INPHI 10-Q 6 May 15 2015 Q1 Quarterly report Financial data

Document_And_Entity_Informatio

Document And Entity Information	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	4-May-15
Document and Entity Information [Abstract]
Entity Registrant Name	INPHI CORP
Document Type	10-Q
Current Fiscal Year End Date	-19
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		38,294,523
Amendment Flag	FALSE
Entity Central Index Key	1160958
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Voluntary Filers	No
Entity Filer Category	Accelerated Filer
Entity Well-known Seasoned Issuer	No
Document Period End Date	31-Mar-15
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2015
Document Fiscal Period Focus	Q1

Unaudited_Condensed_Consolidat

Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$39,542	$30,366
Investments in marketable securities	38,670	38,908
Accounts receivable, net	36,740	36,914
Inventories	23,341	26,650
Deferred tax assets	563	678
Income tax receivable	297	204
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	3,891	6,779
Total current assets	143,044	140,499
Property and equipment, net	34,521	35,498
Goodwill	9,405	9,405
Identifiable intangible assets, net	77,587	80,773
Deferred tax charge	2,701	3,261
Other assets, net	10,564	9,274
Total assets	277,822	278,710
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	8,207	7,884
Deferred revenue	7,730	7,110
Accrued employee expenses	7,136	9,492
Other accrued expenses	6,289	4,952
Other current liabilities	2,947	2,689
Total current liabilities	32,309	32,127
Other long-term liabilities	9,456	7,409
Total liabilities	41,765	39,536
Commitments and contingencies (Note 14)
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; 37,951,150 and 37,310,963 issued and outstanding at March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively	38	37
Additional paid-in capital	334,027	327,475
Accumulated deficit	-98,898	-89,190
Accumulated other comprehensive income	890	852
Total stockholders’ equity	236,057	239,174
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	$277,822	$278,710

Unaudited_Condensed_Consolidat1

Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Parentheticals) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Preferred stock, par value (in Dollars per share)	$0.00	$0.00
Preferred stock, shares authorized	10,000,000	10,000,000
Preferred stock, shares issued	0	0
Common stock, par value (in Dollars per share)	$0.00	$0.00
Common stock, shares authorized	500,000,000	500,000,000
Common stock, shares issued	37,951,150	37,310,963
Common stock, outstanding	37,951,150	37,310,963

Unaudited_Condensed_Consolidat2

Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Revenue	$59,160	$31,189
Cost of revenue	29,238	11,063
Gross profit	29,922	20,126
Research and development	22,722	13,739
Sales and marketing	6,869	3,950
General and administrative	5,812	3,065
Total operating expenses	35,403	20,754
Loss from operations	-5,481	-628
Other income	167	160
Loss before income taxes	-5,314	-468
Provision for income taxes	4,394	527
Net loss	($9,708)	($995)
Earnings per share:
Basic (in Dollars per share)	($0.26)	($0.03)
Diluted (in Dollars per share)	($0.26)	($0.03)
Weighted-average shares used in computing earnings per share:
Basic (in Shares)	37,696,518	30,697,808
Diluted (in Shares)	37,696,518	30,697,808

Unaudited_Condensed_Consolidat3

Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Net loss	($9,708)	($995)
Available for sale investments:
Change in unrealized gain, net of $0 tax	47	50
Realized gain reclassified into earnings, net of $0 tax	-9
Comprehensive loss	($9,670)	($945)

Unaudited_Condensed_Consolidat4

Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Parentheticals) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Change in unrealized gain, tax	$0	$0

Unaudited_Condensed_Consolidat5

Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Cash flows from operating activities
Net loss	($9,708)	($995)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	6,423	2,357
Stock-based compensation	6,420	4,506
Deferred income taxes and deferred tax charge	2,590	213
Excess tax benefit related to stock-based compensation	-1,251
Amortization of premiums on marketable securities	135	228
Other noncash items	-63
Changes in assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable	174	-4,984
Inventories	3,309	-438
Prepaid expenses and other assets	1,597	-1,782
Income tax payable/receivable	2,330	337
Accounts payable	1,392	34
Accrued expenses	-932	-1,329
Deferred revenue	620	-186
Other liabilities	-782	-89
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	12,254	-2,128
Cash flows from investing activities
Purchases of property and equipment	-3,438	-3,156
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment	75
Purchases of marketable securities	-4,562	-16,713
Sales and maturities of marketable securities	4,714	18,231
Net cash used in investing activities	-3,211	-1,638
Cash flows from financing activities
Proceeds from exercise of stock options	1,052	1,231
Excess tax benefit related to stock-based compensation	1,251
Proceeds from employee stock purchase plan	1,977	1,303
Minimum tax withholding paid on behalf of employees for restricted stock units	-4,147	-2,601
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	133	-67
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	9,176	-3,833
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	30,366	31,667
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	39,542	27,834
Income taxes paid	$580

Note_1_Organization_and_Basis_

Note 1 - Organization and Basis of Presentation	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Disclosure Text Block [Abstract]
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements Disclosure [Text Block]	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 center and enterprise servers, storage platforms, test and measurement equipment and military systems.
	On October 3, 2014, the Company completed the acquisition of Cortina Systems, Inc. including its high-speed interconnect and optical transport product lines (Cortina) for approximately $52,509 in cash and approximately 5.3 million shares of the Company’s common stock in accordance with the Agreement and Plan of Merger dated July 30, 2014 as amended by Amendment No. 1 to the Agreement and Plan of Merger dated September 25, 2014. The revenue and expenses of Cortina are included in the consolidated statement of income for the three months ended March 31, 2015.
	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, 2014, included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 10, 2015.
	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, 2015, and its consolidated results of operations and cash flows for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014. The results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2015 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for future quarters or the full year.

Note_2_Recent_Accounting_Prono

Note 2 - Recent Accounting Pronouncements	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
New Accounting Pronouncements and Changes in Accounting Principles [Abstract]
New Accounting Pronouncements and Changes in Accounting Principles [Text Block]	2. Recent Accounting Pronouncements
	In November 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board, issued authoritative guidance that provides guidance on whether and at what threshold an acquired business or not-for-profit organization can apply pushdown accounting. This guidance provides an option to apply pushdown accounting in the separate financial statements of an acquired entity upon the occurrence of an event in which an acquirer obtains control of the acquired entity. The guidance is effective on November 18, 2014. After the effective date, an acquired entity can make an election to apply the guidance to future change-in-control events or to its most recent change-in-control event. However, if the financial statements for the period in which the most recent change-in-control event occurred already have been issued or made available to be issued, the application of this guidance would be a change in accounting principle. The adoption of this guidance did not impact the consolidated financial statements.
	In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued guidance on “Revenue from Contracts with Customers.” The new revenue recognition guidance provides a five-step analysis of transactions to determine when and how revenue is recognized. The guidance requires an entity to recognize the amount of revenue to which it expects to be entitled for the transfer of promised goods or services to customers. The new guidance is effective for the Company on January 1, 2017. Early application is not permitted. The new guidance permits the use of either the retrospective or cumulative effect transition method. The Company is evaluating the effect that the new revenue recognition guidance will have on the consolidated financial statements and related disclosures. The Company has not yet selected a transition method nor determined the effect of the standard on the ongoing financial reporting.

Note_3_Investments

Note 3 - Investments	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Investments Schedule [Abstract]
Investment [Text Block]	3. Investments
	The following table summarizes the investments by investment category:
		31-Mar-15				31-Dec-14
		Cost		Fair Value		Cost		Fair Value
	Available-for-sale securities:
	U.S. treasury securities	$	802	$	802	$	2,056	$	2,057
	Municipal bonds		20,823		20,853		19,686		19,712
	Corporate notes/bonds		14,972		15,011		16,381		16,392
	Asset backed securities		2,000		2,004		750		747
	Total investments	$	38,597	$	38,670	$	38,873	$	38,908
	As of March 31, 2015, the Company had 13 investments that were in an unrealized loss position. The gross unrealized losses on these investments at March 31, 2015 of $11 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, 2015 are presented in the following table:
		Cost		Fair Value
	Due in one year or less	$	12,638	$	12,662
	Due between one and five years		25,959		26,008
		$	38,597	$	38,670

Note_4_Inventories

Note 4 - Inventories	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Inventory Disclosure [Abstract]
Inventory Disclosure [Text Block]	4. Inventories
	Inventories consist of the following:
		March 31,		December 31,
		2015		2014
	Raw materials	$	3,897	$	5,803
	Work in process		3,950		2,409
	Finished goods		15,494		18,438
		$	23,341	$	26,650
	Finished goods held by distributors were $3,007 and $2,798 as of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively.

Note_5_Property_and_Equipment_

Note 5 - Property and Equipment, Net	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]
Property, Plant and Equipment Disclosure [Text Block]	5. Property and Equipment, net
	Property and equipment consist of the following:
		March 31,			December 31,
		2015			2014
	Laboratory and production equipment	$	54,471		$	48,522
	Office, software and computer equipment		22,018			15,855
	Furniture and fixtures		2,721			1,762
	Leasehold improvements		5,924			5,212
			85,134			71,351
	Less accumulated depreciation		(50,613	)		(35,853	)
		$	34,521		$	35,498
	Depreciation and amortization expense of property and equipment for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 was $3,237 and $2,357, respectively.
	As of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, computer software costs included in property and equipment were $8,655 and $4,582, respectively. Amortization expense of capitalized computer software costs was $232 and $103 for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively.

Note_6_Goodwill_and_Identifiab

Note 6 - Goodwill and Identifiable Intangible Assets	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Text Block]	6. Identifiable Intangible Assets
	The following table presents details of identifiable intangible assets:
		31-Mar-15						31-Dec-14
		Gross		Accumulated Amortization		Net		Gross		Accumulated Amortization		Net
	Developed technology	$	71,570	$	5,732	$	65,838	$	71,570	$	2,857	$	68,713
	Customer relationships		8,170		405		7,765		8,170		201		7,969
	Trade name		920		92		828		920		46		874
	Patents		1,579		173		1,406		1,579		112		1,467
	In-process research and development		1,750		—		1,750		1,750		—		1,750
		$	83,989	$	6,402	$	77,587	$	83,989	$	3,216	$	80,773
	The following table presents amortization of intangible assets for the three months ended March 31, 2015:
	Cost of goods sold	$	2,875
	Sales and marketing		204
	General and administrative		107
		$	3,186
	Based on the amount of intangible assets subject to amortization at March 31, 2015, the expected amortization expense for each of the next five fiscal years and thereafter is as follows:
	2015 (remainder)	$	9,548
	2016		12,707
	2017		12,682
	2018		12,648
	2019		11,078
	Thereafter		17,174
		$	75,837
	The weighted-average amortization periods remaining by intangible asset category were as follows (in years):
	Developed technology		6.03
	Customer relationship		9.5
	Others		10.2

Note_7_Product_Warranty_Obliga

Note 7 - Product Warranty Obligation	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Product Warranties Disclosures [Abstract]
Product Warranty Disclosure [Text Block]	7. Product Warranty Obligation
	As of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, the product warranty liability was $110. There was no movement in product warranty liability during the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014.
	On November 3, 2014, the Company received a claim notification from an insurance company asserting a claim of approximately $4,000 for field installation repair and replacement costs incurred by a customer in 2011. The Company believes that it had fulfilled its contractual obligation to provide warranty repair and replacement, but has referred the matter to its insurance carrier at the request of the insurance company. As of March 31, 2015, the Company believes that the liability under this claim is not probable. Nevertheless, resolutions of third-party claims are inherently uncertain and as such, an unfavorable outcome could ultimately impact the Company’s business, cash flow and results of operations.

Note_8_Other_Longterm_Liabilit

Note 8 - Other Long-term Liabilities	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Other Liabilities and Financial Instruments Subject to Mandatory Redemption [Abstract]
Other Liabilities Disclosure [Text Block]	8. Other long-term liabilities
	Other long-term liabilities consist of the following:
		March 31,		December 31,
		2015		2014
	Deferred rent	$	2,189	$	1,930
	Income tax payable		6,590		4,687
	Deferred tax liabilities		677		792
		$	9,456	$	7,409

Note_9_Income_Taxes

Note 9 - Income Taxes	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Income Tax Disclosure [Text Block]	9. 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, 2015 and 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, a 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 $4,394 and $527 in the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. The effective tax rates were (83%) and (113%) in the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. The difference between the effective tax rates and the 34% federal statutory rate in the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, 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, 2015, the gross amount of the Company’s unrecognized tax benefits increased approximately $2,011 as a result of tax positions taken during the current year. Substantially all of the unrecognized tax benefits as of March 31, 2015, if recognized, would affect the Company’s effective tax rate. The Company believes that in the next twelve months, it is reasonably possible that that the gross unrecognized tax benefit may decrease by approximately $1,750 due to resolution of the state audit.
	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.

Note_10_Earnings_Per_Share

Note 10 - Earnings Per Share	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Earnings Per Share [Text Block]	10. Earnings Per Share
	The following shows the computation of basic and diluted earnings per share:
		Three Months
		Ended March 31,
		2015			2014
	Numerator
	Net loss	$	(9,708	)	$	(995	)
	Denominator
	Weighted average common stock		37,696,518			30,699,590
	Less weighted average unvested restricted stock award		—			(1,782	)
	Weighted average common stock—basic and diluted		37,696,518			30,697,808
	Earnings per share
	Basic	$	(0.26	)	$	(0.03	)
	Diluted	$	(0.26	)	$	(0.03	)
	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,
		2015			2014
	Common stock options		2,935,994			3,760,969
	Restricted stock unit		4,446,535			2,771,758
	Restricted stock award		—			1,782
			7,382,529			6,534,509

Note_11_Stockbased_Compensatio

Note 11 - Stock-based Compensation	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Text Block]	11. Stock–Based Compensation
	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, 2015, 3,389,763 shares of common stock have been reserved for future grants under the 2010 Plan.
	Stock Option Awards
	The Company did not grant any stock options during the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014.
	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, 2014		3,005,594		$	10.16			6.12	$	25,302
	Granted		—			—
	Exercised		(153,021	)		6.88
	Canceled		(18,719	)		20.29
	Outstanding at March 31, 2015		2,833,854		$	10.27			5.96	$	21,705
	Exercisable at March 31, 2015		2,301,217		$	9.92			5.71	$	18,430
	Vested and expected to vest at March 31, 2015		2,831,137		$	10.27			5.96	$	21,687
	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 total intrinsic value of options exercised during the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 was $1,858 and $4,343, 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 $1,052 and $1,231 for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively.
	Restricted Stock Units
	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 RSUs:
		Number of			Weighted
		Shares			Average
					Grant Date Fair Value Per Share
	Outstanding at December 31, 2014		4,789,622		$	12.85
	Granted		130,500			18.48
	Vested		(549,595	)		11.24
	Canceled		(65,677	)		14.28
	Outstanding at March 31, 2015		4,304,850			13.21
	Expected to vest at March 31, 2015		4,234,942
	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 stock 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, 2015 and 2014 was 160,776 and 131,007, 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,
		2015			2014
	Risk-free interest rate		0.07	%		0.08	%
	Expected life (in years)		0.5			0.49
	Dividend yield		—			—
	Expected volatility		41	%		34	%
	Estimated fair value	$	5.34		$	3
	Stock-Based Compensation Expense
	Stock-based compensation expense is included in the Company’s results of operations as follows:
			Three Months
			Ended March 31,
			2015			2014
	Operating expenses
	Cost of goods sold		$	363		$	251
	Research and development			3,786			2,389
	Sales and marketing			1,025			858
	General and administrative			1,246			1,008
			$	6,420		$	4,506
	Total unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested stock options at March 31, 2015, prior to the consideration of expected forfeitures, is approximately $47,476 and is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 2.78 years.

Note_12_Fair_Value_Measurement

Note 12 - Fair Value Measurements	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Fair Value Disclosures [Text Block]	12. 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, 2015.
	The following table presents information about assets required to be carried at fair value on a recurring basis:
	31-Mar-15	Total		Level 1		Level 2
	Assets
	Cash equivalents:
	Money market funds	$	1,863	$	—	$	1,863
	Investment in marketable securities:
	U.S. treasury securities		802		802		—
	Municipal bonds		20,853		—		20,853
	Corporate notes/bonds		15,011		—		15,011
	Asset backed securities		2,004		—		2,004
		$	40,533	$	802	$	39,731
	31-Dec-14	Total		Level 1		Level 2
	Assets
	Cash equivalents:
	Money market funds	$	1,457	$	—	$	1,457
	Investment in marketable securities:
	US treasury securities		2,057		2,057		—
	Municipal bonds		19,712		—		19,712
	Corporate notes/bonds		16,392		—		16,392
	Asset backed securities		747		—		747
		$	40,365	$	2,057	$	38,308

Note_13_Segment_and_Geographic

Note 13 - Segment and Geographic Information	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Segment Reporting Disclosure [Text Block]	13. 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,
		2015		2014
	China	$	19,055	$	12,515
	United States		9,456		5,459
	Other		30,649		13,215
		$	59,160	$	31,189
	As of March 31, 2015, $4,509 of long-lived tangible assets are located outside the United States, of which $3,056 are located in Taiwan. As of December 31, 2014, $6,153 of long-lived tangible assets are located outside the United States of which $3,463 are located in Taiwan.

Note_14_Commitments_and_Contin

Note 14 - Commitments and Contingencies	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Text Block]	14. Commitments and Contingencies
	Leases
	The Company leases its facility and certain equipment under noncancelable lease agreements expiring in various years through 2020. 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, 2015, future minimum lease payments under noncancelable operating leases having initial terms in excess of one year are as follows:
	2015 (remaining)	$	8,890
	2016		9,311
	2017		4,085
	2018		1,855
	2019 and thereafter		1,412
		$	25,553
	For the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, lease operating expense was $3,043 and $1,423, respectively.
	Noncancelable Purchase Obligations
	The Company depends upon third party subcontractors to manufacture its wafers. The Company’s 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, 2015, the total value of open purchase orders for wafers was approximately $6,592.
	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 the 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 us. The Company requested a rehearing of the decision not to adopt the remaining one rejection that had been proposed by the 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, which were refiled in a slightly different form on September 5, 2014. On June 26, 2014, the PTAB issued a decision on the request for rehearing, which included a rejection of further claims pursuant to the Company’s request and on July 28, 2014, Netlist provided a response to the USPTO cancelling those claims that had been rejected in the decision on the request for rehearing. On September 26, 2014, the PTAB remanded the proceedings back to the Examiner, with instructions to consider part, but not all, of the Company’s comments that had been previously filed on September 5, 2014. On October 10, 2014, the Company filed a Petition to the Director of the USPTO seeking reconsideration of the PTAB remand of September 26, 2014, and requesting that all of the comments that the Company previously filed on September 5, 2014 should have been entered for consideration by the Examiner, The USPTO denied this Petition with remand instructions to the Examiner to consider part, but not all, of the Company’s comments that had been previously filed on September 5, 2014. While the reexamination still awaits the Examiner’s action after the remand, on March 13, 2015 the Company filed a Petition for Writ of Mandamus with United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit seeking relief from the Federal Circuit Court to vacate the Board’s order and to instruct the Director to enter in full the Company’s comments that had been previously filed on September 5, 2014. On March 19, 2015, Netlist’s motion to extend time to file a response to the Petition was granted, and Netlist’s opposition to the Petition for Writ of Mandamus was received on April 27, 2015. A reply brief by the Company 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. The Company may consider filing an appeal to any determination made by the USPTO with the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals.
	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. On August 13, 2014, the PTAB denied our request for rehearing, and on October 15, 2014, the Company filed a Notice of Appeal to the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. An Appeal Brief was filed with the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit on February 3, 2015 and an Opposition Brief filed by Netlist in the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit is expected as the next substantive step of the proceeding (with Netlist having twice moved the court, without opposition, to extend the time to file its Opposition Brief such that Netlist’s Opposition Brief is now due on May 18, 2015), 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 our 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, and on June 18, 2014 issued a Right of Notice of Appeal. By July 18, 2014, the Company as well as other Requesters each filed Notices of Appeal, and Netlist filed a Cross Appeal on July 30, 2014. By September 30, 2014, each of the Requestors as well as Netlist had filed their respective Appeal Briefs, and by October 30, 2014 each of the Requestors as well as Netlist had filed their respective Responses to the previously filed Appeal Briefs. Reply Briefs by Requesters and Netlist were filed on or before February 18, 2015, certain of the Requesters and Netlist filed requests for Oral Hearing at the USPTO by March 17, 2015, and consideration by the USPTO will be the next substantive step of the proceeding, as currently prosecution otherwise will remain 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.
	In March 2015, the Company settled a patent dispute involving Cortina and Vitesse Semiconductor Corporation (Vitesse). The patent dispute involved a certain patent family owned by Vitesse associated with error correction. The Company paid Vitesse $750 to resolve the dispute. Based on the Agreement and Plan of Merger dated July 30, 2014, as amended by Amendment No. 1 to the Agreement and Plan of Merger dated September 25, 2014, the Company was indemnified for this settlement arising from this claim, up to an amount of $750.
	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, 2015 and December 31, 2014.

Note_15_Subsequent_Event

Note 15 - Subsequent Event	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Subsequent Events [Abstract]
Subsequent Events [Text Block]	15.  Subsequent Events
	In April 2015, the Compensation Committee granted 1,196,648 RSUs to employees and consultants.

Note_3_Investments_Tables

Note 3 - Investments (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Investments Schedule [Abstract]
Available-for-sale Securities [Table Text Block]		31-Mar-15				31-Dec-14
		Cost		Fair Value		Cost		Fair Value
	Available-for-sale securities:
	U.S. treasury securities	$	802	$	802	$	2,056	$	2,057
	Municipal bonds		20,823		20,853		19,686		19,712
	Corporate notes/bonds		14,972		15,011		16,381		16,392
	Asset backed securities		2,000		2,004		750		747
	Total investments	$	38,597	$	38,670	$	38,873	$	38,908
Investments Classified by Contractual Maturity Date [Table Text Block]		Cost		Fair Value
	Due in one year or less	$	12,638	$	12,662
	Due between one and five years		25,959		26,008
		$	38,597	$	38,670

Note_4_Inventories_Tables

Note 4 - Inventories (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Inventory Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of Inventory, Current [Table Text Block]		March 31,		December 31,
		2015		2014
	Raw materials	$	3,897	$	5,803
	Work in process		3,950		2,409
	Finished goods		15,494		18,438
		$	23,341	$	26,650

Note_5_Property_and_Equipment_1

Note 5 - Property and Equipment, Net (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Table Text Block]		March 31,			December 31,
		2015			2014
	Laboratory and production equipment	$	54,471		$	48,522
	Office, software and computer equipment		22,018			15,855
	Furniture and fixtures		2,721			1,762
	Leasehold improvements		5,924			5,212
			85,134			71,351
	Less accumulated depreciation		(50,613	)		(35,853	)
		$	34,521		$	35,498

Note_6_Goodwill_and_Identifiab1

Note 6 - Goodwill and Identifiable Intangible Assets (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Table Text Block]		31-Mar-15						31-Dec-14
		Gross		Accumulated Amortization		Net		Gross		Accumulated Amortization		Net
	Developed technology	$	71,570	$	5,732	$	65,838	$	71,570	$	2,857	$	68,713
	Customer relationships		8,170		405		7,765		8,170		201		7,969
	Trade name		920		92		828		920		46		874
	Patents		1,579		173		1,406		1,579		112		1,467
	In-process research and development		1,750		—		1,750		1,750		—		1,750
		$	83,989	$	6,402	$	77,587	$	83,989	$	3,216	$	80,773
Finite-lived Intangible Assets Amortization Expense [Table Text Block]	Cost of goods sold	$	2,875
	Sales and marketing		204
	General and administrative		107
		$	3,186
Schedule of Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Future Amortization Expense [Table Text Block]	2015 (remainder)	$	9,548
	2016		12,707
	2017		12,682
	2018		12,648
	2019		11,078
	Thereafter		17,174
		$	75,837
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Remaining Amortization Period [Table Text Block]	Developed technology		6.03
	Customer relationship		9.5
	Others		10.2

Note_8_Other_Longterm_Liabilit1

Note 8 - Other Long-term Liabilities (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Other Liabilities and Financial Instruments Subject to Mandatory Redemption [Abstract]
Other Noncurrent Liabilities [Table Text Block]		March 31,		December 31,
		2015		2014
	Deferred rent	$	2,189	$	1,930
	Income tax payable		6,590		4,687
	Deferred tax liabilities		677		792
		$	9,456	$	7,409

Note_10_Earnings_Per_Share_Tab

Note 10 - Earnings Per Share (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Schedule of Earnings Per Share, Basic and Diluted [Table Text Block]		Three Months
		Ended March 31,
		2015			2014
	Numerator
	Net loss	$	(9,708	)	$	(995	)
	Denominator
	Weighted average common stock		37,696,518			30,699,590
	Less weighted average unvested restricted stock award		—			(1,782	)
	Weighted average common stock—basic and diluted		37,696,518			30,697,808
	Earnings per share
	Basic	$	(0.26	)	$	(0.03	)
	Diluted	$	(0.26	)	$	(0.03	)
Schedule of Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Table Text Block]		Three Months
		Ended March 31,
		2015			2014
	Common stock options		2,935,994			3,760,969
	Restricted stock unit		4,446,535			2,771,758
	Restricted stock award		—			1,782
			7,382,529			6,534,509

Note_11_Stockbased_Compensatio1

Note 11 - Stock-based Compensation (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]
Schedule of Share-based Compensation, Activity [Table Text Block]		Number of			Weighted			Weighted		Aggregate
		Shares			Average			Average		Intrinsic
					Exercise			Remaining		Value
					Price			Contractual
								Life
	Outstanding at December 31, 2014		3,005,594		$	10.16			6.12	$	25,302
	Granted		—			—
	Exercised		(153,021	)		6.88
	Canceled		(18,719	)		20.29
	Outstanding at March 31, 2015		2,833,854		$	10.27			5.96	$	21,705
	Exercisable at March 31, 2015		2,301,217		$	9.92			5.71	$	18,430
	Vested and expected to vest at March 31, 2015		2,831,137		$	10.27			5.96	$	21,687
Schedule of Nonvested Restricted Stock Units Activity [Table Text Block]		Number of			Weighted
		Shares			Average
					Grant Date Fair Value Per Share
	Outstanding at December 31, 2014		4,789,622		$	12.85
	Granted		130,500			18.48
	Vested		(549,595	)		11.24
	Canceled		(65,677	)		14.28
	Outstanding at March 31, 2015		4,304,850			13.21
	Expected to vest at March 31, 2015		4,234,942
Schedule of Share-based Payment Award, Employee Stock Purchase Plan, Valuation Assumptions [Table Text Block]		Three Months Ended
		March 31,
		2015			2014
	Risk-free interest rate		0.07	%		0.08	%
	Expected life (in years)		0.5			0.49
	Dividend yield		—			—
	Expected volatility		41	%		34	%
	Estimated fair value	$	5.34		$	3
Schedule of Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Table Text Block]			Three Months
			Ended March 31,
			2015			2014
	Operating expenses
	Cost of goods sold		$	363		$	251
	Research and development			3,786			2,389
	Sales and marketing			1,025			858
	General and administrative			1,246			1,008
			$	6,420		$	4,506

Note_12_Fair_Value_Measurement1

Note 12 - Fair Value Measurements (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis [Table Text Block]	31-Mar-15	Total		Level 1		Level 2
	Assets
	Cash equivalents:
	Money market funds	$	1,863	$	—	$	1,863
	Investment in marketable securities:
	U.S. treasury securities		802		802		—
	Municipal bonds		20,853		—		20,853
	Corporate notes/bonds		15,011		—		15,011
	Asset backed securities		2,004		—		2,004
		$	40,533	$	802	$	39,731
	31-Dec-14	Total		Level 1		Level 2
	Assets
	Cash equivalents:
	Money market funds	$	1,457	$	—	$	1,457
	Investment in marketable securities:
	US treasury securities		2,057		2,057		—
	Municipal bonds		19,712		—		19,712
	Corporate notes/bonds		16,392		—		16,392
	Asset backed securities		747		—		747
		$	40,365	$	2,057	$	38,308

Note_13_Segment_and_Geographic1

Note 13 - Segment and Geographic Information (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Schedule of Revenue from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets, by Geographical Areas [Table Text Block]		Three Months Ended March 31,
		2015		2014
	China	$	19,055	$	12,515
	United States		9,456		5,459
	Other		30,649		13,215
		$	59,160	$	31,189

Note_14_Commitments_and_Contin1

Note 14 - Commitments and Contingencies (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of Future Minimum Rental Payments for Operating Leases [Table Text Block]	2015 (remaining)	$	8,890
	2016		9,311
	2017		4,085
	2018		1,855
	2019 and thereafter		1,412
		$	25,553

Note_1_Organization_and_Basis_1

Note 1 - Organization and Basis of Presentation (Details) (Cortina Systems, Inc. [Member], USD $)	0 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Share data in Millions, unless otherwise specified	Oct. 03, 2014
Cortina Systems, Inc. [Member]
Note 1 - Organization and Basis of Presentation (Details) [Line Items]
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Gross	$52,509
Business Acquisition, Equity Interest Issued or Issuable, Number of Shares	5.3

Note_3_Investments_Details

Note 3 - Investments (Details) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Note 3 - Investments (Details) [Line Items]
Available-for-sale, Securities in Unrealized Loss Positions, Qualitative Disclosure, Number of Positions	13
Minority Interest in Early Stage Private Company [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Note 3 - Investments (Details) [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Equity Securities, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	11

Note_3_Investments_Details_Sum

Note 3 - Investments (Details) - Summary of Investments by Investment (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Available-for-sale securities:
Available-for-sale securities, cost	$38,597	$38,873
Available-for-sale securities, fair value	38,670	38,908
US Treasury Securities [Member]
Available-for-sale securities:
Available-for-sale securities, cost	802	2,056
Available-for-sale securities, fair value	802	2,057
US States and Political Subdivisions Debt Securities [Member]
Available-for-sale securities:
Available-for-sale securities, cost	20,823	19,686
Available-for-sale securities, fair value	20,853	19,712
Corporate Debt Securities [Member]
Available-for-sale securities:
Available-for-sale securities, cost	14,972	16,381
Available-for-sale securities, fair value	15,011	16,392
Asset-backed Securities [Member]
Available-for-sale securities:
Available-for-sale securities, cost	2,000	750
Available-for-sale securities, fair value	$2,004	$747

Note_3_Investments_Details_Con

Note 3 - Investments (Details) - Contractual Maturities of Available-for-Sale Securities (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Contractual Maturities of Available-for-Sale Securities [Abstract]
Due in one year or less	$12,638
Due in one year or less	12,662
Due between one and five years	25,959
Due between one and five years	26,008
	38,597
	$38,670	$38,908

Note_4_Inventories_Details

Note 4 - Inventories (Details) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Inventory Disclosure [Abstract]
Other Inventory, Materials, Supplies and Merchandise under Consignment, Gross	$3,007	$2,798

Note_4_Inventories_Details_Inv

Note 4 - Inventories (Details) - Inventory (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Inventory [Abstract]
Raw materials	$3,897	$5,803
Work in process	3,950	2,409
Finished goods	15,494	18,438
	$23,341	$26,650

Note_5_Property_and_Equipment_2

Note 5 - Property and Equipment, Net (Details) (Property and Equipment [Member], USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014
Property and Equipment [Member]
Note 5 - Property and Equipment, Net (Details) [Line Items]
Depreciation	$3,237	$2,357
Capitalized Computer Software, Gross	8,655		4,582
Capitalized Computer Software, Amortization	$232	$103

Note_5_Property_and_Equipment_3

Note 5 - Property and Equipment, Net (Details) - Property and Equipment (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, gross	$85,134	$71,351
Less accumulated depreciation	-50,613	-35,853
	34,521	35,498
Equipment [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, gross	54,471	48,522
Other Machinery and Equipment [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, gross	22,018	15,855
Furniture and Fixtures [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, gross	2,721	1,762
Leasehold Improvements [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, gross	$5,924	$5,212

Note_6_Goodwill_and_Identifiab2

Note 6 - Goodwill and Identifiable Intangible Assets (Details) - Identifiable Intangible Assets (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Finite lived intangible assets, gross	$83,989	$83,989
Finite lived intangible assets, accumulated amortization	6,402	3,216
Finite lived intangible assets, net	77,587	80,773
Developed Technology Rights [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Finite lived intangible assets, gross	71,570	71,570
Finite lived intangible assets, accumulated amortization	5,732	2,857
Finite lived intangible assets, net	65,838	68,713
Customer Relationships [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Finite lived intangible assets, gross	8,170	8,170
Finite lived intangible assets, accumulated amortization	405	201
Finite lived intangible assets, net	7,765	7,969
Trade Names [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Finite lived intangible assets, gross	920	920
Finite lived intangible assets, accumulated amortization	92	46
Finite lived intangible assets, net	828	874
Patents [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Finite lived intangible assets, gross	1,579	1,579
Finite lived intangible assets, accumulated amortization	173	112
Finite lived intangible assets, net	1,406	1,467
In Process Research and Development [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Finite lived intangible assets, gross	1,750	1,750
Finite lived intangible assets, net	$1,750	$1,750

Note_6_Goodwill_and_Identifiab3

Note 6 - Goodwill and Identifiable Intangible Assets (Details) - Finite-lived Intangible Assets, Accumulated Amortization (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015
Note 6 - Goodwill and Identifiable Intangible Assets (Details) - Finite-lived Intangible Assets, Accumulated Amortization [Line Items]
Amortization	$3,186
Cost of Sales [Member]
Note 6 - Goodwill and Identifiable Intangible Assets (Details) - Finite-lived Intangible Assets, Accumulated Amortization [Line Items]
Cost of goods sold	2,875
Selling and Marketing Expense [Member]
Note 6 - Goodwill and Identifiable Intangible Assets (Details) - Finite-lived Intangible Assets, Accumulated Amortization [Line Items]
Amortization	204
General and Administrative Expense [Member]
Note 6 - Goodwill and Identifiable Intangible Assets (Details) - Finite-lived Intangible Assets, Accumulated Amortization [Line Items]
Amortization	$107

Note_6_Goodwill_and_Identifiab4

Note 6 - Goodwill and Identifiable Intangible Assets (Details) - Amortization of Intangible Assets, Future Amortization Expense (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Amortization of Intangible Assets, Future Amortization Expense [Abstract]
2015 (remainder)	$9,548
2016	12,707
2017	12,682
2018	12,648
2019	11,078
Thereafter	17,174
	$75,837

Note_6_Goodwill_and_Identifiab5

Note 6 - Goodwill and Identifiable Intangible Assets (Details) - Intangible Assets Weighted-average Amortization Periods	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Developed Technology Rights [Member]
Note 6 - Goodwill and Identifiable Intangible Assets (Details) - Intangible Assets Weighted-average Amortization Periods [Line Items]
Finite-lived intangible assets	6 years 10 days
Customer Relationships [Member]
Note 6 - Goodwill and Identifiable Intangible Assets (Details) - Intangible Assets Weighted-average Amortization Periods [Line Items]
Finite-lived intangible assets	9 years 6 months
Other Intangible Assets [Member]
Note 6 - Goodwill and Identifiable Intangible Assets (Details) - Intangible Assets Weighted-average Amortization Periods [Line Items]
Finite-lived intangible assets	10 years 73 days

Note_7_Product_Warranty_Obliga1

Note 7 - Product Warranty Obligation (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		0 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014	Nov. 03, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014
Note 7 - Product Warranty Obligation (Details) [Line Items]
Product Warranty Accrual	$110			$110
Product Warranty Accrual, Period Increase (Decrease)	0	0
Field Installation Repair and Replacement [Member]
Note 7 - Product Warranty Obligation (Details) [Line Items]
Loss Contingency, Damages Sought, Value			$4,000

Note_8_Other_Longterm_Liabilit2

Note 8 - Other Long-term Liabilities (Details) - Other Long-term Liabilities (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Other Long-term Liabilities [Abstract]
Deferred rent	$2,189	$1,930
Income tax payable	6,590	4,687
Deferred tax liabilities	677	792
	$9,456	$7,409

Note_9_Income_Taxes_Details

Note 9 - Income Taxes (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	$4,394	$527
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, Percent	83.00%	113.00%
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, at Federal Statutory Income Tax Rate, Percent	34.00%	34.00%
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Increase Resulting from Current Period Tax Positions	2,011
Decrease in Unrecognized Tax Benefits is Reasonably Possible	$1,750

Note_10_Earnings_Per_Share_Det

Note 10 - Earnings Per Share (Details) - Computation of Basic and Diluted Earnings Per Share (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Numerator
Net loss (in Dollars)	($9,708)	($995)
Denominator
Weighted average common stock	37,696,518	30,699,590
Less weighted average unvested restricted stock award		-1,782
Weighted average common stock—basic and diluted	37,696,518	30,697,808
Earnings per share
Basic (in Dollars per share)	($0.26)	($0.03)
Diluted (in Dollars per share)	($0.26)	($0.03)

Note_10_Earnings_Per_Share_Det1

Note 10 - Earnings Per Share (Details) - Securities Not Included in Computation of Earnings Per Share	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Anti-dilutive securities	7,382,529	6,534,509
Equity Option [Member]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Anti-dilutive securities	2,935,994	3,760,969
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Anti-dilutive securities	4,446,535	2,771,758
Restricted Stock [Member]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Anti-dilutive securities		1,782

Note_11_Stockbased_Compensatio2

Note 11 - Stock-based Compensation (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Note 11 - Stock-based Compensation (Details) [Line Items]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Grants in Period, Gross	0	0
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Exercises in Period, Intrinsic Value	$1,858	$4,343
Proceeds from Stock Options Exercised	1,052	1,231
Look-Back Period of Employee Stock Purchase Plan	6 months
Stock Issued During Period, Shares, Employee Stock Purchase Plans	160,776	131,007
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Nonvested Awards, Compensation Cost Not yet Recognized	47,476
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Nonvested Awards, Compensation Cost Not yet Recognized, Period for Recognition	2 years 284 days
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member]
Note 11 - Stock-based Compensation (Details) [Line Items]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Award Vesting Period	4 years
Two Thousand and Ten Stock Incentive Plan [Member]
Note 11 - Stock-based Compensation (Details) [Line Items]
Common Stock, Capital Shares Reserved for Future Issuance	3,389,763
Employee Stock Option Plan [Member]
Note 11 - Stock-based Compensation (Details) [Line Items]
Maximum Percentage of Aggregate Cash Compensation for Purchase of Stock Using Payroll Deduction	15.00%
Purchase Price Per Share as Percentage of Market Value	85.00%
Percentage of Combined Voting Power or Value of All Classes of Stock Not Eligible to Participate	5.00%
Fair Value of Common Stock in 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

Note_11_Stockbased_Compensatio3

Note 11 - Stock-based Compensation (Details) - Information Regarding Options Outstanding (USD $)	0 Months Ended		3 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2015
Information Regarding Options Outstanding [Abstract]
Outstanding at December 31, 2014	2,833,854	3,005,594
Outstanding at December 31, 2014	$10.27	$10.16
Outstanding at December 31, 2014	5 years 350 days	6 years 43 days
Outstanding at December 31, 2014	$21,705	$25,302
Outstanding at March 31, 2015			2,833,854
Outstanding at March 31, 2015			$10.27
Outstanding at March 31, 2015	5 years 350 days	6 years 43 days
Outstanding at March 31, 2015			21,705
Exercisable at March 31, 2015			2,301,217
Exercisable at March 31, 2015			$9.92
Exercisable at March 31, 2015	5 years 259 days
Exercisable at March 31, 2015			18,430
Vested and expected to vest at March 31, 2015			2,831,137
Vested and expected to vest at March 31, 2015			$10.27
Vested and expected to vest at March 31, 2015	5 years 350 days
Vested and expected to vest at March 31, 2015			$21,687
Exercised			-153,021
Exercised			$6.88
Canceled			-18,719
Canceled			$20.29

Note_11_Stockbased_Compensatio4

Note 11 - Stock-based Compensation (Details) - Information Regarding Outstanding Restricted Stock Units (Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member], USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member]
Note 11 - Stock-based Compensation (Details) - Information Regarding Outstanding Restricted Stock Units [Line Items]
Outstanding at December 31, 2014	4,789,622
Outstanding at December 31, 2014 (in Dollars per share)	$12.85
Granted	130,500
Granted (in Dollars per share)	$18.48
Vested	-549,595
Vested (in Dollars per share)	$11.24
Canceled	-65,677
Canceled (in Dollars per share)	$14.28
Outstanding at March 31, 2015	4,304,850
Outstanding at March 31, 2015 (in Dollars per share)	$13.21
Expected to vest at March 31, 2015	4,234,942

Note_11_Stockbased_Compensatio5

Note 11 - Stock-based Compensation (Details) - Fair Value of Employee Stock Purchase Plan (Employee Stock Purchase Plan [Member], USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Employee Stock Purchase Plan [Member]
Note 11 - Stock-based Compensation (Details) - Fair Value of Employee Stock Purchase Plan [Line Items]
Risk-free interest rate	0.07%	0.08%
Expected life (in years)	6 months	178 days
Expected volatility	41.00%	34.00%
Estimated fair value (in Dollars per share)	$5.34	$3

Note_11_Stockbased_Compensatio6

Note 11 - Stock-based Compensation (Details) - Stock-Based Compensation Expense (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Operating expenses
Stock-based compensation expense	$6,420	$4,506
Cost of Sales [Member]
Operating expenses
Stock-based compensation expense	363	251
Research and Development Expense [Member]
Operating expenses
Stock-based compensation expense	3,786	2,389
Selling and Marketing Expense [Member]
Operating expenses
Stock-based compensation expense	1,025	858
General and Administrative Expense [Member]
Operating expenses
Stock-based compensation expense	$1,246	$1,008

Note_12_Fair_Value_Measurement2

Note 12 - Fair Value Measurements (Details) - Information about Assets and Liabilities Required to be Carried at Fair Value on Recurring Basis (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Investment in marketable securities:
Total fair value of assets	$40,533	$40,365
Money Market Funds [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Cash equivalents:
Cash equivalents	1,863	1,457
Money Market Funds [Member]
Cash equivalents:
Cash equivalents	1,863	1,457
US Treasury Securities [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Investment in marketable securities:
Investment in marketable securities	802	2,057
US Treasury Securities [Member]
Investment in marketable securities:
Investment in marketable securities	802	2,057
Municipal Bonds [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Investment in marketable securities:
Investment in marketable securities	20,853	19,712
Municipal Bonds [Member]
Investment in marketable securities:
Investment in marketable securities	20,853	19,712
Corporate Debt Securities [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Investment in marketable securities:
Investment in marketable securities	15,011	16,392
Corporate Debt Securities [Member]
Investment in marketable securities:
Investment in marketable securities	15,011	16,392
Asset-backed Securities [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Investment in marketable securities:
Investment in marketable securities	2,004	747
Asset-backed Securities [Member]
Investment in marketable securities:
Investment in marketable securities	2,004	747
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Investment in marketable securities:
Total fair value of assets	802	2,057
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Investment in marketable securities:
Total fair value of assets	$39,731	$38,308

Note_13_Segment_and_Geographic2

Note 13 - Segment and Geographic Information (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Note 13 - Segment and Geographic Information (Details) [Line Items]
Number of Reportable Segments	1
Outside the United States [Member]
Note 13 - Segment and Geographic Information (Details) [Line Items]
Long-Lived Tangible Assets Located Outside Country	4,509	$6,153
TAIWAN, PROVINCE OF CHINA
Note 13 - Segment and Geographic Information (Details) [Line Items]
Long-Lived Tangible Assets Located Outside Country	3,056	$3,463

Note_13_Segment_and_Geographic3

Note 13 - Segment and Geographic Information (Details) - Revenue by Geographic Region (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Revenue by Geographic Region	$59,160	$31,189
CHINA
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Revenue by Geographic Region	19,055	12,515
UNITED STATES
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Revenue by Geographic Region	9,456	5,459
Other Country [Member]
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Revenue by Geographic Region	$30,649	$13,215

Note_14_Commitments_and_Contin2

Note 14 - Commitments and Contingencies (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		0 Months Ended	1 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014	Sep. 27, 2011	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Jun. 21, 2011	Apr. 01, 2011	Jul. 30, 2014
Note 14 - Commitments and Contingencies (Details) [Line Items]
Operating Leases, Rent Expense, Net	$3,043,000	$1,423,000
Value of Open Purchase Orders	6,592,000			6,592,000
Number of Claims Confirming Patentability Related to Action Closing Prosecution						4
Number of Claims Deemed Patentable							1
Estimated Litigation Liability	0			0	0
Cortina Systems, Inc. [Member]
Note 14 - Commitments and Contingencies (Details) [Line Items]
Amount to be Refunded from Escrow								750,000
Netlist Inc [Member]
Note 14 - Commitments and Contingencies (Details) [Line Items]
Loss Contingency, Claims Dismissed, Number			91
Loss Contingency, Pending Claims, Number			97
Cortina vs. Vitesse Semiconductor Corporation [Member]
Note 14 - Commitments and Contingencies (Details) [Line Items]
Payments for Legal Settlements				$750,000

Note_14_Commitments_and_Contin3

Note 14 - Commitments and Contingencies (Details) - Future Minimum Lease Payments Under Noncancelable Operating Leases (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Future Minimum Lease Payments Under Noncancelable Operating Leases [Abstract]
2015 (remaining)	$8,890
2016	9,311
2017	4,085
2018	1,855
2019 and thereafter	1,412
	$25,553

Note_15_Subsequent_Event_Detai

Note 15 - Subsequent Event (Details) (Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member])	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015
Note 15 - Subsequent Event (Details) [Line Items]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Grants in Period		130,500
Subsequent Event [Member]
Note 15 - Subsequent Event (Details) [Line Items]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Grants in Period	1,196,648