 1,069 of which vested during the three months ended March 31, 2014 resulting to 1,782 unvested RSAs outstanding as of March 31, 2014.
	Employee Stock Purchase Plan
	In December 2011, the Company adopted the Employee Stock Purchase Plan (“ESPP”). Participants purchase the Company’s stock using payroll deductions, which may not exceed 15% of their total cash compensation. Pursuant to the terms of the ESPP, the “look-back” period for the stock purchase price is six months. Offering and purchase periods will begin on February 10 and August 10 of each year. Participants will be granted the right to purchase common stock at a price per share that is 85% of the lesser of the fair market value of the Company’s common shares at the beginning or the end of each six-month period.
	The ESPP imposes certain limitations upon an employee’s right to acquire common stock, including the following: (i) no employee shall be granted a right to participate if such employee immediately after the election to purchase common stock, would own stock possessing 5% or more to the total combined voting power or value of all classes of stock of the Company, and (ii) no employee may be granted rights to purchase more than $25 fair value of common stock for each calendar year. The maximum aggregate number of shares of common stock available for purchase under the ESPP is one million shares. Total common stock issued under the ESPP during the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013 was 131,007 and 125,177, respectively.
	The fair value of employee stock purchase plan is estimated at the start of offering period using the Black-Scholes option pricing model with the following assumptions:
		Three Months Ended
		March 31,
		2014			2013
	Risk-free interest rate		0.08	%		0.12	%
	Expected life (in years)		0.49			0.49
	Dividend yield		—			—
	Expected volatility		34	%		47	%
	Estimated fair value	$	3		$	2.63
	Stock-Based Compensation Expense
	Stock-based compensation expense is included in the Company’s results of operations as follows:
		Three Months
		Ended March 31,
		2014			2013
	Operating expenses
	Cost of goods sold	$	251		$	233
Research and development		2,389			1,973
Sales and marketing		858			803
General and administrative		1,008			1,017
	$	4,506		$	4,026
Total unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested stock options at March 31, 2014, prior to the consideration of expected forfeitures, is approximately $31,168 and is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 2.39 years.

Fair_Value_Measurements

Fair Value Measurements	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Fair Value Measurements	'
	11. Fair Value Measurements
	The guidance on fair value measurements requires fair value measurements to be classified and disclosed in one of the following three categories:
	Level 1: Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets that are accessible at the measurement date for identical, unrestricted assets or liabilities;
	Level 2: Quoted prices in markets that are not active, or inputs which are observable, either directly or indirectly, for substantially the full term of the asset or liability, or
	Level 3: Prices or valuation techniques that require inputs that are both significant to the fair value measurement and unobservable (i.e., supported by little or no market activity).
	The Company measures its investments in marketable securities at fair value using the market approach, which uses prices and other relevant information generated by market transactions involving identical or comparable assets or liabilities. The Company has cash equivalents which consist of money market funds valued using the amortized cost method, in accordance with Rule 2a-7 under the 1940 Act which approximates fair value.
	The Company determines the amount of transfers between Levels 1 and 2 or transfers into or out of Level 3 by using the end-of-period fair value. The Company had no transfers among the fair value hierarchy during the three months ended March 31, 2014.
	The following table presents information about assets required to be carried at fair value on a recurring basis:
	March 31, 2014	Total		Level 1		Level 2
	Assets
	Cash equivalents:
	Money market funds	$	7,180	$	—	$	7,180
	Investment in marketable securities:
	U.S. treasury securities		21,689		21,689		—
	Municipal bonds		33,901		—		33,901
	Corporate notes/bonds		31,635		—		31,635
	Certificate of deposit		1,500		—		1,500
	Asset backed securities		434		—		434
		$	96,339	$	21,689	$	74,650
	December 31, 2013	Total		Level 1		Level 2
	Assets
	Cash equivalents:
	Money market funds	$	5,119	$	—	$	5,119
	Investment in marketable securities:
	U.S. treasury securities		25,072		25,072		—
	Municipal bonds		34,983		—		34,983
	Corporate notes/bonds		28,648		—		28,648
	Certificate of deposit		1,501		—		1,501
	Asset backed securities		686		—		686
		$	96,009	$	25,072	$	70,937

Segment_and_Geographic_Informa

Segment and Geographic Information	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Segment and Geographic Information	'
	12. Segment and Geographic Information
	The Company operates in one reportable segment. The Company’s Chief Executive Officer, who is considered to be the chief operating decision maker, manages the Company’s operations as a whole and reviews consolidated financial information for purposes of evaluating financial performance and allocating resources. Revenue by region is classified based on the locations to which the product is transported, which may differ from the customer’s principal offices.
	The following table sets forth the Company’s revenue by geographic region:
		Three Months Ended
		March 31,
		2014		2013
	China	$	12,515	$	4,467
	United States		5,459		5,430
	Korea		2,107		5,689
	Other		11,108		6,998
		$	31,189	$	22,584
	As of March 31, 2014, $4,875 of long-lived tangible assets are located outside the United States, of which $4,455 are located in Taiwan. As of December 31, 2013, $5,217 of long-lived tangible assets are located outside the United States, of which $4,694 are located in Taiwan.

Commitments_and_Contingencies

Commitments and Contingencies	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Commitments and Contingencies	'
	13. Commitments and Contingencies
	Leases
	The Company leases its facility and certain equipment under noncancelable lease agreements expiring in various years through 2018. The Company also licenses certain software used in its research and development activities under a term license subscription and maintenance arrangement.
	As of March 31, 2014, future minimum lease payments under noncancelable operating leases having initial terms in excess of one year are as follows:
	2014 (remaining)	$	4,850
	2015		6,497
	2016		3,327
	2017		1,909
	2018		188
		$	16,771
	For the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013, lease operating expense was $1,423 and $1,664, respectively.
	Noncancelable Purchase Obligations
	The Company’s noncancelable purchase obligations consisted primarily of license fees the Company committed to pay under several agreements. As of March 31, 2014, the Company’s future total noncancelable purchase obligations was $127 which are all payable in 2014.
	We depend upon third party subcontractors to manufacture our wafers. Our subcontractor relationships typically allow for the cancellation of outstanding purchase orders, but require payment of all expenses incurred through the date of cancellation. As of March 31, 2014, the total value of open purchase orders for wafers was approximately $2,765.
	Legal Proceedings
	Netlist, Inc. v. Inphi Corporation, Case No. 09-cv-6900 (C.D. Cal.)
	On September 22, 2009, Netlist filed suit in the United States District Court, Central District of California, or the Court, asserting that the Company infringes U.S. Patent No. 7,532,537. Netlist filed an amended complaint on December 22, 2009, further asserting that the Company infringes U.S. Patent Nos. 7,619,912 and 7,636,274, collectively with U.S. Patent No. 7,532,537, the patents-in-suit, and seeking both unspecified monetary damages to be determined and an injunction to prevent further infringement. These infringement claims allege that the Company’s iMB™ and certain other memory module components infringe the patents-in-suit. The Company answered the amended complaint on February 11, 2010 and asserted that the Company does not infringe the patents-in-suit and that the patents-in-suit are invalid. In 2010, Company filed inter partes requests for reexamination with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (the “USPTO”), asserting that the patents-in-suit are invalid.
	On August 27, 2010, the USPTO ordered the request for Inter Partes Reexamination for U.S. Patent No. 7,636,274 and found a substantial new question of patentability based upon each of the different issues that the Company raised as the reexamination requestor. On September 27, 2011, the Patent Office issued a First Office Action based on the Netlist ‘274 Patent Reexamination Request and rejected 91 of its 97 claims. On October 27, 2011, Netlist responded to the USPTO determination by amending some but not all of the claims, adding new claims and making arguments as to the validity of the rejected claims in view of the cited references. The Company provided rebuttable comments to the USPTO on November 28, 2011. On March 12, 2012, the Examiner issued an Action Closing Prosecution, indicating that the claims pending contain allowable subject matter, and Netlist did not respond to the Action Closing Prosecution in the time provided by the USPTO. On June 22, 2012, the USPTO issued a Right of Appeal Notice, and on July 23, 2012, the Company filed a Notice of Appeal. The Company filed its Appeal Brief on September 24, 2012 and Netlist filed its Responsive Brief on October 24, 2012. The parties received an Examiner’s Answer dated April 16, 2013 from the USPTO that maintained the rejections set forth on the Right of Appeal Notice dated June 22, 2012. The Company filed a Rebuttal Brief on May 16, 2013 and a Request for Oral Hearing on June 7, 2013. The appeal hearing took place on November 20, 2013. The Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) issued its decision on January 16, 2014, finding the Examiner erred in declining to adopt 8 of the 9 different rejections that had been proposed by the Company. The Company requested a rehearing of the decision not to adopt the remaining one rejection that had been proposed by Company and was not adopted by the PTAB on February 18, 2014. In papers dated March 18, 2014, Netlist provided rebuttal comments to the request for rehearing and also requested re-opening of prosecution with respect to the claims that the PTAB had rejected, and in that request to re-open prosecution amended the independent claims that stood rejected. The Company filed comments with respect to these proposed amended claims on April 17, 2014. A communication from the USPTO is expected as the next substantive step of the proceeding, as prosecution otherwise remains closed. The proceeding is expected to continue in accordance with established Inter Partes Reexamination procedures.
	On September 8, 2010, the USPTO ordered the request for Inter Partes Reexamination for U.S. Patent No. 7,532,537 and found a substantial new question of patentability based upon different issues that the Company raised as the reexamination requestor. The USPTO accompanied this Reexamination Order of U.S. Patent No. 7,532,537 with its own evaluation of the validity of this patent, and rejected some but not all of claims. In a response dated October 8, 2010, Netlist responded to the USPTO determination by amending some but not all of the claims, adding new claims and making arguments as to why the claims were not invalid in view of the cited references. The Company provided rebuttable comments to the USPTO on November 8, 2010 along with a Petition requesting an increase in the number of allowed pages of the rebuttable comments. On January 20, 2011, the USPTO granted the Petition in part. The Company then filed updated rebuttal comments on January 27, 2011 in compliance with the granted Petition. The USPTO has considered these updated rebuttal comments, and in a communication dated June 15, 2011, continued to reject all the previously rejected claims. The USPTO also rejected all the claims newly added in the October 8, 2010 Netlist response. In a further communication dated June 21, 2011, the USPTO issued an Action Closing Prosecution indicating that it would confirm the patentability of four claims and reject all the other pending claims. On August 22, 2011, Netlist responded to the Action Closing Prosecution by further amending some claims and making arguments as to the validity of the rejected claims in view of the cited references. The Company submitted rebuttal comments on September 21, 2011. In a further communication dated February 7, 2012, the USPTO issued a Right of Appeal Notice, which also indicated that the previous amendments to claim made by Netlist would be entered, and that the current pending claims, as amended, were patentable. The Company filed a Notice of Appeal at the USPTO on March 8, 2012, within the time period provided for filing the Notice of Appeal and Netlist did not file Notice of Cross-Appeal. The Company filed its Appeal Brief on May 8, 2012, and Netlist filed its Responsive Brief on July 2, 2012. The parties received an Examiner’s Answer dated April 16, 2013 from the USPTO that maintained the rejections set forth on the Right of Appeal Notice dated February 7, 2012. The Company filed a Rebuttal Brief on May 16, 2013 and a Request for Oral Hearing on June 7, 2013. The appeal hearing took place in front of the PTAB on November 20, 2013. The PTAB issued its decision on January 16, 2014, affirming the Examiner’s decision as to all of the challenged claims. On February 18, 2014, the Company made a request for rehearing of the decision, and in papers dated March 18, 2014, Netlist provided rebuttal comments to the request for rehearing. A communication from the PTAB is expected as the next substantive step of the proceeding, as prosecution otherwise remains closed. The proceeding is expected to continue in accordance with established Inter Partes Reexamination procedures.
	On September 8, 2010, the USPTO ordered the request for Inter Partes Reexamination for U.S. Patent No. 7,619,912 and found a substantial new question of patentability based upon different issues that the Company raised as the reexamination requestor. The USPTO accompanied this Reexamination Order of U.S. Patent No. 7,619,912 with its own evaluation of the validity of this patent, and initially determined that all of the claims were patentable based upon the Company’s request for Inter Partes Reexamination. Netlist did not comment upon this Reexamination Order. The USPTO on February 28, 2011 also merged the Proceedings of the Company’s Reexamination of U.S. Patent No. 7,619,912, bearing Control No. 90/001,339 with Inter Partes Reexamination Proceeding 95/000,578 filed October 20, 2010 on behalf of SMART Modular Technologies, Inc. and Inter Partes Reexamination Proceeding 95/000,579 filed October 21, 2010 on behalf of Google, Inc. In each of these other Reexamination Proceedings, the USPTO had indicated that there existed a substantial new question of patentability with respect to certain claims of U.S. Patent No. 7,619,912, but had not accompanied the Reexamination Orders related thereto with its own evaluation of the validity of this patent, indicating that such evaluation would be forthcoming at a later time. This further evaluation was received in an Office Action dated April 4, 2011, in which the Examiner rejected a substantial majority of the claims based upon a number of different rejections, including certain of the rejections originally proposed by the Company in its Request for Reexamination. This Office Action also indicated that one claim was deemed to be patentable over the prior art of record in the merged Reexamination Proceedings. After seeking and obtaining an extension of time to respond to the Office Action dated April 4, 2011, Netlist served its response on July 5, 2011, which added new claims and made arguments as to why the originally filed claims were not invalid in view of the cited references. Each of the merged Reexamination Requestors, including the Company, submitted rebuttal comments by August 29, 2011. The USPTO considered this Netlist response and each of the rebuttal comments, and in an Office Action dated October 14, 2011, continued to reject most, but not all of the previously rejected claims, as well as rejected claims that had been added by Netlist in its July 5, 2011 response. After seeking and obtaining an extension of time to respond to the Office Action dated October 14, 2011, Netlist served its response on January 13, 2012, which response made amendments based upon subject matter that had been indicated as allowable in the Office Action dated October 14, 2011, added other new claims and made arguments as to why all of these claims should be allowed. The three different merged Reexamination Requestors, including the Company, timely submitted rebuttal comments on or about February 13, 2012. The USPTO issued a Non-final Office Action on November 13, 2012, rejecting some claims and indicating that others contained allowable subject matter. On January 14, 2013, Netlist filed a Response to the Non-final Office Action which presented further claim amendments and evidence supporting its positions regarding patentability. Rebuttal comments from the Company and the other Requestors were filed on February 13, 2013. On March 21, 2014, the USPTO issued an Action Closing Prosecution in which the USPTO indicated that certain of the pending claims were allowable and other of the pending claims were rejected. A communication from Netlist is permitted as the next substantive step of the proceeding, as prosecution otherwise remains closed. The merged proceeding is expected to continue in accordance with established Inter Partes Reexamination procedures.
	The reexamination proceedings could result in a determination that the patents-in-suit, in whole or in part, are valid or invalid, as well as modifications of the scope of the patents-in-suit.
	Based on these papers the Court in January 2014 ordered a continued stay of the proceedings, took the litigation off the active court calendar, and requested that the parties file a joint status report on May 1, 2014 and every 120 days thereafter advising the Court as to status of the reexamination proceedings at which times, the Court could decide to maintain or lift the stay.
	While the Company intends to defend the foregoing lawsuit vigorously, litigation, whether or not determined in the Company’s favor or settled, could be costly and time-consuming and could divert management’s attention and resources, which could adversely affect the Company’s business.
	Based on the nature of the litigation, the Company is currently unable to predict the final outcome of this lawsuit and therefore, cannot determine the likelihood of loss nor estimate a range of possible loss. However, because of the nature and inherent uncertainties of litigation, should the outcome of these actions be unfavorable, the Company’s business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows could be materially and adversely affected.
	Indemnifications
	In the ordinary course of business, the Company may provide indemnifications of varying scope and terms to customers, vendors, lessors, investors, directors, officers, employees and other parties with respect to certain matters, including, but not limited to, losses arising out of the Company’s breach of such agreements, services to be provided by the Company, or from intellectual property infringement claims made by third-parties. These indemnifications may survive termination of the underlying agreement and the maximum potential amount of future payments the Company could be required to make under these indemnification provisions may not be subject to maximum loss clauses. The Company has not incurred material costs to defend lawsuits or settle claims related to these indemnifications. Accordingly, the Company has no liabilities recorded for these agreements as of March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013.

Subsequent_Events

Subsequent Events	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Subsequent Events	'
	14. Subsequent Events
	In April 2014, the Compensation Committee granted 1,338,648 restricted stock units to employees and consultants.

Investments_Tables

Investments (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Summary of Investments by Investment Category	'
	The following table summarizes the investments by investment category:
		March 31, 2014				December 31, 2013
		Cost		Fair Value		Cost		Fair Value
	Available-for-sale securities:
	U.S. treasury securities	$	21,676	$	21,689	$	25,061	$	25,072
	Municipal bonds		33,796		33,901		34,912		34,983
	Corporate notes/bonds		31,537		31,635		28,565		28,648
	Certificate of deposit		1,500		1,500		1,500		1,501
	Asset backed securities		434		434		685		686
	Total investments	$	88,943	$	89,159	$	90,723	$	90,890
Contractual Maturities of Available-for-Sale Securities	'
	The contractual maturities of available-for-sale securities at March 31, 2014 are presented in the following table:
		Cost		Fair Value
	Due in one year or less	$	34,094	$	34,165
	Due between one and five years		54,849		54,994
		$	88,943	$	89,159

Inventories_Tables

Inventories (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Inventory	'
	Inventories consist of the following:
		March 31,		December 31,
		2014		2013
	Raw materials	$	767	$	670
	Work in process		2,012		2,001
	Finished goods		4,426		4,096
		$	7,205	$	6,767

Property_and_Equipment_net_Tab

Property and Equipment, net (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Property and Equipment, Net	'
	Property and equipment consist of the following:
		March 31,			December 31,
		2014			2013
	Laboratory and production equipment	$	37,769		$	34,443
	Office, software and computer equipment		9,388			8,649
	Furniture and fixtures		834			834
	Leasehold improvements		3,951			3,952
			51,942			47,878
	Less accumulated depreciation		(27,347	)		(25,418	)
		$	24,595		$	22,460

Other_longterm_liabilities_Tab

Other long-term liabilities (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Other Long-Term Liabilities	'
	Other long-term liabilities consist of the following:
		March 31,		December 31,
		2014		2013
	Deferred rent	$	1,368	$	1,471
	Income tax payable		3,569		3,295
	Deferred tax liabilities		1,099		1,099
		$	6,036	$	5,865

Earnings_Per_Share_Tables

Earnings Per Share (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Computation of Basic and Diluted Earnings Per Share	'
	The following shows the computation of basic and diluted earnings per share:
		Three Months
		Ended March 31,
		2014			2013
	Numerator
	Net loss	$	(995	)	$	(7,671	)
	Denominator
	Weighted average common stock		30,699,590			28,943,810
	Less weighted average unvested restricted stock award		(1,782	)		(10,705	)
	Weighted average common stock—basic and diluted		30,697,808			28,933,105
	Earnings per share
	Basic	$	(0.03	)	$	(0.27	)
	Diluted	$	(0.03	)	$	(0.27	)
Securities Not Included In Computation Of Diluted Earnings Per Share	'
	The following securities were not included in the computation of diluted earnings per share as inclusion would have been anti-dilutive:
		Three Months
		Ended March 31,
		2014			2013
	Common stock options		3,760,969			4,623,434
	Restricted stock unit		2,771,758			2,889,093
	Restricted stock award		1,782			10,705
	Common stock warrant		—			2,142
			6,534,509			7,525,374

StockBased_Compensation_Tables

Stock-Based Compensation (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Schedule of Valuation Assumptions of Stock Options	'
	The fair value of each option grant is estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option pricing model with the following weighted average assumptions:
		Three Months Ended
		March 31,
		2014			2013
	Risk-free interest rate		—			1.3	%
	Expected life (in years)		—			6.25
	Dividend yield		—			—
	Expected volatility		—			50	%
Schedule of Outstanding Stock Options	'
	The following table summarizes information regarding options outstanding:
		Number of			Weighted			Weighted		Aggregate
		Shares			Average			Average		Intrinsic
					Exercise			Remaining		Value
					Price			Contractual
								Life
	Outstanding at December 31, 2013		3,883,097		$	9.26			6.33	$	16,229
	Granted		—			—
	Exercised		(369,280	)		3.33
	Canceled		(44,071	)		10.25
	Outstanding at March 31, 2014		3,469,746		$	9.88			6.55	$	22,158
	Exercisable at March 31, 2014		2,378,360		$	9.44			5.94	$	17,450
	Vested at March 31, 2014		2,263,552		$	8.86			5.94	$	16,715
	Vested and expected to vest at March 31, 2014		3,447,063		$	9.86			6.54	$	22,055
Schedule of Outstanding Restricted Stock Units	'
	The following table summarizes information regarding outstanding restricted stock units:
		Number of			Weighted
		Shares			Average
					Grant Date Fair
					Value Per Share
	Outstanding at December 31, 2013		3,209,567		$	11.69
	Granted		72,892			12.99
	Vested		(584,076	)		11.32
	Canceled		(84,217	)		11.42
	Outstanding at March 31, 2014		2,614,166			11.82
	Expected to vest at March 31, 2014		2,531,232
Schedule of Valuation Assumptions of Employee Stock Purchase Plan	'
	The fair value of employee stock purchase plan is estimated at the start of offering period using the Black-Scholes option pricing model with the following assumptions:
		Three Months Ended
		March 31,
		2014			2013
	Risk-free interest rate		0.08	%		0.12	%
	Expected life (in years)		0.49			0.49
	Dividend yield		—			—
	Expected volatility		34	%		47	%
	Estimated fair value	$	3		$	2.63
Summary of Stock-Based Compensation Expense	'
	Stock-based compensation expense is included in the Company’s results of operations as follows:
		Three Months
		Ended March 31,
		2014			2013
	Operating expenses
	Cost of goods sold	$	251		$	233
	Research and development		2,389			1,973
	Sales and marketing		858			803
	General and administrative		1,008			1,017
		$	4,506		$	4,026

Fair_Value_Measurements_Tables

Fair Value Measurements (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Summary of Fair Value Hierarchy of Financial Assets Measured at Fair Value on a Recurring Basis	'
	The following table presents information about assets required to be carried at fair value on a recurring basis:
	March 31, 2014	Total		Level 1		Level 2
	Assets
	Cash equivalents:
	Money market funds	$	7,180	$	—	$	7,180
	Investment in marketable securities:
	U.S. treasury securities		21,689		21,689		—
	Municipal bonds		33,901		—		33,901
	Corporate notes/bonds		31,635		—		31,635
	Certificate of deposit		1,500		—		1,500
	Asset backed securities		434		—		434
		$	96,339	$	21,689	$	74,650
	December 31, 2013	Total		Level 1		Level 2
	Assets
	Cash equivalents:
	Money market funds	$	5,119	$	—	$	5,119
	Investment in marketable securities:
	U.S. treasury securities		25,072		25,072		—
	Municipal bonds		34,983		—		34,983
	Corporate notes/bonds		28,648		—		28,648
	Certificate of deposit		1,501		—		1,501
	Asset backed securities		686		—		686
		$	96,009	$	25,072	$	70,937

Segment_and_Geographic_Informa1

Segment and Geographic Information (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Revenue by Geographic Region	'
	The following table sets forth the Company’s revenue by geographic region:
		Three Months Ended
		March 31,
		2014		2013
	China	$	12,515	$	4,467
	United States		5,459		5,430
	Korea		2,107		5,689
	Other		11,108		6,998
		$	31,189	$	22,584

Commitments_and_Contingencies_

Commitments and Contingencies (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Future Minimum Lease Payments Under Noncancelable Operating Leases	'
	As of March 31, 2014, future minimum lease payments under noncancelable operating leases having initial terms in excess of one year are as follows:
	2014 (remaining)	$	4,850
	2015		6,497
	2016		3,327
	2017		1,909
	2018		188
		$	16,771

Summary_of_Investments_by_Inve

Summary of Investments by Investment (Detail) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]	'	'
Available-for-sale securities, Cost	$88,943	$90,723
Available-for-sale securities, Fair Value	89,159	90,890
U.S. Treasury Securities	'	'
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]	'	'
Available-for-sale securities, Cost	21,676	25,061
Available-for-sale securities, Fair Value	21,689	25,072
Municipal Bonds	'	'
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]	'	'
Available-for-sale securities, Cost	33,796	34,912
Available-for-sale securities, Fair Value	33,901	34,983
Corporate Notes/Bonds	'	'
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]	'	'
Available-for-sale securities, Cost	31,537	28,565
Available-for-sale securities, Fair Value	31,635	28,648
Certificates of Deposit	'	'
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]	'	'
Available-for-sale securities, Cost	1,500	1,500
Available-for-sale securities, Fair Value	1,500	1,501
Asset-backed Securities	'	'
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]	'	'
Available-for-sale securities, Cost	434	685
Available-for-sale securities, Fair Value	$434	$686

Investments_Additional_Informa

Investments - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Investment
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]	'
Number of investments in unrealized loss position	13
Gross unrealized losses on investments	$50

Contractual_Maturities_of_Avai

Contractual Maturities of Available-for-Sale Securities (Detail) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Contractual maturities of available-for-sale securities	'	'
Due in one year or less, cost	$34,094	'
Due between one and five years, cost	54,849	'
Cost of assets	88,943	'
Due in one year or less, Fair value	34,165	'
Due between one and five years, Fair value	54,994	'
Fair value of assets	$89,159	$90,890

Inventories_Detail

Inventories (Detail) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Inventory [Line Items]	'	'
Raw materials	$767	$670
Work in process	2,012	2,001
Finished goods	4,426	4,096
Inventories	$7,205	$6,767

Inventories_Additional_Informa

Inventories - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Inventory [Line Items]	'	'
Inventories held by distributors	$490	$543

Property_and_Equipment_Detail

Property and Equipment (Detail) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]	'	'
Property, Plant and Equipment, Gross	$51,942	$47,878
Less accumulated depreciation	-27,347	-25,418
Property and equipment, net	24,595	22,460
Laboratory and production equipment	'	'
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]	'	'
Property, Plant and Equipment, Gross	37,769	34,443
Office, software and computer equipment	'	'
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]	'	'
Property, Plant and Equipment, Gross	9,388	8,649
Furniture and fixtures	'	'
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]	'	'
Property, Plant and Equipment, Gross	834	834
Leasehold improvements	'	'
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]	'	'
Property, Plant and Equipment, Gross	$3,951	$3,952

Property_and_Equipment_Net_Add

Property and Equipment, Net - Additional Information (Detail) (Property And Equipment, USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2013
Property And Equipment	'	'	'
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]	'	'	'
Depreciation and amortization expense property and equipment	$2,357	$1,684	'
Computer software costs included in property and equipment	3,033	'	2,815
Amortization expense of capitalized computer software costs	$103	$66	'

Product_Warranty_Obligation_Ad

Product Warranty Obligation - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2013
Product Warranty Liability [Line Items]	'	'	'
Product warranty liability	$40	'	$40
Movement in product warranty liability	$0	$0	'

Other_LongTerm_Liabilities_Det

Other Long-Term Liabilities (Detail) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Schedule Of Other Liabilities Noncurrent [Line Items]	'	'
Deferred rent	$1,368	$1,471
Income tax payable	3,569	3,295
Deferred tax liabilities	1,099	1,099
Other long-term liabilities	$6,036	$5,865

Income_Taxes_Additional_Inform

Income Taxes - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013
Income Tax [Line Items]	'	'
Income tax expense	$527	$3,476
Effective tax rate	-113.00%	-83.00%
Federal statutory rate	34.00%	35.00%
Increase in unrecognized tax benefits due to current tax positions	556	'
Reasonably possible range of estimated potential decreases in underlying unrecognized tax benefits, lower limit	0	'
Reasonably possible range of estimated potential decreases in underlying unrecognized tax benefits, upper limit	$875	'

Computation_Of_Basic_and_Dilut

Computation Of Basic and Diluted Earnings Per Share (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013
Numerator	'	'
Net loss	($995)	($7,671)
Denominator	'	'
Weighted average common stock	30,699,590	28,943,810
Less weighted average unvested restricted stock award	-1,782	-10,705
Weighted average common stock-basic and diluted	30,697,808	28,933,105
Earnings per share	'	'
Basic	($0.03)	($0.27)
Diluted	($0.03)	($0.27)

Securities_Not_Included_In_Com

Securities Not Included In Computation Of Diluted Earnings Per Share (Detail)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]	'	'
Anti dilutive securities excluded from computation of earnings per share, amount	6,534,509	7,525,374
Common Stock Options	'	'
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]	'	'
Anti dilutive securities excluded from computation of earnings per share, amount	3,760,969	4,623,434
Restricted Stock Units	'	'
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]	'	'
Anti dilutive securities excluded from computation of earnings per share, amount	2,771,758	2,889,093
Restricted Stock Award	'	'
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]	'	'
Anti dilutive securities excluded from computation of earnings per share, amount	1,782	10,705
Common stock warrant	'	'
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]	'	'
Anti dilutive securities excluded from computation of earnings per share, amount	'	2,142

StockBased_Compensation_Additi

Stock-Based Compensation - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended					3 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014
			Restricted Stock Unit and Award	Restricted Stock Units	Restricted Stock Units	2000 Stock Option/Stock Issuance Plan	Employee Stock Purchase Plan	2010 Stock Incentive Plan
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Percent of options to vest in one year	'	'	'	'	'	25.00%	'	'
Vesting period of the 25% of options granted	'	'	'	'	'	'1 year	'	'
Monthly vesting period of 75% of options granted	'	'	'	'	'	'36 months	'	'
Maximum exercise price over market price as percentage	'	'	'	'	'	100.00%	'	'
Minimum exercise price over market price as percentage	'	'	'	'	'	85.00%	'	'
Term of option, years	'	'	'	'	'	'10 years	'	'
Common stock reserved for issuance	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	3,266,912
Weighted average grant date fair value of stock options granted to employees	$0	$4.37	'	'	'	'	'	'
Total intrinsic value of options exercised	$4,343	$818	'	'	'	'	'	'
Cash received from the exercise of stock options	1,231	363	'	'	'	'	'	'
Vesting period of restricted stock unit granted	'	'	'4 years	'	'	'	'	'
Unvested RSAs, shares	'	'	'	1,782	2,851	'	'	'
Vested restricted stock awards, shares during the period	1,069	'	'	584,076	'	'	'	'
Maximum percentage of aggregate cash compensation for purchase of stock using payroll deduction	'	'	'	'	'	'	15.00%	'
Purchase price per share as a percentage of market value	'	'	'	'	'	'	85.00%	'
Look back period of employee stock purchase plan	'	'	'	'	'	'	'6 months	'
Percentage of combined voting power or value of all classes of stock not eligible to participate	'	'	'	'	'	'	5.00%	'
Fair Value of common stock in a calendar year per employee not eligible to participate	'	'	'	'	'	'	25	'
Maximum aggregate number of shares of common stock available for purchase under the Employee Stock Purchase Plan	'	'	'	'	'	'	1,000,000	'
Stock issued under employee stock purchase plan	131,007	125,177	'	'	'	'	'	'
Total unrecognized compensation cost	$31,168	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Compensation cost, weighted-average period of recognition, years	'2 years 4 months 21 days	'	'	'	'	'	'	'

Fair_Value_Option_Grant_Weight

Fair Value Option Grant Weighted Average Assumptions Using Black-Scholes Option Pricing Model (Detail)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'	'
Risk-free interest rate	'	1.30%
Expected life (in years)	'	'6 years 3 months
Dividend yield	'	'
Expected volatility	'	50.00%

Information_Regarding_Options_

Information Regarding Options Outstanding (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Share Based Compensation Arrangements By Share Based Payment Award Options [Line Items]	'	'
Outstanding at December 31, 2013, Number of Shares	3,883,097	'
Granted, Number of Shares	'	'
Exercised, Number of Shares	-369,280	'
Canceled, Number of Shares	-44,071	'
Outstanding at March 31, 2014, Number of Shares	3,469,746	3,883,097
Exercisable at March 31, 2014, Number of Shares	2,378,360	'
Vested at March 31, 2014, Number of Shares	2,263,552	'
Vested and expected to vest at March 31, 2014, Number of Shares	3,447,063	'
Outstanding at December 31, 2013 Weighted Average Exercise Price	$9.26	'
Granted, Weighted Average Exercise Price	'	'
Exercised, Weighted Average Exercise Price	$3.33	'
Canceled, Weighted Average Exercise Price	$10.25	'
Outstanding at March 31, 2014, Weighted Average Exercise Price	$9.88	$9.26
Exercisable at March 31, 2014, Weighted Average Exercise Price	$9.44	'
Vested at March 31, 2014, Weighted Average Exercise Price	$8.86	'
Vested and expected to vest at March 31, 2014, Weighted Average Exercise Price	$9.86	'
Outstanding, Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life	'6 years 6 months 18 days	'6 years 3 months 29 days
Exercisable at March 31, 2014, Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life	'5 years 11 months 9 days	'
Vested at March 31, 2014, Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life	'5 years 11 months 9 days	'
Vested and expected to vest at March 31, 2014, Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life	'6 years 6 months 15 days	'
Outstanding at December 31, 2013, Aggregate Intrinsic Value	$16,229	'
Outstanding at March 31, 2014, Aggregate Intrinsic Value	22,158	16,229
Exercisable at March 31, 2014, Aggregate Intrinsic Value	17,450	'
Vested at March 31, 2014, Aggregate Intrinsic Value	16,715	'
Vested and expected to vest at March 31, 2014, Aggregate Intrinsic Value	$22,055	'

Information_Regarding_Outstand

Information Regarding Outstanding Restricted Stock Units (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'
Vested, Number of Shares	-1,069
Restricted Stock Units	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'
Outstanding at December 31, 2013, Number of Shares	3,209,567
Granted, Number of Shares	72,892
Vested, Number of Shares	-584,076
Canceled, Number of Shares	-84,217
Outstanding at March 31, 2014, Number of Shares	2,614,166
Expected to vest at March 31, 2014, Number of Shares	2,531,232
Outstanding at December 31, 2013, Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value	11.69
Granted, Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value	12.99
Vested, Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value	11.32
Canceled, Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value	11.42
Outstanding at March 31, 2014, Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value	11.82

Fair_Value_of_Employee_Stock_P

Fair Value of Employee Stock Purchase Plan (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'	'
Risk-free interest rate	'	1.30%
Expected life (in years)	'	'6 years 3 months
Dividend yield	'	'
Expected volatility	'	50.00%
Employee Stock Purchase Plan	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'	'
Risk-free interest rate	0.08%	0.12%
Expected life (in years)	'5 months 27 days	'5 months 27 days
Dividend yield	'	'
Expected volatility	34.00%	47.00%
Estimated fair value	3	2.63

StockBased_Compensation_Expens

Stock-Based Compensation Expense (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]	'	'
Stock-based compensation expense	$4,506	$4,026
Cost of goods sold	'	'
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]	'	'
Stock-based compensation expense	251	233
Research and development	'	'
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]	'	'
Stock-based compensation expense	2,389	1,973
Sales and marketing	'	'
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]	'	'
Stock-based compensation expense	858	803
General and administrative	'	'
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]	'	'
Stock-based compensation expense	$1,008	$1,017

Information_about_Assets_and_L

Information about Assets and Liabilities Required To Be Carried At Fair Value on Recurring Basis (Detail) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Abstract]	'	'
Total fair value of assets	$96,339	$96,009
Money Market Funds	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Abstract]	'	'
Cash equivalents at fair value	7,180	5,119
U.S. Treasury Securities	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Abstract]	'	'
Investment in marketable securities at fair value	21,689	25,072
Municipal Bonds	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Abstract]	'	'
Investment in marketable securities at fair value	33,901	34,983
Corporate Notes/Bonds	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Abstract]	'	'
Investment in marketable securities at fair value	31,635	28,648
Certificates of Deposit	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Abstract]	'	'
Investment in marketable securities at fair value	1,500	1,501
Asset-backed Securities	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Abstract]	'	'
Investment in marketable securities at fair value	434	686
Level 1	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Abstract]	'	'
Total fair value of assets	21,689	25,072
Level 1 | U.S. Treasury Securities	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Abstract]	'	'
Investment in marketable securities at fair value	21,689	25,072
Level 2	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Abstract]	'	'
Total fair value of assets	74,650	70,937
Level 2 | Money Market Funds	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Abstract]	'	'
Cash equivalents at fair value	7,180	5,119
Level 2 | Municipal Bonds	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Abstract]	'	'
Investment in marketable securities at fair value	33,901	34,983
Level 2 | Corporate Notes/Bonds	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Abstract]	'	'
Investment in marketable securities at fair value	31,635	28,648
Level 2 | Certificates of Deposit	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Abstract]	'	'
Investment in marketable securities at fair value	1,500	1,501
Level 2 | Asset-backed Securities	'	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Abstract]	'	'
Investment in marketable securities at fair value	$434	$686

Segment_and_Geographic_Informa2

Segment and Geographic Information - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
	Segment	Outside the United States	Outside the United States	Taiwan	Taiwan
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'
Number of reportable segment	1	'	'	'	'
Long-lived tangible assets located outside the US	'	$4,875	$5,217	$4,455	$4,694

Revenue_by_Geographic_Region_D

Revenue by Geographic Region (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'
Revenue	$31,189	$22,584
China	'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'
Revenue	12,515	4,467
United States	'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'
Revenue	5,459	5,430
Korea	'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'
Revenue	2,107	5,689
Other	'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'
Revenue	$11,108	$6,998

Future_Minimum_Lease_Payments_

Future Minimum Lease Payments Under Noncancelable Operating Leases (Detail) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Leases Future Minimum Payments [Line Items]	'
2014 (remaining)	$4,850
2015	6,497
2016	3,327
2017	1,909
2018	188
Future minimum lease payments, total	$16,771

Commitments_and_Contingencies_1

Commitments and Contingencies - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended				0 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013	Jun. 21, 2011	Apr. 04, 2011	Sep. 27, 2011
			Claim	Claim	U.S. Patent No. 7,636,274 legal matter
					LegalMatter
Commitment And Contingencies [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'
Lease operating expense	$1,423	$1,664	'	'	'
Future noncancelable purchase obligations, total	127	'	'	'	'
Value of open purchase orders for wafer	$2,765	'	'	'	'
Claims rejected by USPTO	'	'	'	'	91
Total claims by Netlist	'	'	'	'	97
Conformation of patentability under number of claim	'	'	4	'	'
Claim deemed to be patentable	'	'	'	1	'

Subsequent_Events_Additional_I

Subsequent Events - Additional Information (Detail) (Subsequent Event, Restricted Stock Unit and Award)	1 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2014
Subsequent Event | Restricted Stock Unit and Award	'
Subsequent Event [Line Items]	'
Granted, Number of Shares	1,338,648