Onto Innovation (ONTO) 10-K 7 Mar 14 2013 FY Annual report Financial data

Document_and_Entity_Informatio

Document and Entity Information (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 28, 2013	Mar. 01, 2014	Jun. 29, 2013
Document and Entity Information [Abstract]	'	'	'
Entity Registrant Name	'NANOMETRICS INC	'	'
Entity Central Index Key	'0000704532	'	'
Document Type	'10-K	'	'
Document Period End Date	28-Dec-13	'	'
Amendment Flag	'false	'	'
Document Fiscal Year Focus	'2013	'	'
Document Fiscal Period Focus	'FY	'	'
Current Fiscal Year End Date	'--12-28	'	'
Entity Filer Category	'Accelerated Filer	'	'
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding	'	23,756,107	'
Entity Well-known Seasoned Issuer	'No	'	'
Entity Voluntary Filers	'No	'	'
Entity Current Reporting Status	'Yes	'	'
Entity Public Float	'	'	$340.20

Consolidated_Balance_Sheets

Consolidated Balance Sheets (USD $)	Dec. 28, 2013	Dec. 29, 2012
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Current assets:	'	'
Cash and cash equivalents	$44,765	$62,915
Marketable securities	48,097	46,993
Accounts receivable, net of allowances of $293 and $82, respectively	31,436	21,388
Inventories	34,520	39,659
Inventories-delivered systems	6,901	2,274
Prepaid expenses and other	10,519	7,492
Deferred income tax assets	14,516	8,593
Total current assets	190,754	189,314
Property, plant and equipment, net	47,439	43,213
Goodwill	11,743	11,352
Intangible assets, net	7,864	10,980
Deferred income tax assets	4,338	3,671
Other assets	696	924
Total assets	262,834	259,454
Current liabilities:	'	'
Accounts payable	10,661	6,398
Accrued payroll and related expenses	7,853	6,670
Deferred revenue	21,749	8,485
Other current liabilities	7,936	7,822
Income taxes payable	758	424
Current portion of debt obligations	0	928
Total current liabilities	48,957	30,727
Deferred revenue	3,718	4,307
Income taxes payable	1,171	2,135
Other long-term liabilities	1,615	2,140
Debt obligations	0	4,374
Total liabilities	55,461	43,683
Commitments and contingencies (Note 13)	'	'
Stockholders’ equity:	'	'
Preferred stock, $0.001 par value; 3,000,000 shares authorized; no shares issued or outstanding	0	0
Common stock, $0.001 par value, 47,000,000 shares authorized; 23,537,275 and 23,250,429, respectively, issued and outstanding	24	23
Additional paid-in capital	244,733	238,326
Accumulated deficit	-37,996	-23,850
Accumulated other comprehensive income	612	1,272
Total stockholders’ equity	207,373	215,771
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	$262,834	$259,454

Consolidated_Balance_Sheets_Pa

Consolidated Balance Sheets (Parenthetical) (USD $)	Dec. 28, 2013	Dec. 29, 2012
In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified
Statement of Financial Position [Abstract]	'	'
Allowances for doubtful accounts	$293	$82
Preferred stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$0.00	$0.00
Preferred stock, shares authorized	3,000,000	3,000,000
Preferred stock, shares issued	0	0
Preferred stock, shares outstanding	0	0
Common stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$0.00	$0.00
Common stock, shares authorized	47,000,000	47,000,000
Common stock, shares issued	23,537,275	23,250,429
Common stock, shares outstanding	23,537,275	23,250,429

Consolidated_Statements_of_Ope

Consolidated Statements of Operations (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 28, 2013	Dec. 29, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Net revenues:	'	'	'
Products	$107,402	$143,827	$194,774
Service	36,905	39,054	35,287
Total net revenues	144,307	182,881	230,061
Costs of net revenues:	'	'	'
Cost of products	59,509	75,878	88,579
Cost of service	19,489	20,526	18,304
Amortization of intangible assets	2,633	2,549	1,077
Total costs of net revenues	81,631	98,953	107,960
Gross profit	62,676	83,928	122,101
Operating expenses:	'	'	'
Research and development	32,714	29,585	23,290
Selling	27,129	26,457	27,019
General and administrative	22,101	21,632	22,901
Amortization of intangible assets	701	776	625
Legal settlement	0	0	2,500
Restructuring charge	1,740	0	0
Total operating expenses	84,385	78,450	76,335
Income (loss) from operations	-21,709	5,478	45,766
Other (income) expense	'	'	'
Interest income	62	133	220
Interest expense	-651	-1,040	-1,336
Other income (expense), net	-1,267	48	-66
Total other expense, net	-1,856	-859	-1,182
Income (loss) before income taxes	-23,565	4,619	44,584
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes	-9,419	154	15,899
Net income (loss)	($14,146)	$4,465	$28,685
Net income (loss) per share:	'	'	'
Basic (in dollars per share)	($0.61)	$0.19	$1.26
Diluted (in dollars per share)	($0.61)	$0.19	$1.22
Weighted average shares used in per share calculation:	'	'	'
Basic (in shares)	23,290	23,358	22,743
Diluted (in shares)	23,290	23,845	23,480

Consolidated_Statements_of_Com

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 28, 2013	Dec. 29, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Statement of Comprehensive Income [Abstract]	'	'	'
Net income (loss)	($14,146)	$4,465	$28,685
Other comprehensive income (loss):	'	'	'
Change in foreign currency translation adjustment	-818	-264	-484
Employee benefit plan adjustment	151	-11	-39
Net change on unrealized gains (losses) on available-for-sale investments	7	-2	0
Other comprehensive loss	-660	-277	-523
Comprehensive income (loss)	($14,806)	$4,188	$28,162

Consolidated_Statements_of_Sto

Consolidated Statements of Stockholders' Equity (USD $)	Total	Common Stock	Additional Paid-In Capital	Accumulated Deficit	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income
In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified
Beginning Balance Value at Jan. 01, 2011	$170,849	$22	$225,755	($57,000)	$2,072
Beginning Balance Shares at Jan. 01, 2011	'	22,314,783	'	'	'
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]	'	'	'	'	'
Net income (loss)	28,685	'	'	28,685	'
Employee benefit plan adjustment	-39	'	'	'	-39
Foreign currency translation adjustments	-484	'	'	'	-484
Issuance of common stock under stock-based compensation plans	10,765	1	10,764	'	'
Issuance of common stock under stock-based compensation plans, Shares	'	1,133,028	'	'	'
Stock-based compensation expense	4,473	'	4,473	'	'
Repurchases and retirement of common stock	-4,257	'	-4,257	'	'
Repurchases and retirement of common stock, Shares	'	-265,040	'	'	'
Ending Balance Value at Dec. 31, 2011	209,992	23	236,735	-28,315	1,549
Ending Balance Shares at Dec. 31, 2011	'	23,182,771	'	'	'
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]	'	'	'	'	'
Net income (loss)	4,465	'	'	4,465	'
Employee benefit plan adjustment	-11	'	'	'	-11
Foreign currency translation adjustments	-264	'	'	'	-264
Unrealized gain (loss) on investments, net of tax	-2	'	'	'	-2
Issuance of common stock under stock-based compensation plans	4,205	'	4,205	'	'
Issuance of common stock under stock-based compensation plans, Shares	'	655,424	'	'	'
Stock-based compensation expense	5,890	'	5,890	'	'
Repurchases and retirement of common stock	-8,504	'	-8,504	'	'
Repurchases and retirement of common stock, Shares	-587,766	-587,766	'	'	'
Ending Balance Value at Dec. 29, 2012	215,771	23	238,326	-23,850	1,272
Ending Balance Shares at Dec. 29, 2012	23,250,429	23,250,429	'	'	'
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]	'	'	'	'	'
Net income (loss)	-14,146	'	'	-14,146	'
Employee benefit plan adjustment	151	'	'	'	151
Foreign currency translation adjustments	-818	'	'	'	-818
Unrealized gain (loss) on investments, net of tax	7	'	'	'	7
Issuance of common stock under stock-based compensation plans	3,734	1	3,733	'	'
Issuance of common stock under stock-based compensation plans, Shares	'	619,617	'	'	'
Stock-based compensation expense	7,674	'	7,674	'	'
Repurchases and retirement of common stock	-5,000	0	-5,000	'	'
Repurchases and retirement of common stock, Shares	-332,771	-332,771	'	'	'
Ending Balance Value at Dec. 28, 2013	$207,373	$24	$244,733	($37,996)	$612
Ending Balance Shares at Dec. 28, 2013	23,537,275	23,537,275	'	'	'

Consolidated_Statements_of_Cas

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 28, 2013	Dec. 29, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Cash flows from operating activities:	'	'	'
Net income (loss)	($14,146)	$4,465	$28,685
Reconciliation of net income (loss) to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:	'	'	'
Depreciation and amortization	8,787	8,137	4,983
Stock-based compensation	7,674	5,890	4,473
Excess tax benefit from equity awards	53	-910	-3,915
Loss on disposal of fixed assets	177	303	113
Inventory write down	7,579	3,519	3,421
Deferred income taxes	-6,889	2,752	3,770
Changes in fair value of contingent payments to Zygo Corporation	1,325	129	413
Changes in assets and liabilities:	'	'	'
Accounts receivable	-10,376	7,733	16,172
Inventories	-7,024	1,383	-12,169
Inventories-delivered systems	-4,627	-758	446
Prepaid expenses and other	-1,855	1,114	-4,747
Accounts payable, accrued and other liabilities	4,840	-12,567	4,241
Deferred revenue	12,717	2,472	3,088
Income taxes payable	-666	346	5,054
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	-2,431	24,008	54,028
Cash flows from investing activities:	'	'	'
Escrow payment received related to Nanda acquisition	0	508	0
Purchase of Nanda's net assets, net of cash received	0	0	-23,912
Sales of marketable securities	0	3,000	0
Maturities of marketable securities	47,089	8,336	0
Purchases of marketable securities	-49,182	-58,647	0
Purchases of property, plant and equipment	-5,689	-4,990	-2,755
Net cash used in investing activities	-7,782	-51,793	-26,667
Cash flows from financing activities:	'	'	'
Payments to Zygo Corporation related to acquisition	-1,004	-300	-432
Repayments of debt obligations	-5,224	-2,210	-2,571
Proceeds from sale of shares under employee stock option plans and purchase plan	4,967	3,913	7,186
Excess tax benefit from equity awards	-53	910	3,915
Taxes paid on net issuance of stock awards	-1,181	-618	-126
Repurchases of common stock	-5,000	-8,504	-4,257
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	-7,495	-6,809	3,715
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	-442	-190	163
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	-18,150	-34,784	31,239
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	62,915	97,699	66,460
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	44,765	62,915	97,699
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:	'	'	'
Cash paid for interest	232	522	757
Cash paid for income taxes	$313	$5,113	$11,149

Nature_of_Business_Basis_of_Pr

Nature of Business, Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies

12 Months Ended

Dec. 28, 2013

Nature of Business and Basis of Presentation [Abstract]

'

Nature of Business, Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies

'

Nature of Business, Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies

Description of Business – Nanometrics Incorporated (“Nanometrics” or the “Company”) and its wholly owned subsidiaries design, manufacture, market, sell and support thin film, optical critical dimension and overlay dimension metrology and inspection systems used primarily in the manufacturing of semiconductors, solar photovoltaics (“solar PV”) and high-brightness LEDs (“HB-LED”), as well as by customers in the silicon wafer and data storage industries. Nanometrics' metrology systems precisely measure a wide range of film types deposited on substrates during manufacturing to control manufacturing processes and increase production yields in the fabrication of integrated circuits. The thin film metrology systems use a broad spectrum of wavelengths, high-sensitivity optics, proprietary software, and patented technology to measure the thickness and uniformity of films deposited on silicon and other substrates as well as their chemical composition. The Company’s optical critical dimension technology is a patented critical dimension measurement technology that is used to precisely determine the dimensions on the semiconductor wafer that directly control the resulting performance of the integrated circuit devices. The overlay metrology systems are used to measure the overlay accuracy of successive layers of semiconductor patterns on wafers in the photolithography process. Nanometrics' inspection systems are used to find defects on patterned and unpatterned wafers at nearly every stage of the semiconductor production flow. The corporate headquarters of Nanometrics is located in Milpitas, California.

Basis of Presentation – The consolidated financial statements include Nanometrics Incorporated and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

Fiscal Year – The Company uses a 52/53 week fiscal year ending on the Saturday nearest to December 31. Accordingly, 2013 consisted of 52 weeks ending December 28, 2013 (fiscal year 2013), 2012 consisted of 52 weeks ending December 29, 2012 (fiscal year 2012), and 2011 consisted of 52 weeks ending December 31, 2011 (fiscal year 2011).

Use of Estimates – The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reported period. Actual results could differ materially from those estimates. Estimates are used for, but not limited to, revenue recognition, the provision for doubtful accounts, the provision for excess, obsolete, or slow moving inventories, valuation of intangible assets and long-lived assets, warranty accruals, income taxes, valuation of stock-based compensation, and contingencies.

Foreign Currency Translation – The assets and liabilities of foreign subsidiaries are translated from their respective local functional currencies at exchange rates in effect at the balance sheet date and income and expense accounts are translated at average exchange rates during the reporting period. Resulting translation adjustments are reflected in “Accumulated other

comprehensive income,” a component of stockholders’ equity. Foreign currency transaction gains and losses are reflected in

“Other income (expense)” in the consolidated statements of operations in the period incurred, and consists of a $0.7 million million loss, $0.3 million loss and $0.3 million loss for the years ended December 28, 2013, December 29, 2012, and December 31, 2011, respectively.

Revenue Recognition – The Company derives revenue from the sale of process control metrology and inspection systems (“product revenue”) as well as spare part sales, billable service, service contracts, and upgrades (together “service revenue”). Upgrades are a group of parts and/or software that change the existing configuration of a product and are included in service revenue. They are distinguished from product revenue, which consists of complete, automated process control metrology systems (the “system(s)”). Nanometrics' systems consist of hardware and software components that function together to deliver the essential functionality of the system. Arrangements for sales of systems often include defined customer-specified acceptance criteria.

In summary, the Company recognizes revenue when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, delivery has occurred or services have been rendered, the seller's price is fixed or determinable, and collectability is reasonably assured.

For product sales to existing customers, revenue recognition occurs at the time title and risk of loss transfer to the customer, which usually occurs upon shipment from the Company's manufacturing location, if it can be reliably demonstrated that the product has successfully met the defined customer specified acceptance criteria and all other recognition criteria have been met. For initial sales where the product has not previously met the defined customer specified acceptance criteria, product revenues are recognized upon the earlier of receipt of written customer acceptance or expiration of the contractual acceptance period. In Japan, where contractual terms with the customer specify risk of loss and title transfers upon customer acceptance, revenue is recognized upon receipt of written customer acceptance, provided that all other recognition criteria have been met.

The Company warrants its products against defects in manufacturing. Upon recognition of product revenue, a liability is recorded for anticipated warranty costs. On occasion, customers request a warranty period longer than the Company's standard warranty. In those instances where extended warranty services are separately quoted to the customer, the associated revenue is deferred and recognized as service revenue ratably over the term of the contract. The portion of service contracts and extended warranty services agreements that are uncompleted at the end of any reporting period are included in deferred revenue.

As part of its customer services, the Company sells software that is considered to be an upgrade to a customer's existing systems. These standalone software upgrades are not essential to the tangible product's functionality and are accounted for under software revenue recognition rules which require vendor specific objective evidence ("VSOE") of fair value to allocate revenue in a multiple element arrangement. Revenue from upgrades is recognized when the upgrades are delivered to the customer, provided that all other recognition criteria have been met.

Revenue related to spare parts is recognized upon shipment. Revenue related to billable services is recognized as the services are performed. Service contracts may be purchased by the customer during or after the warranty period and revenue is recognized ratably over the service contract period.

Frequently, the Company delivers products and various services in a single transaction. The Company's deliverables consist of tools, installation, upgrades, billable services, spare parts, and service contracts. The Company's typical multi-element arrangements include a sale of one or multiple tools that include installation and standard warranty. Other arrangements consist of a sale of tools bundled with service elements or it includes delivery of different types of services. The Company's tools, upgrades, and spare parts are generally delivered to customers within a period of up to six months from order date. Installation is usually performed soon after delivery of the tool. The portion of revenue associated with installation is deferred based on estimated fair value and that revenue is recognized upon completion of the installation. Billable services are billed on a time and materials basis and performed as requested by customers. Billable services are billed on a time and materials basis and performed as requested by customers. Under service contract arrangements, services are provided as needed over the fixed arrangement term, which terms can be up to twelve months. The Company does not generally grant its customers a general right of return or any refund terms and imposes a penalty on orders canceled prior to the scheduled shipment date.

The Company regularly evaluates its revenue arrangements to identify deliverables and to determine whether these deliverables are separable into multiple units of accounting. In accordance with the new guidance, the Company allocates the arrangement consideration among the deliverables based on relative selling prices. The Company has established vendor specific objective evidence ("VSOE") for some of its products and services when a substantial majority of selling prices falls within a narrow range when sold separately. For deliverables with no established VSOE, the Company uses best estimate of selling price ("BESP") to determine standalone selling price for such deliverable. The Company does not use third party evidence ("TPE") to determine standalone selling price since this information is not widely available in the market as the Company's products contain a significant element of proprietary technology and the solutions offered differ substantially from competitors. The Company has established a process for developing BESP, which incorporates historical selling prices, the effect of market conditions, gross margin objectives, pricing practices, as well as entity-specific factors. The Company monitors and evaluates BESP on a regular basis to ensure that changes in circumstances are accounted for in a timely manner.

When certain elements in multiple-element arrangements are not delivered or accepted at the end of a reporting period, the relative selling prices of undelivered elements are deferred until these elements are delivered and/or accepted. If deliverables cannot be accounted for as separate units of accounting, the entire arrangement is accounted for as a single unit of accounting and revenue is deferred until all elements are delivered and all revenue recognition requirements are met.

Business Combinations - The Company allocates the purchase price of acquired companies to the tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed based upon their estimated fair values at the acquisition date. The purchase price allocation process requires management to make significant estimates and assumptions, especially at the acquisition date with respect to intangible assets and inventory acquired. While best estimates and assumptions as a part of the purchase price allocation process are used to accurately value assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the acquisition date, estimates are inherently uncertain and subject to refinement. As a result, during the measurement period, which may be up to one year from the acquisition date, the Company may record adjustments to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed, with the corresponding offset to goodwill. Upon the conclusion of the measurement period or final determination of the values of assets acquired or liabilities assumed, whichever comes first, any subsequent adjustments are recorded in the consolidated statements of operations.

The Company estimates the fair value of inventory acquired by utilizing the net realizable value method which is based on the estimated sales price of the product less appropriate costs to complete and selling costs. Examples of critical estimates in valuing certain intangible assets that were acquired or may be acquired in the future include but are not limited to:

•

future expected cash flows from sales of products, services and acquired developed technologies and patents;

•

expected costs to develop the in-process research and development into commercially viable products and estimated cash flows from the projects when completed;

•

the acquired company's customer relationships, as well as assumptions about the estimated useful lives of the relationships; and

•

discount rates.

Unanticipated events and circumstances may occur that may affect the accuracy or validity of assumptions, estimates or actual results associated with business combinations.

Cash, Cash Equivalents and Marketable Securities – The Company considers all highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less, when purchased, to be cash equivalents. Marketable securities are classified as “available-for-sale” and are reported at fair value with unrealized gains and losses reported in stockholders' equity as a component of other comprehensive income. The cost of securities sold is based on the specific identification method. The Company classifies its investments as current based on the nature of the investment and their availability for use in current operations. The Company reviews its investment portfolio quarterly to determine if any securities may be other-than-temporarily impaired due to increased credit risk, changes in industry or sector of a certain instrument or ratings downgrades.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments – Financial instruments include cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable and debt obligations. Cash equivalents are stated at fair market value based on quoted market prices. The carrying values of accounts receivable and accounts payable approximate their fair values because of the short-term maturity of these financial instruments. The estimated fair market value of debt is based on the discounted cash flow with inputs that are observable in the market or that could be derived from or corroborated with observable market data including interest rates based on yield curves of similar debt issued by parties with credit ratings similar to the Company's level.

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts – The Company maintains allowances for estimated losses resulting from the inability of its customers to make required payments. Credit limits are established through a process of reviewing the financial history and stability of its customers. Where appropriate and available, the Company obtains credit rating reports and financial statements of customers when determining or modifying their credit limits. The Company regularly evaluates the collectability of its trade receivable balances based on a combination of factors such as the length of time the receivables are past due, customary payment practices in the respective geographies and historical collection experience with customers. The Company believes that its allowance for doubtful accounts adequately reflects the risk associated with its receivables. If the financial conditions of a customer were to deteriorate, resulting in their inability to make payments, the Company may need to record additional allowances, which would result in additional general and administrative expenses being recorded for the period in which such determination was made.

Inventories – Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or market. The Company is exposed to a number of economic and industry factors that could result in portions of inventory becoming either obsolete or in excess of anticipated usage, or saleable only for amounts that are less than their carrying amounts. These factors include, but are not limited to, technological changes in the market, the Company’s ability to meet changing customer requirements, competitive pressures in products and prices, and the availability of key components from suppliers. The Company has established inventory reserves when conditions exist that suggest that inventory may be in excess of anticipated demand or is obsolete based upon assumptions about future demand for the Company’s products and market conditions. Once a reserve has been established, it is maintained until the part to which it relates is sold or is otherwise disposed of. The Company regularly evaluates its ability to realize the value of inventory based on a combination of factors including the following: historical usage rates, forecasted sales of usage, product end-of-life dates, estimated current and future market values and new product introductions. For demonstration inventory, the Company also considers the age of the inventory and potential cost to refurbish the inventory prior to sale. Demonstration inventory is amortized over its useful life and the amortization expense is included in total inventory write down on the statements of cash flows. When recorded, reserves are intended to reduce the carrying value of the Company’s inventory to its net realizable value. If actual demand for the Company’s products deteriorates, or market conditions are less favorable than those that the Company projects, additional reserves may be required.

Inventories – delivered systems – The Company reflects the cost of systems that were invoiced upon shipment but deferred for revenue recognition purposes separate from its inventory held for sale as “Inventories – delivered systems.”

Property, Plant and Equipment – Property, plant and equipment are stated at cost. Depreciation is computed using the straight–line method over the following estimated useful lives of the assets:

Building and Improvements        5 - 40 years

Machinery and equipment            3 - 10 years

Furniture and fixtures            3 - 10 years

Goodwill and Intangible Assets – Goodwill is initially recorded when the purchase price paid for an acquisition exceeds the estimated fair value of the net identified tangible and intangible assets acquired. Intangible assets with finite lives are amortized over their respective useful lives on a straight-line basis and are also evaluated annually for impairment or whenever events or circumstances occur which indicate that those assets might be impaired. Goodwill and indefinite lived assets are not amortized but tested annually for impairment. The Company’s impairment review process is completed during the fourth quarter of each year or whenever events, or circumstances occur which indicate that an impairment may have occurred. The Company assesses qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value. If, after assessing the qualitative factors, the Company determines that it is not likely that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value, then performing the two-step impairment test is unnecessary. However, if the Company concludes otherwise, then it is required to perform the first step of the two-step goodwill impairment test. The first step requires a comparison of the fair value of Nanometrics’ reporting unit to its net book value. If the fair value of the reporting unit is greater than its carrying value, then no impairment is deemed to have occurred. If the fair value is less, then the second step must be performed to determine the amount, if any, of actual impairment. Amortization of intangible assets with finite lives are computed using the straight-line method over the following estimated useful lives of the assets:

Developed technology            5 -10 years

Customer relationships            2 -10 years

Brand name                5 -10 years

Patented technology            7 -10 years

Trademark                5 years

Long-Lived Assets – The Company evaluates its long-lived assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. When the sum of the undiscounted future net cash flows expected to result from the use of the asset and its eventual disposition is less than its carrying amount, impairment may exist. To determine the amount of impairment, the Company compares the fair value of the asset to its carrying value. If the carrying value of the asset exceeds its fair value, an impairment loss equal to the difference is recognized. See Note 3, "Acquisition, Goodwill Impairment and Long-lived Asset Impairment," for further details.

Income Tax Assets and Liabilities – The Company accounts for income taxes such that deferred tax assets and liabilities must be recognized using enacted tax rates for the effect of temporary differences between the book and tax accounting for assets and liabilities. Also, deferred tax assets are reduced by a valuation allowance to the extent that management cannot conclude that it is more likely than not that a portion of the deferred tax asset will be realized in the future. The Company evaluates the deferred tax assets on a continuous basis throughout the year to determine whether or not a valuation allowance is appropriate. Factors used in this determination include future expected income and the underlying asset or liability which generated the temporary tax difference. The income tax provision is primarily impacted by federal statutory rates, state and foreign income taxes and changes in the valuation allowance.

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income – The composition of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) was as follows (in thousands):

Years Ended

Foreign

Defined

Unrealized Income (Loss) on Investment

Accumulated

Currency

Benefit

Other

Translations

Pension Plans

Comprehensive

Income

Balance as of December 31, 2011

$

1,717

$

(168

)

$

—

$

1,549

Current period change

(264

)

(11

)

(2

)

(277

)

Balance as of December 29, 2012

1,453

(179

)

(2

)

1,272

Current period change

(818

)

151

7

(660

)

Balance as of December 28, 2013

$

635

$

(28

)

$

5

$

612

The items above, except for unrealized income (loss) on investment, did not impact the Company’s income tax provision.

Product Warranties – The Company sells the majority of its products with a twelve months repair or replacement warranty from the date of acceptance, which generally represents the date of shipment. The Company provides an accrual for estimated future warranty costs based upon the historical relationship of warranty costs to the cost of products sold. The estimated future warranty obligations related to product sales are reported in the period in which the related revenue is recognized. The estimated future warranty obligations are affected by the warranty periods, sales volumes, product failure rates, material usage and labor and replacement costs incurred in correcting a product failure. If actual product failure rates, material usage, labor or replacement costs differ from the Company’s estimates, revisions to the estimated warranty obligations would be required. For new product introductions where limited or no historical information exists, the Company may use warranty information from other previous product introductions to guide us in estimating the warranty accrual. The warranty accrual represents the best estimate of the amount necessary to settle future and existing claims on products sold as of the balance sheet date. The Company periodically assesses the adequacy of its recorded warranty reserve and adjusts the amounts in accordance with changes in these factors.

Guarantees – In addition to product warranties, from time to time, in the normal course of business, the Company indemnifies certain customers with whom it enters into a contractual relationship. The Company has agreed to hold the other party harmless against third party claims that its products, when used for their intended purpose(s), infringe the intellectual property rights of such third party or other claims made against certain parties. It is not possible to determine the maximum potential amount of liability under these indemnification obligations due to the limited history of prior indemnification claims and the unique facts and circumstances that are likely to be involved in each particular claim. Historically, the Company has not made payments under these obligations and believes the estimated fair value of these agreements is minimal. Accordingly, no liabilities have been recorded for these obligations as of December 28, 2013 and December 29, 2012.

Shipping and Handling Costs – Shipping and handling costs are included as a component of cost of revenues.

Advertising Costs – The Company expenses advertising costs as incurred. Advertising costs were $0.2 million in 2013, $0.1 million in 2012, and $0.2 million in 2011.

Stock-Based Compensation – The Company estimates the value of employee stock options on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes model. The determination of fair value of share-based payment awards on the date of grant using an option-pricing model is affected by the Company’s stock price as well as assumptions regarding a number of highly complex and subjective variables. These variables include, but are not limited to, the expected stock price volatility over the term of the awards, and actual and projected employee stock option exercise behaviors. The expected term of options granted is calculated based on the simplified method allowed under SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin 107 (“SAB 107”). The expected volatility is based on the historical volatility of the Company’s stock price.

Defined Employee Benefit Plans – The Company maintains a defined benefit pension plan in Taiwan for which current service costs are charged to operations as they accrue based on services rendered by employees during the year. Pension benefit obligations are determined by using management’s actuarial assumptions, including discount rates, assumed asset rates of return, compensation increases and employee turnover rates.

Net Income (Loss) Per Share - Basic net income (loss) per share excludes dilution and is computed by dividing net income (loss) by the number of weighted average common shares outstanding for the period. Diluted net income (loss) per share reflects the potential dilution from outstanding dilutive stock options (using the treasury stock method) and shares issuable under the employee stock purchase plan. The Company had net income in fiscal years 2012 and 2011, therefore, the potential dilutive effect of stock options was considered to calculate the diluted income per share. In applying the treasury stock method, 0.9 million and 0.5 million of stock option shares for fiscal years 2012 and 2011, respectively, were excluded because their effect was anti-dilutive.

Certain Significant Risks and Uncertainties – Financial instruments that potentially subject us to a concentration of credit risk consist of cash, cash equivalents, marketable securities, and accounts receivable. The Company's cash and cash equivalents are primarily invested in deposit accounts and money market accounts with large financial institutions. At times, these deposits and securities may exceed federally insured limits; however, the Company has not experienced any losses on such accounts. The Company invests its cash not required for use in operations in high credit quality securities based on the Company's investment policy. The Company's investment policy provides guidelines and limits regarding credit quality, investment concentration, investment type, and maturity that the Company believes will provide liquidity while reducing risk of loss of capital. Investments are of a short-term nature and include investments in commercial paper, corporate debt securities, U.S. Treasury, U.S. Government, and U.S. Agency debt.

The Company sells its products primarily to end users in the United States, Asia and Europe and, generally, does not require its customers to provide collateral or other security to support accounts receivable. Management performs ongoing credit evaluations of its customers’ financial condition and maintains an allowance for estimated potential bad debt losses. The Company’s customer base is highly concentrated and historically, a relatively small number of customers have accounted for a significant portion of its revenues. Aggregate revenue from the Company's top five largest customers in 2013, 2012 and 2011 consisted of 71%, 74% and 67%, respectively, of its total net revenues. The Company participates in a dynamic high technology industry and believes that changes in any of the following areas could have a material adverse effect on its future financial position, results of operations or cash flows. Advances and trends in new technologies and industry standards; competitive pressures in the form of new products or price reductions on current products; changes in product mix; changes in the overall demand for products offered; changes in third-party manufacturers; changes in key suppliers; changes in certain strategic relationships or customer relationships; litigation or claims against the Company based on intellectual property, patent, product, regulatory or other factors; fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; risk associated with changes in domestic and international economic and/or political regulations; availability of necessary components or sub-assemblies; disruption of manufacturing facilities; and its ability to attract and retain employees necessary to support its growth.

Certain components and sub-assemblies used in the Company’s products are purchased from a sole supplier or a limited group of suppliers. In particular, the Company currently purchases its spectroscopic ellipsometer and robotics used in its advanced measurement systems from a sole supplier or a limited group of suppliers located in the United States. Any shortage or interruption in the supply of any of the components or sub-assemblies used in its products or its inability to procure these components or sub-assemblies from alternate sources on acceptable terms could have a material adverse effect on its business, financial condition and results of operations.

Recent_Accounting_Pronouncemen

Recent Accounting Pronouncements	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2013
Recent Accounting Pronouncements [Abstract]	'
Recent Accounting Pronouncements	'
	Recent Accounting Pronouncements
	Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements
	In July 2013, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2013-11, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Presentation of an Unrecognized Tax Benefit When a Net Operating Loss Carryforward, a Similar Tax Loss, or a Tax Credit Carryforward Exists (a consensus of the FASB Emerging Issues Task Force) ("ASU 2013-11"), which provides that a liability related to an unrecognized tax benefit would be offset against a deferred tax asset for a net operating loss carryforward, a similar tax loss or a tax credit carryforward if such settlement is required or expected in the event the uncertain tax position is disallowed. In situations in which 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 jurisdiction or the tax law of the jurisdiction does not require, and the entity does not intend to use, the deferred tax asset for such purpose, the unrecognized tax benefit will be presented in the financial statements as a liability and will not be combined with deferred tax assets. The amendments should be applied prospectively to all unrecognized tax benefits that exist at the effective date. Retrospective application is permitted. ASU 2013-11 is effective for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2013. The Company expects adoption of this standard to cause a balance sheet reclassification reducing long-term liability and deferred tax assets.
	In February 2013, the FASB issued ASU No. 2013-02, Comprehensive Income (Topic 220) - Reporting of Amounts Reclassified Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income ("ASU 2013-02") to require reclassification adjustments from other comprehensive income to be presented either in the financial statements or in the notes to the financial statements, which we have done within Note 13 - "Equity and Stock Based Compensation Plans". ASU 2013-02 does not change the current requirements for reporting net income or other comprehensive income in the financial statements. ASU 2013-02 was effective for the period ending March 30, 2013, and is applied prospectively.

Acquisition_Goodwill_Impairmen

Acquisition, Goodwill Impairment and Long-lived Asset Impairment	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2013
Acquisitions and Goodwill and Long Lived Asset Impairment [Abstract]	'
Acquisition, Goodwill Impairment and Long-lived Asset Impairment	'
	Acquisition, Goodwill Impairment and Long-lived Asset Impairment
	The Company did not complete any acquisitions in 2013. As described below, the Company acquired Nanda Technologies GmbH in 2011. While the Company uses best estimates and assumptions as part of the purchase price allocation process to value assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the business combination date, estimates and assumptions are subject to refinement. As a result, during the preliminary purchase price allocation period, which may be up to one year from the business combination date, the Company records adjustments to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed, with the corresponding offset to goodwill. The Company records adjustments to assets acquired or liabilities assumed subsequent to the purchase price allocation period in the operating results in the period in which the adjustments were determined. In the twelve month period ended December 29, 2012, the Company recorded a $0.6 million reduction in the fair value of royalty payments to Real Time Metrology Inc. ("RTM") with a corresponding decrease of $0.4 million in goodwill and $0.2 million decrease in intangible assets. In the twelve month period ended December 29, 2012, the Company received $0.5 million in cash from the escrow and recorded a corresponding decrease of $0.5 million to goodwill.
	The total purchase price allocated to the tangible assets acquired was assigned based on the fair values as of the date of the acquisition. The fair value assigned to identifiable intangible assets acquired was determined using the income approach which discounts expected future cash flows to present value using estimated assumptions determined by management. The Company believes that these identified intangible assets will have no residual value after their estimated economic useful lives.
	Acquisition of Nanda Technologies GmbH in 2011
	On November 21, 2011, the Company acquired 100% of the outstanding shares of Nanda Technologies GmbH (“Nanda”), a privately-held company with headquarters near Munich, Germany. The total purchase price consisted of approximately $24.6 million in net cash after an adjustment of $0.5 million that was formerly held in escrow and paid to the Company during the twelve month period December 29, 2012, and subject to certain post-closing adjustments associated with Nanda's working capital as of the acquisition date. As a result of the acquisition, the Company obtained a new technology and product line that enables the capture of full-wafer surface inspection images at high-volume production speeds. The transaction met the conditions of a business combination under ASC 805 and was accounted for under this guidance. The goodwill balance related to the acquisition of Nanda at December 28, 2013 was $11.7 million. In addition to the transactions above, the difference in the goodwill balance between at the time of acquisition, $11.6 million, and at December 28, 2013, $11.7 million, was due to foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations.
	Recognized amounts of identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed (in thousands):
				Amount
		Cash and equivalents		$	1,239
		Account receivables		724
		Inventories		1,440
		Property, plant and equipment – machinery and equipment		616
		Other assets		227
		Developed technology (included in intangibles)		9,042
		Customer relationships (included in intangibles)		1,040
		In-process research and development (included in intangibles)		308
		Liabilities		(1,603		)
		Total identifiable net assets		13,033
		Goodwill		11,610
		Total purchase consideration		$	24,643
	Inventories were measured at fair value as of the date of the acquisition. In estimating the fair value of finished goods and work-in-process inventory, the Company made assumptions about the selling price and selling costs associated with inventory.
	This acquisition resulted in the Company recording intangible assets of $9.0 million of developed technology, $1.0 million of customer relationships, and $0.3 million of in-process research and development. The developed technology represents Nanda's full wafer, high volume inspection technology and was valued by discounting the estimated future net cash flows of this technology to their net present value utilizing the income approach. The value of the developed technology will be amortized over its estimated useful life of five years. The value of the customer relationship asset was determined based on management's estimates of the costs that would have been incurred to replicate Nanda's existing customer relationships. Based on industry experience, management estimates the useful life of the customer relationship asset to be three years, and the value of this asset will be amortized over this period. The in-process research and development asset was valued by discounting the estimated future net cash flows of the asset to their net present value utilizing the income approach. During fiscal year 2012, the $0.3 million of intangible assets related to in-process research and development as of December 31, 2011 was completed and incorporated in products sold during 2012 and the asset was reclassified to developed technology as of December 29, 2012.
	The purchase price for this transaction exceeded the fair value allocated to tangible and identifiable intangible assets. The excess purchase price over the fair value of identifiable assets and liabilities of approximately $11.6 million was recorded as goodwill. The Company establishes reporting units based on its reporting structure. The acquisition of Nanda did not trigger any significant changes to the existing reporting structure of the Company. Therefore, the Company continues to operate as a single reporting unit.
	The Company expects to benefit from the goodwill through utilization of Nanda's technology in existing Nanometrics products, estimated future sales of existing Nanometrics products to Nanda's established customer base, incremental sales of Nanda's products through Nanometrics worldwide sales and service channels, and efficiencies expected to be achieved from the manufacturing of Nanda's products using Nanometrics operational facilities and processes.
	The following table summarizes the identifiable intangible assets acquired as part of the acquisition, and adjustments to carrying value include foreign currency translation adjustments and adjustments to preliminary purchase price allocation during the fiscal years 2013, 2012 and 2011 (in thousands):
		Net carrying value as of December 29, 2012				Adjustments to carrying value during 2013			Amortization expense during 2013			Net carrying amount as of December 28, 2013
	Developed technology	$	7,130			$	315		$	(1,961	)	$	5,484
	Customer relationships	639				35			(364		)	310
	In-process research and development	—				—			—			—
	Total identifiable intangible assets acquired	$	7,769			$	350		$	(2,325	)	$	5,794
		Net carrying value as of December 31, 2011				Adjustments to carrying value during 2012			Amortization expense during 2012			Net carrying amount as of December 29, 2012
	Developed technology	$	8,603			$	279		$	(1,752	)	$	7,130
	Customer relationships	957				12			(330		)	639
	In-process research and development	316				(316		)	—			—
	Total identifiable intangible assets acquired	$	9,876			$	(25	)	$	(2,082	)	$	7,769
		Fair Value as of acquisition date, November 21, 2011				Adjustments to carrying value during 2011			Amortization expense during 2011			Net carrying amount as of December 31, 2011
	Developed technology	$	9,200			$	(393	)	$	(204	)	$	8,603
	Customer relationships	1,040				(45		)	(38		)	957
	In-process research and development	330				(14		)	—			316
	Total identifiable intangible assets acquired	$	10,570			$	(452	)	$	(242	)	$	9,876
	Prior to the acquisition, the Company had a pre-existing relationship with Nanda. In December 2010, the Company acquired certain patents from RTM under an asset purchase agreement. As part of the asset purchase, the Company assumed an existing license agreement between Nanda and RTM. Under the license agreement, Nanda is obligated to pay Nanometrics an annual royalty based on the number of tools sold with a minimum royalty payment. Under the asset purchase agreement with RTM, Nanometrics is required to remit to RTM 100% of the royalty payments received from Nanda for the first three years subsequent to the acquisition of the patents, and 50% of the royalty payments received subsequently until March 2018. In 2013, the amount of minimum royalty payments received by Nanometrics and remitted to RTM was immaterial.
	As a result of the acquisition of Nanda in November 2011, a contingent liability of $0.6 million has been recognized for the estimated royalty payments due to the existing license agreement between Nanda and RTM that Nanometrics assumed. The fair value of the contingent liability was estimated based on the projected system sales and the related estimated royalty obligations. The contingent liability was reduced to zero in the first quarter of 2012 and was zero as of December 28, 2013.
	The unaudited pro forma financial information in the table below summarizes the combined results of operations for Nanometrics and Nanda as though the acquisition of Nanda occurred as of the beginning of fiscal 2011. The pro forma financial information for all periods presented also includes the business combination accounting effects resulting from the acquisition including additional amortization charges of $2.4 million in fiscal year 2011 relating to acquired intangible assets. Additional adjustments were made to account for additional stock-based compensation charges for restricted stock units awarded of $0.8 million in fiscal year 2011, and there were no related tax effects in fiscal year 2011 of the pro forma adjustments. The pro forma financial information presented below is for informational purposes only and is not indicative of the results of operations that would have been achieved had Nanda been combined with the Company as of the beginning of fiscal year 2011.
	The unaudited pro forma financial information combines the historical results of Nanometrics for fiscal year 2011, the historical results of Nanda for the twelve months ended December 31, 2011, and the effects of the pro forma adjustments described above.
			Fiscal Year Ended
	(In thousands, except per share amounts)		December 31,
			2011
	Total revenues		$	232,418
	Net income		24,939
	Net income per share:
	Basic		1.1
	Diluted		1.06
	There were no business acquisitions made by the Company during fiscal years 2013 and 2012.
	Goodwill Impairment and Long-lived Asset Impairment
	The Company’s impairment review process is completed during the fourth quarter of each year, or whenever events or circumstances occur that indicate that an impairment may have occurred. The goodwill impairment assessment involves three tests, Step 0, Step 1 and Step 2. The Company performs a Step 0 test, which involves an initial qualitative assessment to
	determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value. If, after assessing the qualitative factors, the Company determines that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value, then performing the two-step impairment test is necessary. Otherwise, no further testing is necessary.
	The Company completed its annual goodwill impairment assessment during the fourth quarter of 2013 by first performing a Step 0 qualitative assessment. As part of this assessment, the Company considered the trading value of the Company's stock, the industry trends, and the Company's sales forecast and products plans. The Company concluded that it was more likely than not that the fair value was more than the carrying values of the Company's reporting unit and therefore did not proceed to the Step 1 goodwill impairment test.
	The process of evaluating the potential impairment of long-lived assets is highly subjective and requires significant judgment. In estimating the fair value of these assets, the Company made estimates and judgments about future revenues and cash flows. The Company’s forecasts were based on assumptions that are consistent with the plans and estimates the Company is using to manage its business. Changes in these estimates could change the Company’s conclusion regarding impairment of the long-lived assets and potentially result in future impairment charges for all or a portion of their balance at December 28, 2013. The Company did not record any impairment charges in fiscal year 2013.
	The Company assesses if there have been triggers that may require it to evaluate the reasonableness of the remaining estimated useful lives of its intangible assets. No such triggers were identified during fiscal year 2013.

Fair_Value_Measurements_and_Di

Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2013
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]	'
Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures	'
	Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures
	Fair value is defined as the price that would be received upon the sale of an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The standard assumes that the transaction to sell the asset or transfer the liability occurs in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability and establishes that the fair value of an asset or liability shall be determined based on the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability.
	The Company determines the fair values of its financial instruments based on the fair value hierarchy established in ASC 820, which requires an entity to maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs when measuring fair value. The classification of a financial asset or liability within the hierarchy is based upon the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The fair value hierarchy prioritizes the inputs into three levels that may be used to measure fair value:
	Level 1 — Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.
	Level 2 — Inputs other than Level 1 that are observable, either directly or indirectly, such as quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets or inputs that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly through market corroboration, for substantially the full term of the financial instrument.
	Level 3 — Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and are significant to the fair value of the assets or liabilities. Such unobservable inputs include an estimated discount rate used in the Company's discounted present value analysis of future cash flows, which reflects the Company's estimate of debt with similar terms in the current credit markets. As there is currently minimal activity in such markets, the actual rate could be materially different.
	The following table presents the Company’s assets and liabilities measured at estimated fair value on a recurring basis, excluding accrued interest components, categorized in accordance with the fair value hierarchy (in thousands):
		December 28, 2013									December 29, 2012
		Fair Value Measurements Using Input Types									Fair Value Measurements Using Input Types
		Level 1			Level 2		Level 3		Total		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
	Assets:
	Cash equivalents:
	Money market funds	$	876		$	—	$	—	$	876	$	110	$	—	$	—	$	110
	Commercial paper and corporate debt securities	—			750		—		750		—		2,600		—		$	2,600
	Cash and Cash Equivalents	876			750		—		1,626		110		2,600		—		2,710
	Marketable Securities:
	U.S. Treasury, U.S. Government and U.S. Government agency debt securities	5,036			11,980		—		17,016		4,997		19,130		—		24,127
	Commercial paper and corporate debt securities	—			31,081		—		31,081		—		22,866		—		22,866
	Total	5,036			43,061		—		48,097		4,997		41,996		—		46,993
	Total assets:	$	5,912		$	43,811	$	—	$	49,723	$	5,107	$	44,596	$	—	$	49,703
	Liabilities:
	Contingent consideration payable	$	—		$	—	$	2,783	$	2,783	$	—	$	—	$	2,462	$	2,462
	(1) Excludes $43.1 million and $60.2 million held in operating accounts as of December 28, 2013 and December 29, 2012, respectively.
	Changes in Level 3 liabilities
	Fair value at December 31, 2011	$	3,194
	Payments made to Zygo Corporation	(300		)
	Addition: Fair value of royalty payment to RTM related to acquisition of Nanda	(561		)
	Change in fair value included in earnings, Zygo	129
	Fair value at December 29, 2012	2,462
	Payments made to Zygo Corporation	(1,004		)
	Change in fair value included in earnings, Zygo	1,325
	Fair Value at December 28, 2013	$	2,783
	As of December 28, 2013, the Company had liabilities of $ 2.8 million resulting from the acquisition of certain assets from Zygo Corporation (“Zygo”), which are measured at fair value on a recurring basis, and changes in fair value recorded in Other income (expense), net. Of the $2.8 million of Zygo liability at December 28, 2013, $1.3 million was a current liability and $1.5 million was a long-term liability. The fair values of these liabilities were determined using Level 3 inputs using a discounted cash flow model incorporating assumptions that market participants would use in their estimates of fair value. Some of these assumptions included estimates for discount rate, timing and amount of cash flows.
	As of December 29, 2012, the Company had liabilities of $2.5 million resulting from the acquisition of certain assets from Zygo which are measured at fair value on a recurring basis. Of the $2.5 million of Zygo liability at December 29, 2012, $0.7 million was a current liability and $1.8 million was a long-term liability.
	In the twelve month period ended December 29, 2012, the Company recorded a $0.6 million reduction in the fair value of royalty payments to RTM with a corresponding decrease of $0.4 million to goodwill and $0.2 million to intangible assets. See Note 4 for further details.
	Available-for-sale marketable securities, readily convertible to cash, with maturity dates of 90 days or less are classified as cash equivalents, while those with maturity dates greater than 90 days are classified as marketable securities within short term assets. All marketable securities as of December 28, 2013 were available-for-sale and reported at fair value based on the estimated or quoted market prices as of the balance sheet date. Unrealized gains or losses are recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) within stockholders' equity.
	The gross unrealized gains and gross unrealized losses for the year ended December 28, 2013 were insignificant and no marketable securities had other than temporary losses as of December 28, 2013. All marketable securities as of December 28, 2013 had maturity dates of less than two years and were not invested in foreign entities.
	The fair values of the marketable securities that are classified as Level 1 in the table above were derived from quoted market prices as substantially all of these instruments have maturity dates, if any, within one year from the date of purchase and active markets for these instruments exist. The fair value of marketable securities that are classified as Level 2 in the table above were derived from: non-binding market consensus prices that were corroborated by observable market data or quoted market prices for similar instruments. The fair value of the acquisition-related liabilities were determined using Level 3 inputs as described above.
	Refer to Note 12, "Line of Credit and Debt Obligations," for the carrying value and fair value of the Company's debt obligations.

Accounts_Receivable

Accounts Receivable	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2013
Receivables [Abstract]	'
Accounts Receivable	'
	Accounts Receivable
	The Company maintains arrangements under which eligible accounts receivables in Japan are sold without recourse to unrelated third-party financial institutions. These receivables were not included in the consolidated balance sheet as the criteria for sale treatment had been met. After a transfer of financial assets, an entity stops recognizing the financial assets when control has been surrendered. The agreement met the criteria of a true sale of these assets since the acquiring party retained the title to these receivables and had assumed the risk that the receivables will be collectible. The Company pays administrative fees as well as interest ranging from 1.21% to 1.68% based on the anticipated length of time between the date the sale is consummated and the expected collection date of the receivables sold. The Company sold $6.3 million and $6.7 million of receivables during fiscal years ended December 28, 2013 and December 29, 2012. respectively. There were no material gains or losses on the sale of such receivables. There were zero amounts due from such third party financial institutions at December 28, 2013 and December 29, 2012.

Inventories

Inventories	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2013
Inventory Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Inventories	'
	Inventories
	Inventories are stated at the lower of cost (which approximates actual cost on a first-in, first-out basis), or market. Inventories consist of the following (in thousands):
		At
		December 28,		December 29,
		2013		2012
	Raw materials and sub-assemblies	$	19,655	$	22,477
	Work in process	7,597		5,812
	Finished goods	7,268		11,370
	Inventories	34,520		39,659
	Inventories-delivered systems	6,901		2,274
	Total inventories	$	41,421	$	41,933
	The Company reflects the cost of systems that were invoiced upon shipment but deferred for revenue recognition purposes separate from its inventory held for sale as "Inventories-delivered systems."

Property_Plant_and_Equipment

Property, Plant and Equipment	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2013
Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]	'
Property, Plant and Equipment	'
	Property, Plant and Equipment
	Property, plant and equipment consist of the following (in thousands):
		At
		December 28, 2013			29-Dec-12
	Land	$	15,569		$	15,573
	Building and improvements	19,403			19,231
	Machinery and equipment	29,671			21,523
	Furniture and fixtures	2,308			2,228
	Capital in progress	5,833			4,377
	Total property, plant and equipment, gross	72,784			62,932
	Accumulated depreciation	(25,345		)	(19,719		)
	Total property, plant and equipment, net	$	47,439		$	43,213
	Total depreciation expense for the years ended December 28, 2013, December 29, 2012, and December 31, 2011 was $5.4 million, $4.8 million, and 3.3 million, respectively.

Intangible_Assets

Intangible Assets	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2013
Intangible Assets, Net (Excluding Goodwill) [Abstract]	'
Intangible Assets	'
	Intangible Assets
	In November 2011, the Company acquired 100% of the outstanding shares of Nanda.  In accounting for the transaction, the Company recorded $10.6 million of specifically identified intangible assets. See Note 3, "Acquisition, Goodwill Impairment and Long-lived Asset Impairment," for further details.
	On December 9, 2010, the Company purchased three patents from RTM for $0.4 million cash. The Company also incurred approximately $0.1 million of legal expenses, which were capitalized and included with the cost of the patents acquired. The primary patent expires on March 31, 2018. The Company is amortizing the patents on a straight line basis over a period of 7 years and 3 months (from January 2011 through March 2018).
	Finite-lived intangible assets are recorded at cost, less accumulated amortization. Finite-lived intangible assets as of December 28, 2013 and December 29, 2012 consist of the following (in thousands):
		Adjusted cost as of December 28, 2013		Accumulated amortization as of December 28, 2013			Net carrying amount as of December 28, 2013
	Developed technology	$	18,095	$	(11,032	)	$	7,063
	Customer relationships	9,573		(9,263		)	310
	Brand names	1,927		(1,700		)	227
	Patented technology	2,252		(1,988		)	264
	Trademark	80		(80		)	—
	Total	$	31,927	$	(24,063	)	$	7,864
		Adjusted cost as of December 29, 2012		Accumulated amortization as of December 29, 2012			Net carrying amount as of December 29, 2012
	Developed technology	$	17,700	$	(8,277	)	$	9,423
	Customer relationships	9,538		(8,643		)	895
	Brand names	1,927		(1,599		)	328
	Patented technology	2,252		(1,922		)	330
	Trademark	80		(76		)	4
	Total	$	31,497	$	(20,517	)	$	10,980
	`
	The amortization of finite-lived intangibles is computed using the straight-line method. Estimated lives of finite-lived intangibles range from two to ten years. During fiscal year 2012, the $0.3 million of intangible assets related to in-process research and development as of December 31, 2011 was completed and incorporated in products sold during 2012 and the asset was reclassified to developed technology as of December 29, 2012.
	Total amortization expense for the fiscal years ended December 28, 2013, December 29, 2012 and December 31, 2011 was $3.3 million, $3.3 million and 1.7 million, respectively.
	In the three month period ended March 31, 2012, the Company recorded a $0.6 million reduction in the fair value of royalty payments to RTM with a corresponding decrease of $0.4 million to goodwill and $0.2 million to intangible assets. There were no other adjustment to intangible assets recorded during the year ended December 28, 2013. See Note 3 for a summary of the acquisition and goodwill impairment analysis.
	The estimated future amortization expense as of December 28, 2013 is as follows (in thousands):
	Fiscal Years	Amounts
	2014	$	3,097
	2015	2,405
	2016	1,924
	2017	232
	2018	140
	Thereafter	66
	Total amortization	$	7,864

Other_Current_Liabilities

Other Current Liabilities	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2013
Other Liabilities Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Other Current Liabilities	'
	Other Current Liabilities
	Other current liabilities consist of the following (in thousands):
		At
		December 28,		December 29,
		2013		2012
	Accrued warranty	$	3,426	$	4,203
	Accrued professional services	545		584
	Customer deposits	867		27
	Fair value of current portion of contingent payments to Zygo Corporation related to acquisition	1,344		649
	Other	1,754		2,359
	Total other current liabilities	$	7,936	$	7,822

Warranties

Warranties	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2013
Product Warranties Disclosures [Abstract]	'
Warranties	'
	Warranties
	Product Warranty – The Company sells the majority of its products with a twelve months repair or replacement warranty from the date of acceptance or shipment date. The Company provides an accrual for estimated future warranty costs based upon the historical relationship of warranty costs to the cost of products sold. The estimated future warranty obligations related to product sales are recorded in the period in which the related revenue is recognized. The estimated future warranty obligations are affected by the warranty periods, sales volumes, product failure rates, material usage, and labor and replacement costs incurred in correcting a product failure. If actual product failure rates, material usage, labor or replacement costs were to differ from the Company’s estimates, revisions to the estimated warranty obligations would be required. For new product introductions where limited or no historical information exists, the Company may use warranty information from other previous product introductions to guide it in estimating its warranty accrual. The warranty accrual represents the best estimate of the amount necessary to settle future and existing claims on products sold as of the balance sheet date. The Company periodically assesses the adequacy of its reported warranty reserve and adjusts such amounts in accordance with changes in these factors. Components of the warranty accrual, which were included in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets with other current liabilities, were as follows (in thousands):
		Years Ended
		December 28, 2013			December 29,
					2012
	Balance as of beginning of period	$	4,203		$	4,797
	Accruals for warranties issued during period	2,889			4,156
	Aggregate changes in liabilities related to preexisting warranties	1,287			2,403
	Settlements during the period	(4,953		)	(7,153		)
	Balance as of end of period	$	3,426		$	4,203

Restructuring

Restructuring	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2013
Restructuring and Related Activities [Abstract]	'
Restructuring	'
	Restructuring
	The Company recorded a restructuring charge of $1.7 million during the three month period ended September 28, 2013 as a result of its decision to consolidate a portion of its European operations to maximize efficiencies. This amount includes charges primarily related to employee severance and non-cash acceleration of vesting of RSUs in the amount of $0.8 million and $0.9 million, respectively. All cash payments related to employee severance have been made as of December 28, 2013. The Company expects to complete this restructuring plan by May 2014, and to incur an additional $0.2 million in restructuring charges over the next five months.
		Employee severance and benefits
	Balance as of December 29, 2012	$	—
	Charges	1,740
	Cash Payments	(844		)
	Non-cash acceleration of vesting of RSUs	(896		)
	Balance as of December 28, 2013	$	—

Line_of_Credit_and_Debt_Obliga

Line of Credit and Debt Obligations	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2013
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Line of Credit and Debt Obligations	'
	Line of Credit and Debt Obligations
	Debt obligations consist of the following (in thousands):
		At
		December 28,		December 29,
		2013		2012
	Line of Credit
	Balance on line of credit	$	—	$	—
	Debt Obligations
	Milpitas building mortgage	—		5,302
	Total debt obligations	—		5,302
	Current portion of debt obligations	—		(928		)
	Long-term debt obligations	$	—	$	4,374
	Line of Credit - On April 23, 2012, the Company amended its revolving line of credit facility to (i) extend the maturity date of such facility by two years to April 30, 2014, (ii) decrease the unused revolving line commitment fee from 0.1875% per annum to 0.10% per annum, and (iii) reduce the minimum interest rate on borrowings from 5.75% to 3.00% per annum.
	The instrument governing the line of credit facility includes certain financial covenants regarding tangible net worth. The revolving line of credit agreement includes a provision for the issuance of commercial or standby letters of credit by the bank on behalf of the Company. The value of all letters of credit outstanding reduces the total line of credit available. The revolving line of credit is collateralized by a blanket lien on all of the Company’s domestic assets excluding intellectual property and real estate. The minimum borrowing interest rate is 3.00% per annum. Borrowing is limited to the lesser of (a) $7.5 million plus the borrowing base, or (b) $20.0 million. The borrowing base available as of December 28, 2013 was $12.3 million. As of December 28, 2013, the Company was not in breach of any restrictive covenants in connection with this line of credit. There were no outstanding amounts drawn on this facility as of December 28, 2013. Although management has no current plans to request advances under this credit facility, the Company may use the proceeds of any future borrowing for general corporate purposes, future acquisitions or expansion of the Company's business.
	Mortgage Loan - In July 2008, the Company entered into a mortgage loan agreement with General Electric Commercial Finance ("GE") pursuant to which it borrowed $13.5 million. The mortgage initially bore interest at the rate of 7.18% per annum, which rate was scheduled to reset after five years to 3.03% over the then weekly average yield of five-year U.S. Dollar Interest Rate Swaps as published by the Federal Reserve. Monthly principal and interest payments were based on a twenty year amortization for the first sixty months and fifteen year amortization thereafter. The remaining principal balance of the mortgage and any accrued but unpaid interest will be due on August 1, 2018. The mortgage was secured, in part, by a lien on and security interest in the building and land comprising the Company’s principal offices in Milpitas, California. GE subsequently sold the mortgage on March 31, 2011 to Sterling Savings Bank; however, no changes were made to the terms of the original loan agreement with GE as a result of the sale.
	According to the terms of the loan agreement, the Company could make annual prepayments of up to 20% of the outstanding principal balance without incurring any penalty. In July 2011, the Company prepaid $1.95 million, representing 20% of the outstanding balance. In July 2012, the Company prepaid $1.4 million, representing 20% of the outstanding balance. On July 18, 2013, the Company repaid $4.8 million of the loan, representing the entire outstanding principal balance of the loan and all accrued interest. The Company did not incur any fees associated with the prepayment of the loan. At December 28, 2013, there was no outstanding balance on the loan.

Commitments_and_Contingencies

Commitments and Contingencies	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2013
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Commitments and Contingencies	'
	Commitments and Contingencies
	Intellectual Property Indemnification Obligations – The Company will, from time to time, in the normal course of business, agree to indemnify certain customers, vendors or others against third party claims that Nanometrics’ products, when used for their intended purpose(s), or the Company's intellectual property, infringe the intellectual property rights of such third parties or other claims made against parties with whom it enters into contractual relationships. It is not possible to determine the maximum potential amount of liability under these indemnification obligations due to the limited history of prior indemnification claims and the unique facts and circumstances that are likely to be involved in each particular claim. Historically, the Company has not made payments under these obligations and believes that the estimated fair value of these agreements is immaterial. Accordingly, no liabilities have been recorded for these obligations in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets as of December 28, 2013 and December 29, 2012.
	On January 13, 2012, the Company entered into a settlement and limited patent cross license agreement with KLA to resolve all existing patent litigation between the parties. Pursuant to the settlement agreement, the Company agreed to make a one-time payment of $2.5 million to KLA. The settlement additionally included other features including limited cross-licenses of the patents that were subject to the litigation. The Company determined the principal benefit of the settlement was the economic benefit of avoiding litigation expenses and that the value attributable to the other settlement features was de minimus. As a result, the Company recorded a $2.5 million charge to legal settlement in operating expense in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2011. The payment was made in the three month period ended March 31, 2012.
	The Company maintains certain open inventory purchase agreements with its suppliers to ensure a smooth and continuous supply availability for key components. The Company's liability under these purchase commitments is generally restricted to a forecasted time-horizon as mutually agreed upon between the parties. This forecasted time-horizon can vary among different suppliers. The Company estimates its open inventory purchase commitment as of December 28, 2013 was approximately $25.1 million. Actual expenditures will vary based upon the volume of the transactions and length of contractual service provided. In addition, the amounts paid under these arrangements may be less in the event that the arrangements are renegotiated or canceled.
	The Company leases facilities and certain equipment under non-cancelable operating leases. Rent expense, which is recorded on a straight-line basis over the term of the respective lease, for 2013, 2012 and 2011, was approximately $2.0 million, $2.2 million and $1.8 million, respectively. Future minimum lease payments under its operating leases are as follows (in thousands):
		Operating
		Leases
	2014	$	1,382
	2015	890
	2016	675
	2017	312
	2018	48
	Thereafter	7
	Total	$	3,314
	On June 17, 2009, the Company announced a strategic business partnership with Zygo Corporation whereby it has purchased inventory and certain other assets from Zygo Corporation, and the two companies entered into a supply agreement. The Company will make payments to Zygo Corporation (with an estimated present value of $2.8 million and an estimated future value of $3.5 million as of December 28, 2013) over a period of time as acquired inventory is sold and other aspects of the supply agreement are executed.

Net_Income_Loss_Per_Share

Net Income (Loss) Per Share	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2013
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]	'
Net Income (Loss) Per Share	'
	Net Income (Loss) Per Share
	Basic net income (loss) per share excludes dilution and is computed by dividing net income by the number of weighted average common shares outstanding for the period. Diluted net income (loss) per share gives effect to all potentially dilutive common shares outstanding during the period, including contingently issuable shares and certain stock options, calculated using the treasury stock method. A reconciliation of the share denominator of the basic and diluted net income (loss) per share computations is as follows (in thousands):
		Years Ended
		December 28, 2013	December 29, 2012	December 31, 2011
	Weighted average common shares outstanding used in basic net income (loss) per share calculation	23,290	23,358	22,743
	Potential dilutive common stock equivalents, using treasury stock method	—	487	737
	Weighted average shares used in diluted net income (loss) per share calculation	23,290	23,845	23,480
	For the years ended December 28, 2013, December 29, 2012 and December 31, 2011, the Company had securities outstanding which could potentially dilute basic earnings per share in the future. For the years ended December 29, 2012 and December 31, 2011, weighted average common share equivalents consisting of stock options included in the calculation of diluted net income per share were 0.5 million and 0.7 million, respectively. For the year ended December 28, 2013, however, potential dilutive common stock equivalents were anti-dilutive and were excluded from the calculation due to the net loss position.

Stockholders_Equity

Stockholders' Equity	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2013
Equity [Abstract]	'
Stockholders’ Equity	'
	Stockholders’ Equity
	Preferred and Common Stock
	The authorized capital stock of Nanometrics consists of 47,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share, and 3,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share.
	Stock Repurchase
	On November 29, 2010, the Company's Board of Directors approved a program to repurchase up to $10.0 million of our common stock, referred to as the 2010 program. Stock repurchases under this program occurred as follows: fiscal year 2010, $0.8 million; fiscal year 2011, $4.3 million; and fiscal year 2012, $4.9 million. As of June 30, 2012, the Company repurchased and retired an aggregate of 667,406 shares of its common stock at a weighted average price of $14.97 per share under the 2010 program utilizing the entire $10.0 million approved by the Board on November 29, 2010, for the repurchase of shares of its common stock.
	On May 29, 2012, the Company's Board of Directors approved a program to repurchase up to $20.0 million of its common stock, referred to as the 2012 program. On February 22, 2013, an additional $5.0 million was approved for repurchases of its common stock under the 2012 program. Stock repurchases under this program may be made through open market and privately negotiated transactions, at times and in such amounts as management deems appropriate. The timing and actual number of shares repurchased is dependent on a variety of factors including price, corporate and regulatory requirements and other market conditions. During fiscal year 2012, the Company repurchased and retired 250,400 shares of its common stock under this approved program at the weighted average price of $14.15 per share.
	During fiscal year of 2012, the Company repurchased and retired a total of 587,766 shares of its common stock at a weighted average price of $14.47 per share collectively under the 2010 and the 2012 programs.
	During fiscal year 2013, the Company repurchased and retired 332,771 shares of its common stock under the 2012 program at the weighted average price of $15.03 per share. As of December 28, 2013, $16.5 million remained available for the future repurchase of shares of its common stock under the 2012 program.
	Stock Option Plans
	The Nanometrics option plans are as follows:
	Plan Name	Participants	Shares
			Authorized
	2005 Equity Incentive Plan	Employees, consultants and directors	7,292,594
	2002 Non-statutory Stock Option Plan	Employees and consultants	1,200,000
	2000 Employee Stock Option Plan	Employees and consultants	2,450,000
	2000 Director Stock Option Plan	Non-employee directors	250,000
	Accent Optical Technologies, Inc. Stock Incentive Plan	Employees and consultants	205,003
	See Note 16 for additional information.
	Employee Stock Purchase Plan
	Under the 2003 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (“ESPP”), eligible employees are allowed to have salary withholdings of up to 10% of their base compensation to purchase shares of common stock at a price equal to 85% of the lower of the market value of the stock at the beginning or end of each six-month offering period, subject to an annual limitation. At the end of the fiscal year ended December 28, 2013, the Company had 0.6 million shares remaining for issuance under the ESPP. Shares purchased under the ESPP were 128.165 shares, 65,355 shares and 112,491 shares in 2013, 2012 and 2011 at a weighted average price of $12.38, $15.36 and $12.92, respectively.

StockBased_Compensation

Stock-Based Compensation	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2013
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]	'
Stock-Based Compensation	'
	Stock-Based Compensation
	The Company measures and recognizes compensation expense for all share-based payment awards made to employees and directors including employee stock options, restricted stock units and employee stock purchases related to the Employee Stock Purchase Plan (collectively “Employee Stock Purchases”) based on estimated fair values. The fair value of share-based payment awards is estimated on the date of grant using an option-pricing model. The value of the portion of the award that is ultimately expected to vest is recognized as expense over the requisite service periods in the Company's consolidated statement of operations.
	Stock-based compensation expense recognized during the period is based on the value of the portion of share-based payment awards that is ultimately expected to vest during the period. As stock-based compensation expense recognized in the consolidated statement of operations for the years ended December 28, 2013, December 29, 2012, and December 31, 2011 is based on awards expected to vest, it has been reduced for estimated forfeitures. ASC 740 requires forfeitures to be estimated at the time of grant and revised, if necessary, in subsequent periods if actual forfeitures differ from those estimates. The Company's estimated forfeiture rates in 2013, 2012 and 2011 of 11.9%, 7.6%, and 6.3%, respectively, were based on historical forfeiture experience, which the Company believes is the best available information to estimate the future forfeiture rate. Tax benefits resulting from tax deductions in excess of the compensation cost recognized for those options are required to be separately classified in the consolidated statements of cash flows. The Company recognized $0.1 million, $0.9 million and $3.9 million of excess tax benefit in fiscal years 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively.
	Valuation and Expense Information
	The fair value of stock-based awards to employees is calculated using the Black-Scholes option pricing model, which requires subjective assumptions, including future stock price volatility and expected time to exercise. The expected life of options granted were calculated using the simplified method allowed by the SAB 107. The risk-free rates were based on the U.S Treasury rates in effect during the corresponding period of grant. The expected volatility were based on the historical volatility of the Company's stock price. These factors could change in the future, which would affect the stock-based compensation expense in future periods.
	The weighted-average fair value of stock-based compensation to employees is based on the single option valuation approach. Forfeitures are estimated and it is assumed no dividends will be declared. The estimated fair value of stock-based compensation awards to employees is amortized over the vesting period of the options. The weighted-average fair value calculations are based on the following average assumptions:
		Fiscal Year		Fiscal Year		Fiscal Year
		2013		2012		2011
	Stock Options:
	Expected life	4.5 years		4.5 years		4.5 years
	Volatility	69.90%		77.30%		77.00%
	Risk free interest rate	1.05%		0.80%		1.82%
	Dividends	—		—		—
	Employee Stock Purchase Plan:
	Expected life	0.5 years		0.5 years		0.5 years
	Volatility	26.80%		45.50%		73.40%
	Risk free interest rate	0.11%		0.12%		0.19%
	Dividends	—		—		—
	Stock Options and Restricted Stock Units ("RSUs")
	Prior to December 2008, the majority of options granted by the Compensation Committee vested at a rate of 33 1/3 percent over the first three years of the seven-year option term on each of the first, second and third anniversary of such grants. Starting in December 2008, the majority of the options granted to employees employed for less than one year vest one-third (  1/3rd ) of the shares subject to the option on the first anniversary of the grant date, and vest one thirty sixth ( 1/36th ) each month for the following two years, for a total three year vesting period with a seven-year option term. Starting in November 2008, the majority of the options granted for employees employed for more than one year vest one thirty-sixth ( 1/36th ) of the shares subject to the options in equal monthly installments starting on the monthly anniversary of the date of grant with a seven-year option term. On February 22, 2010, the Compensation Committee reviewed best practice with regard to stock option vesting and made the following changes; existing employees generally receive vesting terms of monthly ratable vesting for a total period of four years. New employees, in general, receive vesting terms that are equivalent to 25% vesting on the one year anniversary of the grant with monthly vesting thereafter for a total of four years. All other terms remained the same. Grant of each Restricted Stock Unit (“RSU”) counts against the Company's available for grant pool at a ratio of 2:1 against the 2005 Equity Incentive Plan as depicted below under “RSUs granted.” On May 24, 2013, the Company approved further amendments to the 2005 Equity Incentive Plan including: increasing the number of shares of common stock authorized by 2.6 million shares, changing the multiplier ratio from 2:1 to 1.7:1 against the plan for each award, other than a stock option or stock appreciation right, and providing the maximum term of stock options to be seven years. All other terms remained the same.
	The number of RSUs granted during fiscal year 2013 was 348,328, which counted as 664,902 shares against the 2005 Equity Incentive Plan. The number of RSUs cancelled during fiscal year 2013 was 77,952, which counted as 133,418 shares against the 2005 Equity Incentive Plan. Each RSU represents an amount equal to the fair value of one share of the Company's common stock.
	A summary of activity under the Company’s stock option plans including options and RSUs during fiscal year 2013, and shares available for grant at December 28, 2013, is as follows:
		Shares Available for Grant
		(Options and RSUs)
	Shares available for grant at December 29, 2012	1,093,565
	Increase in shares authorized	2,600,000
	Options - granted	(430,800	)
	Options - cancelled	150,459
	Options - expired plan shares	(53,607	)
	RSUs - granted	(664,902	)
	RSUs - canceled	133,418
	RSUs - shares issued to satisfy tax withholding obligations	108,868
	Shares available for grant at December 28, 2013	2,937,001
	Options
	The weighted average fair value per share of the stock options awarded in fiscal years 2013, 2012, and 2011 was $8.58, $10.00 and $9.98, respectively. A summary of activity of stock options in 2013 is as follows:
		Number of			Weighted				Weighted			Aggregate Intrinsic Value (in Thousands)
		Shares			Average				Average
		Outstanding			Exercise				Remaining
		(Options)			Price				Contractual Term (Years)
	Options
	Outstanding at December 29, 2012	2,020,319			$	12.01			4.44			—
	Exercised	(391,621	)		8.71				—			—
	Granted	430,800			15.49				—			—
	Cancelled	(150,459	)		15.22				—			—
	Outstanding at December 28, 2013	1,909,039			$	13.22			4.02			$	10,341
	Exercisable at December 28, 2013	1,189,895			$	11.84			3.25			$	8,089
	The aggregate intrinsic value in the above table represents the total pretax intrinsic value, based on the Company’s closing stock price of $18.61 as of December 28, 2013, which would have been received by the option holders had all option holders exercised their options as of that date. The total intrinsic value of options exercised during 2013, 2012 and 2011 was $2.9 million, $4.9 million and $11.6 million, respectively. The fair value of options vested during 2013, 2012 and 2011 was $3.7 million, $3.6 million and $2.9 million, respectively.
	The following table summarizes ranges of outstanding and exercisable options as of December 28, 2013.
	Exercise Prices	Options Outstanding									Options Exercisable
		Number			Weighted		Weighted				Number			Weighted
		Outstanding			Average		Average				Exercisable			Average
					Remaining		Exercise							Exercise
					Contractual Life		Price							Price
					(Years)
	$0.93-$7.35	235,358			1.41		$	3.75			235,358			$	3.75
	$7.47-$10.46	265,654			3.01		$	9.44			235,063			$	9.35
	$10.83-$13.08	233,446			3.52		$	11.81			185,568			$	11.88
	$13.16-$14.88	192,792			5.33		$	14.24			53,756			$	14.32
	$14.95-$15.85	289,732			5.93		$	15.61			67,376			$	15.64
	$15.88-$16.59	148,238			3.09		$	16.05			122,554			$	16.03
	$16.70-$16.70	285,419			4.03		$	16.7			189,472			$	16.7
	$16.89-$19.03	245,900			5.34		$	18.02			92,209			$	18.19
	$19.77-$19.77	3,000			4.52		$	19.77			1,812			$	19.77
$19.84-$19.84	9,500			4.14		$	19.84			6,727			$	19.84
$0.93-$19.84	1,909,039			4.02		$	13.22			1,189,895			$	11.84
As of December 28, 2013, the total unrecognized compensation costs related to unvested stock options was $5.3 million and is expected to be recognized as an expense over a weighted average remaining amortization period of 2.46 years.
In August 2011, the Company added an additional 2.0 million shares of common stock to the Company's 2005 Equity Incentive Plan available for grant.
Restricted Stock Units ("RSUs")
Each RSU counts against the Company's “2005 Equity Incentive Plan” at a ratio of one and seven tenths shares for each unit granted but represents an amount equal to the fair value of one share of the Company's common stock. The Company granted 348,328 and 51,777 RSUs during the years ended December 28, 2013 and December 29, 2012, respectively, to key employees with vesting periods spanning from one to three years. The Company granted 286,180 RSUs on November 21, 2011 as part of employment agreements with personnel hired by the Company subsequent to the acquisition of Nanda. The RSU's granted to these newly hired employees generally vest as follows: 10% on date of grant; the remaining vest one-third per year over each of the three years from date of grant, provided that the participant continues to be employed at the Company.
A summary of activity for RSUs is as follows:
RSU	Number		Weighted
	of RSU		Average Fair
			Value as of December 29, 2012
Outstanding RSU as of December 29, 2012	235,162		$	16.32
Granted	348,328		15.51
Released	(171,094	)	16.69
Cancelled	(77,952	)	18.29
Outstanding RSU as of December 28, 2013	334,444		$	18.61
As of December 28, 2013, the total unrecognized compensation costs related to RSU's was $3.1 million and is expected to be recognized as an expense over a weighted average remaining amortization period of 1.83 years.
Stock-based Compensation Expense
Stock-based compensation expense for all share-based payment awards made to the Company’s employees and directors pursuant to the employee stock option and employee stock purchase plans by function were as follows (in thousands):
	Fiscal Year				Fiscal Year				Fiscal Year
	2013				2012				2011
Cost of products	$	207			$	164			$	176
Cost of service	278				230				218
Research and development	1,478				1,220				984
Selling	1,894				1,791				1,366
General and administrative	2,919				2,485				1,729
Restructuring	898				—				—
Total stock-based compensation expense related to employee stock options and employee stock purchases	$	7,674			$	5,890			$	4,473

Defined_Benefit_Pension_Plan

Defined Benefit Pension Plan	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2013
Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Defined Benefit Pension Plan	'
	Defined Benefit Pension Plan
	Nanometrics sponsors a statutory government mandated defined benefit pension plan (the “Benefit Plan”) in Taiwan for its local employees. The fair value of plan assets was $0.2 million, $0.2 million and $0.1 million for the fiscal years ended 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively; and the net funding deficiency of the Benefit Plan was $0.2 million, $0.3 million, and $0.2 million for the fiscal years ended December 28, 2013, December 29, 2012, and December 31, 2011, respectively. Based on the nature and limited extent of the pension plan, we determined this pension plan was not material for separate disclosure.

Income_Taxes

Income Taxes	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2013
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Income Taxes	'
	Income Taxes
	Income Tax Assets and Liabilities - The Company accounts for income taxes whereby deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized using enacted tax rates for the effect of temporary differences between the book and tax accounting for assets and liabilities. Also, deferred tax assets are reduced by a valuation allowance to the extent that management cannot conclude that it is more likely than not that a portion of the deferred tax asset will be realized in the future. The Company evaluates the deferred tax assets on a continuous basis throughout the year to determine whether or not a valuation allowance is appropriate. Factors used in this determination include future expected income and the underlying asset or liability which generated the temporary tax difference. The income tax provision is primarily impacted by federal statutory rates, state and foreign income taxes, and changes in the valuation allowance.
	Income (loss) before provision for income taxes consists of the following (in thousands):
		Years Ended
		December 28,			December 29,			December 31,
		2013			2012			2011
	Domestic	$	(26,447	)	$	1,887		$	41,773
	Foreign	2,882			2,732			2,811
	Income (loss) before income taxes	$	(23,565	)	$	4,619		$	44,584
	The provision (benefit) for income taxes consists of the following (in thousands):
		Years Ended
		December 28,			December 29,			December 31,
		2013			2012			2011
	Current:
	Federal	$	119		$	(2,403	)	$	11,059
	State	5			(492		)	1,048
	Foreign	933			270			354
	Total current	1,057			(2,625		)	12,461
	Deferred:
	Federal	(10,686		)	1,753			2,366
	State	(325		)	379			(158		)
	Foreign	535			647			1,230
	Total deferred	(10,476		)	2,779			3,438
	Provision (benefit) for income taxes	$	(9,419	)	$	154		$	15,899
	Significant components of the Company's deferred tax assets and liabilities are as follows (in thousands):
		At
		December 28,			December 29,
		2013			2012
	Deferred tax assets:
	Reserves and accruals	$	10,592		$	7,682
	Deferred revenue	1,614			1,714
	Shared based compensation	3,789			3,129
	Tax credit carry-forwards	6,591			1,510
	Net operating losses	10,220			10,830
	Depreciation & amortization	3,241			3,273
	Other	966			945
	Total deferred tax assets	37,013			29,083
	Less: Valuation allowance	(11,665		)	(10,229		)
	Total deferred tax assets net of valuation allowance	25,348			18,854
	Deferred tax liabilities:
	Depreciation & amortization	(5,567		)	(5,797		)
	Other	(926		)	(793		)
	Total deferred tax liabilities	(6,493		)	(6,590		)
	Net deferred tax assets	$	18,855		$	12,264
	As of December 28, 2013, the Company had net operating loss carryforwards of $27.5 million in California and $37.6 million in foreign countries, which begin to expire in 2015 and 2014, respectively. A total of $2.7 million of the California net operating loss carryforward and $1.8 million of the foreign net operating loss carryforwards are related to excess tax benefits as a result of stock option exercises, and therefore will be recorded in additional paid-in capital in the period that they become realized. During the year ended December 28, 2013, the Company realized excess benefits as a result of stock option exercises in the amount of $0.1 million, which was appropriately recorded to additional paid-in-capital.
	As of December 28, 2013, the Company had available carryforward Federal and state R&D tax credits of $5.5 million and $5.0 million, respectively. Federal R&D tax credit carryforwards begin to expire in 2024. State R&D tax credit carryforwards indefinitely. A total of $0.2 million of the state R&D tax credits are related to excess tax benefits as a result of stock option exercises, and therefore will be recorded to additional paid-in-capital in the period that they become realized.
	During the years ended December 28, 2013 and December 29, 2012, the valuation allowances increased by $1.4 million and $2.1 million, respectively. The valuation allowance increase in 2013 was primarily related to foreign losses without benefit and an increase in the carryforwards for California R&D tax credit which no benefit was realized.
	Changes in tax laws and tax rates could affect the Company's recorded deferred tax assets and liabilities in the future. The Company's tax liabilities involve dealing with uncertainties in the application of complex tax laws and regulations in a multitude of jurisdictions across its global operations. Management will account for any such changes or factors in the period in which such law changes are enacted.
	Differences between income taxes computed by applying the statutory federal income tax rate to income (loss) before income taxes and the provision (benefit) for income taxes consist of the following (in thousands):
		Years Ended
		December 28, 2013			December 29, 2012			December 31, 2011
	Income taxes computed at U.S. statutory rate	$	(8,247	)	$	1,616		$	15,604
	State income taxes	(324		)	(116		)	636
	Foreign tax rate differential	9			(275		)	907
	Change in valuation allowance	—			—			17
	Domestic production activities deduction	—			(17		)	(1,033		)
	Tax credits	(1,377		)	—			(601		)
	Benefit of tax elections	—			(1,309		)	—
	Liabilities for uncertain tax positions	111			66			153
	Other, net	409			189			216
	Provision (benefit) for income taxes	$	(9,419	)	$	154		$	15,899
	As of December 28, 2013, approximately $2.9 million of undistributed earnings from non-U.S. operations held by the Company's foreign subsidiaries are designated as indefinitely reinvested outside the U.S. Accordingly, no additional U.S. income taxes or additional foreign withholding taxes have been provided thereon. Determination of the amount of unrecognized deferred tax liability related to these earnings is not practicable.
	On January 2, 2013, the President signed into law The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 ("ATRA"). Under prior law, a taxpayer was entitled to a research tax credit for qualifying amounts incurred through December 31, 2011. ATRA extends the research credit for two years for qualified research expenditures incurred through the end of 2013. The extension of the research credit is retroactive and includes amounts incurred after 2011. The benefit the Company received related to 2012 as a result of the credit extension was approximately $0.6 million. The benefit for 2012 was recognized in 2013, the year of enactment.
The Company recognizes tax liabilities for uncertain tax positions and adjust these liabilities when its judgment changes as a result of the evaluation of new information not previously available. Due to the complexity of some of these uncertainties, the ultimate resolution may result in a payment that is materially different from the Company's current estimate of the tax liabilities. These differences will be reflected as increases or decreases to income tax expense in the period in which they are determined.
The accounting for uncertainty in income taxes recognized in an enterprise's financial statements prescribes a recognition threshold and measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position taken or expected to be taken on a tax return, and the derecognition of tax benefits, classification on the balance sheet, interest and penalties, accounting in interim periods, disclosure, and transition.
A reconciliation of the beginning and ending amount of unrecognized tax benefits is as follows (in thousands):
	Years Ended
	December 28, 2013			December 29, 2012			December 31, 2011
Unrecognized tax benefits - beginning of the period	$	3,464		$	3,599		$	3,370
Foreign currency movements	—			—			—
Gross increases-tax positions in prior period	305			—			154
Gross decreases-tax positions in prior period	—			(183		)	—
Gross increases-current-period tax positions	688			265			622
Lapse of statute of limitations	(21		)	(217		)	(547		)
Unrecognized tax benefits - end of the period	$	4,436		$	3,464		$	3,599
The unrecognized tax benefit at December 28, 2013 was $4.4 million, of which $1.2 million would impact the effective tax rate if recognized. The Company accrues interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits in its provision for income taxes. The total amount of penalties and interest were not material as of December 28, 2013, December 29, 2012 and December 31, 2011. The Company does not expect a material change in its unrecognized tax benefits within the next 12 months.
The Company is subject to taxation in the U.S. and various states including California, and foreign jurisdictions including Korea, Japan and United Kingdom. Due to tax attribute carry-forwards, the Company is subject to examination for tax years 2003 forward for U.S. tax purposes. The Company was also subject to examination in various states for tax years 2002 forward. The Company is subject to examination for tax years 2006 forward for various foreign jurisdictions.
On September 13, 2013, the U.S. Treasury Department and the IRS issued final regulations that address costs incurred in acquiring, producing, or improving tangible property (the "tangible property regulations"). The tangible property regulations are generally effective for tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2014, and may be adopted in earlier years. The tangible property regulations will require the Company to make additional tax accounting method changes as of January 1, 2014; however, management does not anticipate the impact of these changes to be material to the Company’s consolidated financial position, its results of operations, or both.

Segment_Geographic_Product_and

Segment, Geographic, Product and Significant Customer Information	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2013
Geographic and Significant Customer Information [Abstract]	'
Segment, Geographic, Product and Significant Customer Information	'
	Segment, Geographic, Product and Significant Customer Information
	The Company has one operating segment, which is the sale, design, manufacture, marketing and support of thin film and optical critical dimension systems. The Chief Executive Officer has been identified as the Chief Operating Decision Maker (“CODM”) because he has the final authority over resource allocation decisions and performance assessment. The CODM does not receive discrete financial information about individual components of the Company's business. For the years ended December 28, 2013, December 29, 2012, and December 31, 2011, the Company recorded revenue from customers primarily in the United States, Asia and Europe. The following tables summarize total net revenues and long-lived assets (excluding intangible assets) attributed to significant countries (in thousands):
		Years Ended
		December 28, 2013			December 29, 2012				31-Dec-11
	Total net revenues (1):
	United States	$	47,019		44,811				50,447
	Japan	11,629			16,832				34,806
	South Korea	34,873			79,555				87,533
	Other	50,786			41,683				57,275
	Total net revenues	$	144,307		$	182,881			$	230,061
	(1) Net revenues are attributed to countries based on the customer's deployment and service locations of systems.
	Long-lived tangible assets:	December 28, 2013			29-Dec-12
	United States	44,775			40,600
	Japan	125			148
	South Korea	445			520
	All Other	2,094			1,945
	Total long-lived tangible assets	$	47,439		$	43,213
	The Company’s product lines differ primarily based on the environment in which the systems will be used. Automated systems are used primarily in high-volume production environments. Materials characterization products are primarily used to measure the composition, band gap, structure, and other physical and electrical properties of semiconducting materials for discrete electronic industry, high brightness LED and solar/photovoltaic structures in both development and high volume environments. Integrated systems are installed inside wafer processing equipment to provide near real-time measurements for improving process control and increasing throughput. Revenues by product type were as follows (in thousands):
		Years Ended
		28-Dec-13			29-Dec-12				31-Dec-11
	Automated Systems	$	82,924		119,451				139,261
	Integrated Systems	11,412			12,379				25,413
	Materials Characterization Systems	13,066			11,997				30,100
	Total product revenues	$	107,402		$	143,827			$	194,774
	The following customers accounted for 10% or more of total accounts receivable:
		At
		December 28, 2013		December 29, 2012			December 31, 2011
	Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.	27.4	%	***			41.1	%
	Intel Corporation	14.4	%	12.3	%		***
	Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited	12.1	%	17.3	%		***
	SK Hynix	21.8	%	***			***
	*** The customer accounted for less than 10% of total accounts receivable as of that period end.
	The following customers accounted for 10% or more of total revenue:
		Years Ended
		December 28, 2013		December 29, 2012			December 31, 2011
	Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.	14.4	%	27.8	%		30	%
	SK Hynix	18.4	%	16.5	%		11.4	%
	Intel Corporation	30	%	22.3	%		16.9	%

Schedule_II_VALUATION_AND_QUAL

Schedule II - VALUATION AND QUALIFYING ACCOUNTS	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2013
Valuation and Qualifying Accounts [Abstract]	'
Schedule II - VALUATION AND QUALIFYING ACCOUNTS	'
	VALUATION AND QUALIFYING ACCOUNTS
	Our allowance for doubtful accounts receivable consists of the following (in thousands):
	Year Ended	Balance at		Charged to			Deductions –			Balance
		beginning		costs and			write-offs of			at end
		of period		expenses			accounts			of period
	December 28, 2013	$	82	$	255		$	(44	)	$	293
	December 29, 2012	$	117	$	(3	)	$	(32	)	$	82
	31-Dec-11	$	63	$	81		$	(27	)	$	117
	Our valuation allowance for deferred tax assets consists of the following (in thousands):
	Year Ended	Balance at		Charged to			Deductions –			Balance
		beginning		costs and			write-offs of			at end
		of period		expenses			accounts			of period
	December 28, 2013	$	10,229	$	1,436		$	—		$	11,665
	December 29, 2012	$	8,142	$	2,087		$	—		$	10,229
	December 31, 2011	$	7,002	$	1,140		$	—		$	8,142

Nature_of_Business_Basis_of_Pr1

Nature of Business, Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2013
Nature of Business and Basis of Presentation [Abstract]	'
Description of Business	'
	Description of Business – Nanometrics Incorporated (“Nanometrics” or the “Company”) and its wholly owned subsidiaries design, manufacture, market, sell and support thin film, optical critical dimension and overlay dimension metrology and inspection systems used primarily in the manufacturing of semiconductors, solar photovoltaics (“solar PV”) and high-brightness LEDs (“HB-LED”), as well as by customers in the silicon wafer and data storage industries. Nanometrics' metrology systems precisely measure a wide range of film types deposited on substrates during manufacturing to control manufacturing processes and increase production yields in the fabrication of integrated circuits. The thin film metrology systems use a broad spectrum of wavelengths, high-sensitivity optics, proprietary software, and patented technology to measure the thickness and uniformity of films deposited on silicon and other substrates as well as their chemical composition. The Company’s optical critical dimension technology is a patented critical dimension measurement technology that is used to precisely determine the dimensions on the semiconductor wafer that directly control the resulting performance of the integrated circuit devices. The overlay metrology systems are used to measure the overlay accuracy of successive layers of semiconductor patterns on wafers in the photolithography process. Nanometrics' inspection systems are used to find defects on patterned and unpatterned wafers at nearly every stage of the semiconductor production flow. The corporate headquarters of Nanometrics is located in Milpitas, California.
Basis of Presentation	'
	Basis of Presentation – The consolidated financial statements include Nanometrics Incorporated and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.
Fiscal Year	'
	Fiscal Year – The Company uses a 52/53 week fiscal year ending on the Saturday nearest to December 31. Accordingly, 2013 consisted of 52 weeks ending December 28, 2013 (fiscal year 2013), 2012 consisted of 52 weeks ending December 29, 2012 (fiscal year 2012), and 2011 consisted of 52 weeks ending December 31, 2011 (fiscal year 2011).
Use of Estimates	'
	Use of Estimates – The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reported period. Actual results could differ materially from those estimates. Estimates are used for, but not limited to, revenue recognition, the provision for doubtful accounts, the provision for excess, obsolete, or slow moving inventories, valuation of intangible assets and long-lived assets, warranty accruals, income taxes, valuation of stock-based compensation, and contingencies.
Foreign Currency Translation	'
	Foreign Currency Translation – The assets and liabilities of foreign subsidiaries are translated from their respective local functional currencies at exchange rates in effect at the balance sheet date and income and expense accounts are translated at average exchange rates during the reporting period. Resulting translation adjustments are reflected in “Accumulated other
	comprehensive income,” a component of stockholders’ equity. Foreign currency transaction gains and losses are reflected in
	“Other income (expense)” in the consolidated statements of operations in the period incurred
Revenue Recognition	'
	Revenue Recognition – The Company derives revenue from the sale of process control metrology and inspection systems (“product revenue”) as well as spare part sales, billable service, service contracts, and upgrades (together “service revenue”). Upgrades are a group of parts and/or software that change the existing configuration of a product and are included in service revenue. They are distinguished from product revenue, which consists of complete, automated process control metrology systems (the “system(s)”). Nanometrics' systems consist of hardware and software components that function together to deliver the essential functionality of the system. Arrangements for sales of systems often include defined customer-specified acceptance criteria.
	In summary, the Company recognizes revenue when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, delivery has occurred or services have been rendered, the seller's price is fixed or determinable, and collectability is reasonably assured.
	For product sales to existing customers, revenue recognition occurs at the time title and risk of loss transfer to the customer, which usually occurs upon shipment from the Company's manufacturing location, if it can be reliably demonstrated that the product has successfully met the defined customer specified acceptance criteria and all other recognition criteria have been met. For initial sales where the product has not previously met the defined customer specified acceptance criteria, product revenues are recognized upon the earlier of receipt of written customer acceptance or expiration of the contractual acceptance period. In Japan, where contractual terms with the customer specify risk of loss and title transfers upon customer acceptance, revenue is recognized upon receipt of written customer acceptance, provided that all other recognition criteria have been met.
	The Company warrants its products against defects in manufacturing. Upon recognition of product revenue, a liability is recorded for anticipated warranty costs. On occasion, customers request a warranty period longer than the Company's standard warranty. In those instances where extended warranty services are separately quoted to the customer, the associated revenue is deferred and recognized as service revenue ratably over the term of the contract. The portion of service contracts and extended warranty services agreements that are uncompleted at the end of any reporting period are included in deferred revenue.
	As part of its customer services, the Company sells software that is considered to be an upgrade to a customer's existing systems. These standalone software upgrades are not essential to the tangible product's functionality and are accounted for under software revenue recognition rules which require vendor specific objective evidence ("VSOE") of fair value to allocate revenue in a multiple element arrangement. Revenue from upgrades is recognized when the upgrades are delivered to the customer, provided that all other recognition criteria have been met.
	Revenue related to spare parts is recognized upon shipment. Revenue related to billable services is recognized as the services are performed. Service contracts may be purchased by the customer during or after the warranty period and revenue is recognized ratably over the service contract period.
	Frequently, the Company delivers products and various services in a single transaction. The Company's deliverables consist of tools, installation, upgrades, billable services, spare parts, and service contracts. The Company's typical multi-element arrangements include a sale of one or multiple tools that include installation and standard warranty. Other arrangements consist of a sale of tools bundled with service elements or it includes delivery of different types of services. The Company's tools, upgrades, and spare parts are generally delivered to customers within a period of up to six months from order date. Installation is usually performed soon after delivery of the tool. The portion of revenue associated with installation is deferred based on estimated fair value and that revenue is recognized upon completion of the installation. Billable services are billed on a time and materials basis and performed as requested by customers. Billable services are billed on a time and materials basis and performed as requested by customers. Under service contract arrangements, services are provided as needed over the fixed arrangement term, which terms can be up to twelve months. The Company does not generally grant its customers a general right of return or any refund terms and imposes a penalty on orders canceled prior to the scheduled shipment date.
	The Company regularly evaluates its revenue arrangements to identify deliverables and to determine whether these deliverables are separable into multiple units of accounting. In accordance with the new guidance, the Company allocates the arrangement consideration among the deliverables based on relative selling prices. The Company has established vendor specific objective evidence ("VSOE") for some of its products and services when a substantial majority of selling prices falls within a narrow range when sold separately. For deliverables with no established VSOE, the Company uses best estimate of selling price ("BESP") to determine standalone selling price for such deliverable. The Company does not use third party evidence ("TPE") to determine standalone selling price since this information is not widely available in the market as the Company's products contain a significant element of proprietary technology and the solutions offered differ substantially from competitors. The Company has established a process for developing BESP, which incorporates historical selling prices, the effect of market conditions, gross margin objectives, pricing practices, as well as entity-specific factors. The Company monitors and evaluates BESP on a regular basis to ensure that changes in circumstances are accounted for in a timely manner.
	When certain elements in multiple-element arrangements are not delivered or accepted at the end of a reporting period, the relative selling prices of undelivered elements are deferred until these elements are delivered and/or accepted. If deliverables cannot be accounted for as separate units of accounting, the entire arrangement is accounted for as a single unit of accounting and revenue is deferred until all elements are delivered and all revenue recognition requirements are met.
Business Combinations	'
	Business Combinations - The Company allocates the purchase price of acquired companies to the tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed based upon their estimated fair values at the acquisition date. The purchase price allocation process requires management to make significant estimates and assumptions, especially at the acquisition date with respect to intangible assets and inventory acquired. While best estimates and assumptions as a part of the purchase price allocation process are used to accurately value assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the acquisition date, estimates are inherently uncertain and subject to refinement. As a result, during the measurement period, which may be up to one year from the acquisition date, the Company may record adjustments to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed, with the corresponding offset to goodwill. Upon the conclusion of the measurement period or final determination of the values of assets acquired or liabilities assumed, whichever comes first, any subsequent adjustments are recorded in the consolidated statements of operations.
	The Company estimates the fair value of inventory acquired by utilizing the net realizable value method which is based on the estimated sales price of the product less appropriate costs to complete and selling costs. Examples of critical estimates in valuing certain intangible assets that were acquired or may be acquired in the future include but are not limited to:
	•	future expected cash flows from sales of products, services and acquired developed technologies and patents;
	•	expected costs to develop the in-process research and development into commercially viable products and estimated cash flows from the projects when completed;
	•	the acquired company's customer relationships, as well as assumptions about the estimated useful lives of the relationships; and
	•	discount rates.
	Unanticipated events and circumstances may occur that may affect the accuracy or validity of assumptions, estimates or actual results associated with business combinations.
Cash and Cash Equivalents	'
	Cash, Cash Equivalents and Marketable Securities – The Company considers all highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less, when purchased, to be cash equivalents.
Marketable Securities	'
	Marketable securities are classified as “available-for-sale” and are reported at fair value with unrealized gains and losses reported in stockholders' equity as a component of other comprehensive income. The cost of securities sold is based on the specific identification method. The Company classifies its investments as current based on the nature of the investment and their availability for use in current operations. The Company reviews its investment portfolio quarterly to determine if any securities may be other-than-temporarily impaired due to increased credit risk, changes in industry or sector of a certain instrument or ratings downgrades.
Fair Value of Financial Instruments	'
	Fair Value of Financial Instruments – Financial instruments include cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable and debt obligations. Cash equivalents are stated at fair market value based on quoted market prices. The carrying values of accounts receivable and accounts payable approximate their fair values because of the short-term maturity of these financial instruments. The estimated fair market value of debt is based on the discounted cash flow with inputs that are observable in the market or that could be derived from or corroborated with observable market data including interest rates based on yield curves of similar debt issued by parties with credit ratings similar to the Company's level.
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts	'
	Allowance for Doubtful Accounts – The Company maintains allowances for estimated losses resulting from the inability of its customers to make required payments. Credit limits are established through a process of reviewing the financial history and stability of its customers. Where appropriate and available, the Company obtains credit rating reports and financial statements of customers when determining or modifying their credit limits. The Company regularly evaluates the collectability of its trade receivable balances based on a combination of factors such as the length of time the receivables are past due, customary payment practices in the respective geographies and historical collection experience with customers. The Company believes that its allowance for doubtful accounts adequately reflects the risk associated with its receivables. If the financial conditions of a customer were to deteriorate, resulting in their inability to make payments, the Company may need to record additional allowances, which would result in additional general and administrative expenses being recorded for the period in which such determination was made.
Inventories	'
	Inventories – Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or market. The Company is exposed to a number of economic and industry factors that could result in portions of inventory becoming either obsolete or in excess of anticipated usage, or saleable only for amounts that are less than their carrying amounts. These factors include, but are not limited to, technological changes in the market, the Company’s ability to meet changing customer requirements, competitive pressures in products and prices, and the availability of key components from suppliers. The Company has established inventory reserves when conditions exist that suggest that inventory may be in excess of anticipated demand or is obsolete based upon assumptions about future demand for the Company’s products and market conditions. Once a reserve has been established, it is maintained until the part to which it relates is sold or is otherwise disposed of. The Company regularly evaluates its ability to realize the value of inventory based on a combination of factors including the following: historical usage rates, forecasted sales of usage, product end-of-life dates, estimated current and future market values and new product introductions. For demonstration inventory, the Company also considers the age of the inventory and potential cost to refurbish the inventory prior to sale. Demonstration inventory is amortized over its useful life and the amortization expense is included in total inventory write down on the statements of cash flows. When recorded, reserves are intended to reduce the carrying value of the Company’s inventory to its net realizable value. If actual demand for the Company’s products deteriorates, or market conditions are less favorable than those that the Company projects, additional reserves may be required.
	Inventories – delivered systems – The Company reflects the cost of systems that were invoiced upon shipment but deferred for revenue recognition purposes separate from its inventory held for sale as “Inventories – delivered systems.”
Property, Plant and Equipment	'
	Property, Plant and Equipment – Property, plant and equipment are stated at cost. Depreciation is computed using the straight–line method over the following estimated useful lives of the assets:
	Building and Improvements        5 - 40 years
	Machinery and equipment            3 - 10 years
	Furniture and fixtures            3 - 10 years
Goodwill and Intangible Assets	'
	Goodwill and Intangible Assets – Goodwill is initially recorded when the purchase price paid for an acquisition exceeds the estimated fair value of the net identified tangible and intangible assets acquired. Intangible assets with finite lives are amortized over their respective useful lives on a straight-line basis and are also evaluated annually for impairment or whenever events or circumstances occur which indicate that those assets might be impaired. Goodwill and indefinite lived assets are not amortized but tested annually for impairment. The Company’s impairment review process is completed during the fourth quarter of each year or whenever events, or circumstances occur which indicate that an impairment may have occurred. The Company assesses qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value. If, after assessing the qualitative factors, the Company determines that it is not likely that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value, then performing the two-step impairment test is unnecessary. However, if the Company concludes otherwise, then it is required to perform the first step of the two-step goodwill impairment test. The first step requires a comparison of the fair value of Nanometrics’ reporting unit to its net book value. If the fair value of the reporting unit is greater than its carrying value, then no impairment is deemed to have occurred. If the fair value is less, then the second step must be performed to determine the amount, if any, of actual impairment. Amortization of intangible assets with finite lives are computed using the straight-line method over the following estimated useful lives of the assets:
	Developed technology            5 -10 years
	Customer relationships            2 -10 years
	Brand name                5 -10 years
	Patented technology            7 -10 years
	Trademark                5 years
Long-Lived Assets	'
	Long-Lived Assets – The Company evaluates its long-lived assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. When the sum of the undiscounted future net cash flows expected to result from the use of the asset and its eventual disposition is less than its carrying amount, impairment may exist. To determine the amount of impairment, the Company compares the fair value of the asset to its carrying value. If the carrying value of the asset exceeds its fair value, an impairment loss equal to the difference is recognized. See Note 3, "Acquisition, Goodwill Impairment and Long-lived Asset Impairment," for further details.
Income Tax Assets and Liabilities	'
	Income Tax Assets and Liabilities – The Company accounts for income taxes such that deferred tax assets and liabilities must be recognized using enacted tax rates for the effect of temporary differences between the book and tax accounting for assets and liabilities. Also, deferred tax assets are reduced by a valuation allowance to the extent that management cannot conclude that it is more likely than not that a portion of the deferred tax asset will be realized in the future. The Company evaluates the deferred tax assets on a continuous basis throughout the year to determine whether or not a valuation allowance is appropriate. Factors used in this determination include future expected income and the underlying asset or liability which generated the temporary tax difference. The income tax provision is primarily impacted by federal statutory rates, state and foreign income taxes and changes in the valuation allowance.
Product Warranties and Guarantees	'
	Product Warranties – The Company sells the majority of its products with a twelve months repair or replacement warranty from the date of acceptance, which generally represents the date of shipment. The Company provides an accrual for estimated future warranty costs based upon the historical relationship of warranty costs to the cost of products sold. The estimated future warranty obligations related to product sales are reported in the period in which the related revenue is recognized. The estimated future warranty obligations are affected by the warranty periods, sales volumes, product failure rates, material usage and labor and replacement costs incurred in correcting a product failure. If actual product failure rates, material usage, labor or replacement costs differ from the Company’s estimates, revisions to the estimated warranty obligations would be required. For new product introductions where limited or no historical information exists, the Company may use warranty information from other previous product introductions to guide us in estimating the warranty accrual. The warranty accrual represents the best estimate of the amount necessary to settle future and existing claims on products sold as of the balance sheet date. The Company periodically assesses the adequacy of its recorded warranty reserve and adjusts the amounts in accordance with changes in these factors.
	Guarantees – In addition to product warranties, from time to time, in the normal course of business, the Company indemnifies certain customers with whom it enters into a contractual relationship. The Company has agreed to hold the other party harmless against third party claims that its products, when used for their intended purpose(s), infringe the intellectual property rights of such third party or other claims made against certain parties. It is not possible to determine the maximum potential amount of liability under these indemnification obligations due to the limited history of prior indemnification claims and the unique facts and circumstances that are likely to be involved in each particular claim. Historically, the Company has not made payments under these obligations and believes the estimated fair value of these agreements is minimal.
Shipping and Handling Costs	'
	Shipping and Handling Costs – Shipping and handling costs are included as a component of cost of revenues.
Advertising Costs	'
	Advertising Costs – The Company expenses advertising costs as incurred.
Stock-Based Compensation	'
	Stock-Based Compensation – The Company estimates the value of employee stock options on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes model. The determination of fair value of share-based payment awards on the date of grant using an option-pricing model is affected by the Company’s stock price as well as assumptions regarding a number of highly complex and subjective variables. These variables include, but are not limited to, the expected stock price volatility over the term of the awards, and actual and projected employee stock option exercise behaviors. The expected term of options granted is calculated based on the simplified method allowed under SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin 107 (“SAB 107”). The expected volatility is based on the historical volatility of the Company’s stock price.
Defined Employee Benefit Plans	'
	Defined Employee Benefit Plans – The Company maintains a defined benefit pension plan in Taiwan for which current service costs are charged to operations as they accrue based on services rendered by employees during the year. Pension benefit obligations are determined by using management’s actuarial assumptions, including discount rates, assumed asset rates of return, compensation increases and employee turnover rates.
Net Income (Loss) Per Share	'
	Net Income (Loss) Per Share - Basic net income (loss) per share excludes dilution and is computed by dividing net income (loss) by the number of weighted average common shares outstanding for the period. Diluted net income (loss) per share reflects the potential dilution from outstanding dilutive stock options (using the treasury stock method) and shares issuable under the employee stock purchase plan.
Certain Significant Risks and Uncertainties	'
	Certain Significant Risks and Uncertainties – Financial instruments that potentially subject us to a concentration of credit risk consist of cash, cash equivalents, marketable securities, and accounts receivable. The Company's cash and cash equivalents are primarily invested in deposit accounts and money market accounts with large financial institutions. At times, these deposits and securities may exceed federally insured limits; however, the Company has not experienced any losses on such accounts. The Company invests its cash not required for use in operations in high credit quality securities based on the Company's investment policy. The Company's investment policy provides guidelines and limits regarding credit quality, investment concentration, investment type, and maturity that the Company believes will provide liquidity while reducing risk of loss of capital. Investments are of a short-term nature and include investments in commercial paper, corporate debt securities, U.S. Treasury, U.S. Government, and U.S. Agency debt.
	The Company sells its products primarily to end users in the United States, Asia and Europe and, generally, does not require its customers to provide collateral or other security to support accounts receivable. Management performs ongoing credit evaluations of its customers’ financial condition and maintains an allowance for estimated potential bad debt losses. The Company’s customer base is highly concentrated and historically, a relatively small number of customers have accounted for a significant portion of its revenues. Aggregate revenue from the Company's top five largest customers in 2013, 2012 and 2011 consisted of 71%, 74% and 67%, respectively, of its total net revenues. The Company participates in a dynamic high technology industry and believes that changes in any of the following areas could have a material adverse effect on its future financial position, results of operations or cash flows. Advances and trends in new technologies and industry standards; competitive pressures in the form of new products or price reductions on current products; changes in product mix; changes in the overall demand for products offered; changes in third-party manufacturers; changes in key suppliers; changes in certain strategic relationships or customer relationships; litigation or claims against the Company based on intellectual property, patent, product, regulatory or other factors; fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; risk associated with changes in domestic and international economic and/or political regulations; availability of necessary components or sub-assemblies; disruption of manufacturing facilities; and its ability to attract and retain employees necessary to support its growth.
	Certain components and sub-assemblies used in the Company’s products are purchased from a sole supplier or a limited group of suppliers. In particular, the Company currently purchases its spectroscopic ellipsometer and robotics used in its advanced measurement systems from a sole supplier or a limited group of suppliers located in the United States. Any shortage or interruption in the supply of any of the components or sub-assemblies used in its products or its inability to procure these components or sub-assemblies from alternate sources on acceptable terms could have a material adverse effect on its business, financial condition and results of operations.

Nature_of_Business_Basis_of_Pr2

Nature of Business, Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2013
Nature of Business and Basis of Presentation [Abstract]	'
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)	'
	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income – The composition of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) was as follows (in thousands):
		Years Ended
		Foreign			Defined			Unrealized Income (Loss) on Investment			Accumulated
		Currency			Benefit						Other
		Translations			Pension Plans						Comprehensive
											Income
	Balance as of December 31, 2011	$	1,717		$	(168	)	$	—		$	1,549
	Current period change	(264		)	(11		)	(2		)	(277		)
	Balance as of December 29, 2012	1,453			(179		)	(2		)	1,272
	Current period change	(818		)	151			7			(660		)
	Balance as of December 28, 2013	$	635		$	(28	)	$	5		$	612

Acquisition_Goodwill_Impairmen1

Acquisition, Goodwill Impairment and Long-lived Asset Impairment (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2013
Acquisitions and Goodwill and Long Lived Asset Impairment [Abstract]	'
Purchase price allocation	'
	Recognized amounts of identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed (in thousands):
				Amount
		Cash and equivalents		$	1,239
		Account receivables		724
		Inventories		1,440
		Property, plant and equipment – machinery and equipment		616
		Other assets		227
		Developed technology (included in intangibles)		9,042
		Customer relationships (included in intangibles)		1,040
		In-process research and development (included in intangibles)		308
		Liabilities		(1,603		)
		Total identifiable net assets		13,033
		Goodwill		11,610
		Total purchase consideration		$	24,643
Identifiable intangible assets acquired	'
	The following table summarizes the identifiable intangible assets acquired as part of the acquisition, and adjustments to carrying value include foreign currency translation adjustments and adjustments to preliminary purchase price allocation during the fiscal years 2013, 2012 and 2011 (in thousands):
		Net carrying value as of December 29, 2012				Adjustments to carrying value during 2013			Amortization expense during 2013			Net carrying amount as of December 28, 2013
	Developed technology	$	7,130			$	315		$	(1,961	)	$	5,484
	Customer relationships	639				35			(364		)	310
	In-process research and development	—				—			—			—
	Total identifiable intangible assets acquired	$	7,769			$	350		$	(2,325	)	$	5,794
		Net carrying value as of December 31, 2011				Adjustments to carrying value during 2012			Amortization expense during 2012			Net carrying amount as of December 29, 2012
	Developed technology	$	8,603			$	279		$	(1,752	)	$	7,130
	Customer relationships	957				12			(330		)	639
	In-process research and development	316				(316		)	—			—
	Total identifiable intangible assets acquired	$	9,876			$	(25	)	$	(2,082	)	$	7,769
		Fair Value as of acquisition date, November 21, 2011				Adjustments to carrying value during 2011			Amortization expense during 2011			Net carrying amount as of December 31, 2011
	Developed technology	$	9,200			$	(393	)	$	(204	)	$	8,603
	Customer relationships	1,040				(45		)	(38		)	957
	In-process research and development	330				(14		)	—			316
	Total identifiable intangible assets acquired	$	10,570			$	(452	)	$	(242	)	$	9,876
Pro forma financial information	'
	The unaudited pro forma financial information combines the historical results of Nanometrics for fiscal year 2011, the historical results of Nanda for the twelve months ended December 31, 2011, and the effects of the pro forma adjustments described above.
			Fiscal Year Ended
	(In thousands, except per share amounts)		December 31,
			2011
	Total revenues		$	232,418
	Net income		24,939
	Net income per share:
	Basic		1.1
	Diluted		1.06

Fair_Value_Measurements_and_Di1

Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2013
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]	'
Assets and liabilities measurements at estimated fair value on recurring basis excluding accrued interest components	'
	The following table presents the Company’s assets and liabilities measured at estimated fair value on a recurring basis, excluding accrued interest components, categorized in accordance with the fair value hierarchy (in thousands):
		December 28, 2013									December 29, 2012
		Fair Value Measurements Using Input Types									Fair Value Measurements Using Input Types
		Level 1			Level 2		Level 3		Total		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
	Assets:
	Cash equivalents:
	Money market funds	$	876		$	—	$	—	$	876	$	110	$	—	$	—	$	110
	Commercial paper and corporate debt securities	—			750		—		750		—		2,600		—		$	2,600
	Cash and Cash Equivalents	876			750		—		1,626		110		2,600		—		2,710
	Marketable Securities:
	U.S. Treasury, U.S. Government and U.S. Government agency debt securities	5,036			11,980		—		17,016		4,997		19,130		—		24,127
	Commercial paper and corporate debt securities	—			31,081		—		31,081		—		22,866		—		22,866
	Total	5,036			43,061		—		48,097		4,997		41,996		—		46,993
	Total assets:	$	5,912		$	43,811	$	—	$	49,723	$	5,107	$	44,596	$	—	$	49,703
	Liabilities:
	Contingent consideration payable	$	—		$	—	$	2,783	$	2,783	$	—	$	—	$	2,462	$	2,462
Fair value measurement on recurring basis, unobservable input reconciliation	'
	Changes in Level 3 liabilities
	Fair value at December 31, 2011	$	3,194
	Payments made to Zygo Corporation	(300		)
	Addition: Fair value of royalty payment to RTM related to acquisition of Nanda	(561		)
	Change in fair value included in earnings, Zygo	129
	Fair value at December 29, 2012	2,462
	Payments made to Zygo Corporation	(1,004		)
	Change in fair value included in earnings, Zygo	1,325
	Fair Value at December 28, 2013	$	2,783

Inventories_Tables

Inventories (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2013
Inventory Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Component of inventories	'
	Inventories consist of the following (in thousands):
		At
		December 28,		December 29,
		2013		2012
	Raw materials and sub-assemblies	$	19,655	$	22,477
	Work in process	7,597		5,812
	Finished goods	7,268		11,370
	Inventories	34,520		39,659
	Inventories-delivered systems	6,901		2,274
	Total inventories	$	41,421	$	41,933

Property_Plant_and_Equipment_T

Property, Plant and Equipment (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2013
Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]	'
Components of property, plant and equipment	'
	Property, plant and equipment consist of the following (in thousands):
		At
		December 28, 2013			29-Dec-12
	Land	$	15,569		$	15,573
	Building and improvements	19,403			19,231
	Machinery and equipment	29,671			21,523
	Furniture and fixtures	2,308			2,228
	Capital in progress	5,833			4,377
	Total property, plant and equipment, gross	72,784			62,932
	Accumulated depreciation	(25,345		)	(19,719		)
	Total property, plant and equipment, net	$	47,439		$	43,213

Intangible_Assets_Tables

Intangible Assets (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2013
Intangible Assets, Net (Excluding Goodwill) [Abstract]	'
Summary of Finite-lived intangible assets	'
	Finite-lived intangible assets as of December 28, 2013 and December 29, 2012 consist of the following (in thousands):
		Adjusted cost as of December 28, 2013		Accumulated amortization as of December 28, 2013			Net carrying amount as of December 28, 2013
	Developed technology	$	18,095	$	(11,032	)	$	7,063
	Customer relationships	9,573		(9,263		)	310
	Brand names	1,927		(1,700		)	227
	Patented technology	2,252		(1,988		)	264
	Trademark	80		(80		)	—
	Total	$	31,927	$	(24,063	)	$	7,864
		Adjusted cost as of December 29, 2012		Accumulated amortization as of December 29, 2012			Net carrying amount as of December 29, 2012
	Developed technology	$	17,700	$	(8,277	)	$	9,423
	Customer relationships	9,538		(8,643		)	895
	Brand names	1,927		(1,599		)	328
	Patented technology	2,252		(1,922		)	330
	Trademark	80		(76		)	4
	Total	$	31,497	$	(20,517	)	$	10,980
Estimated future amortization expense	'
	The estimated future amortization expense as of December 28, 2013 is as follows (in thousands):
	Fiscal Years	Amounts
	2014	$	3,097
	2015	2,405
	2016	1,924
	2017	232
	2018	140
	Thereafter	66
	Total amortization	$	7,864

Other_Current_Liabilities_Tabl

Other Current Liabilities (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2013
Other Liabilities Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Summary of other current liabilities	'
	Other current liabilities consist of the following (in thousands):
		At
		December 28,		December 29,
		2013		2012
	Accrued warranty	$	3,426	$	4,203
	Accrued professional services	545		584
	Customer deposits	867		27
	Fair value of current portion of contingent payments to Zygo Corporation related to acquisition	1,344		649
	Other	1,754		2,359
	Total other current liabilities	$	7,936	$	7,822

Warranties_Tables

Warranties (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2013
Product Warranties Disclosures [Abstract]	'
Components of the warranty accrual	'
	Components of the warranty accrual, which were included in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets with other current liabilities, were as follows (in thousands):
		Years Ended
		December 28, 2013			December 29,
					2012
	Balance as of beginning of period	$	4,203		$	4,797
	Accruals for warranties issued during period	2,889			4,156
	Aggregate changes in liabilities related to preexisting warranties	1,287			2,403
	Settlements during the period	(4,953		)	(7,153		)
	Balance as of end of period	$	3,426		$	4,203

Restructuring_Tables

Restructuring (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2013
Restructuring and Related Activities [Abstract]	'
Components of the restructuring reserve	'
		Employee severance and benefits
	Balance as of December 29, 2012	$	—
	Charges	1,740
	Cash Payments	(844		)
	Non-cash acceleration of vesting of RSUs	(896		)
	Balance as of December 28, 2013	$	—

Line_of_Credit_and_Debt_Obliga1

Line of Credit and Debt Obligations (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2013
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Schedule of debt obligations	'
	Debt obligations consist of the following (in thousands):
		At
		December 28,		December 29,
		2013		2012
	Line of Credit
	Balance on line of credit	$	—	$	—
	Debt Obligations
	Milpitas building mortgage	—		5,302
	Total debt obligations	—		5,302
	Current portion of debt obligations	—		(928		)
	Long-term debt obligations	$	—	$	4,374

Commitments_and_Contingencies_

Commitments and Contingencies (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2013
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Future minimum lease payments under operating leases	'
	Future minimum lease payments under its operating leases are as follows (in thousands):
		Operating
		Leases
	2014	$	1,382
	2015	890
	2016	675
	2017	312
	2018	48
	Thereafter	7
	Total	$	3,314

Net_Income_Loss_Per_Share_Tabl

Net Income (Loss) Per Share (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2013
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]	'
Reconciliation of the basic and diluted net income per share computations	'
	A reconciliation of the share denominator of the basic and diluted net income (loss) per share computations is as follows (in thousands):
		Years Ended
		December 28, 2013	December 29, 2012	December 31, 2011
	Weighted average common shares outstanding used in basic net income (loss) per share calculation	23,290	23,358	22,743
	Potential dilutive common stock equivalents, using treasury stock method	—	487	737
	Weighted average shares used in diluted net income (loss) per share calculation	23,290	23,845	23,480

Stockholders_Equity_Tables

Stockholders' Equity (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2013
Equity [Abstract]	'
Option Plans	'
	The Nanometrics option plans are as follows:
	Plan Name	Participants	Shares
			Authorized
	2005 Equity Incentive Plan	Employees, consultants and directors	7,292,594
	2002 Non-statutory Stock Option Plan	Employees and consultants	1,200,000
	2000 Employee Stock Option Plan	Employees and consultants	2,450,000
	2000 Director Stock Option Plan	Non-employee directors	250,000
	Accent Optical Technologies, Inc. Stock Incentive Plan	Employees and consultants	205,003

StockBased_Compensation_Tables

Stock-Based Compensation (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2013
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'
Assumption of stock option's fair value	'
	The weighted-average fair value calculations are based on the following average assumptions:
		Fiscal Year		Fiscal Year		Fiscal Year
		2013		2012		2011
	Stock Options:
	Expected life	4.5 years		4.5 years		4.5 years
	Volatility	69.90%		77.30%		77.00%
	Risk free interest rate	1.05%		0.80%		1.82%
	Dividends	—		—		—
	Employee Stock Purchase Plan:
	Expected life	0.5 years		0.5 years		0.5 years
	Volatility	26.80%		45.50%		73.40%
	Risk free interest rate	0.11%		0.12%		0.19%
	Dividends	—		—		—
Significant ranges of outstanding and exercisable options	'
	The following table summarizes ranges of outstanding and exercisable options as of December 28, 2013.
	Exercise Prices	Options Outstanding									Options Exercisable
		Number			Weighted		Weighted				Number			Weighted
		Outstanding			Average		Average				Exercisable			Average
					Remaining		Exercise							Exercise
					Contractual Life		Price							Price
					(Years)
	$0.93-$7.35	235,358			1.41		$	3.75			235,358			$	3.75
	$7.47-$10.46	265,654			3.01		$	9.44			235,063			$	9.35
	$10.83-$13.08	233,446			3.52		$	11.81			185,568			$	11.88
	$13.16-$14.88	192,792			5.33		$	14.24			53,756			$	14.32
	$14.95-$15.85	289,732			5.93		$	15.61			67,376			$	15.64
	$15.88-$16.59	148,238			3.09		$	16.05			122,554			$	16.03
	$16.70-$16.70	285,419			4.03		$	16.7			189,472			$	16.7
	$16.89-$19.03	245,900			5.34		$	18.02			92,209			$	18.19
	$19.77-$19.77	3,000			4.52		$	19.77			1,812			$	19.77
	$19.84-$19.84	9,500			4.14		$	19.84			6,727			$	19.84
	$0.93-$19.84	1,909,039			4.02		$	13.22			1,189,895			$	11.84
Stock-based compensation expense for all share-based payment awards	'
	Stock-based compensation expense for all share-based payment awards made to the Company’s employees and directors pursuant to the employee stock option and employee stock purchase plans by function were as follows (in thousands):
		Fiscal Year				Fiscal Year				Fiscal Year
		2013				2012				2011
	Cost of products	$	207			$	164			$	176
	Cost of service	278				230				218
	Research and development	1,478				1,220				984
	Selling	1,894				1,791				1,366
	General and administrative	2,919				2,485				1,729
	Restructuring	898				—				—
	Total stock-based compensation expense related to employee stock options and employee stock purchases	$	7,674			$	5,890			$	4,473
Stock Options and Restricted Stock Units [Member]	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'
Stock option plans activity	'
	A summary of activity under the Company’s stock option plans including options and RSUs during fiscal year 2013, and shares available for grant at December 28, 2013, is as follows:
		Shares Available for Grant
		(Options and RSUs)
	Shares available for grant at December 29, 2012	1,093,565
	Increase in shares authorized	2,600,000
	Options - granted	(430,800	)
	Options - cancelled	150,459
	Options - expired plan shares	(53,607	)
	RSUs - granted	(664,902	)
	RSUs - canceled	133,418
	RSUs - shares issued to satisfy tax withholding obligations	108,868
	Shares available for grant at December 28, 2013	2,937,001
Stock Options [Member]	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'
Stock option plans activity	'
	A summary of activity of stock options in 2013 is as follows:
		Number of			Weighted				Weighted			Aggregate Intrinsic Value (in Thousands)
		Shares			Average				Average
		Outstanding			Exercise				Remaining
		(Options)			Price				Contractual Term (Years)
	Options
	Outstanding at December 29, 2012	2,020,319			$	12.01			4.44			—
	Exercised	(391,621	)		8.71				—			—
	Granted	430,800			15.49				—			—
	Cancelled	(150,459	)		15.22				—			—
	Outstanding at December 28, 2013	1,909,039			$	13.22			4.02			$	10,341
	Exercisable at December 28, 2013	1,189,895			$	11.84			3.25			$	8,089
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member]	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'
Stock option plans activity	'
	A summary of activity for RSUs is as follows:
	RSU	Number		Weighted
		of RSU		Average Fair
				Value as of December 29, 2012
	Outstanding RSU as of December 29, 2012	235,162		$	16.32
	Granted	348,328		15.51
	Released	(171,094	)	16.69
	Cancelled	(77,952	)	18.29
	Outstanding RSU as of December 28, 2013	334,444		$	18.61

Income_Taxes_Tables

Income Taxes (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2013
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Income before provision for income taxes	'
	Income (loss) before provision for income taxes consists of the following (in thousands):
		Years Ended
		December 28,			December 29,			December 31,
		2013			2012			2011
	Domestic	$	(26,447	)	$	1,887		$	41,773
	Foreign	2,882			2,732			2,811
	Income (loss) before income taxes	$	(23,565	)	$	4,619		$	44,584
Provision (benefit) for income taxes	'
	The provision (benefit) for income taxes consists of the following (in thousands):
		Years Ended
		December 28,			December 29,			December 31,
		2013			2012			2011
	Current:
	Federal	$	119		$	(2,403	)	$	11,059
	State	5			(492		)	1,048
	Foreign	933			270			354
	Total current	1,057			(2,625		)	12,461
	Deferred:
	Federal	(10,686		)	1,753			2,366
	State	(325		)	379			(158		)
	Foreign	535			647			1,230
	Total deferred	(10,476		)	2,779			3,438
	Provision (benefit) for income taxes	$	(9,419	)	$	154		$	15,899
Components of deferred tax assets and liabilities	'
	Significant components of the Company's deferred tax assets and liabilities are as follows (in thousands):
		At
		December 28,			December 29,
		2013			2012
	Deferred tax assets:
	Reserves and accruals	$	10,592		$	7,682
	Deferred revenue	1,614			1,714
	Shared based compensation	3,789			3,129
	Tax credit carry-forwards	6,591			1,510
	Net operating losses	10,220			10,830
	Depreciation & amortization	3,241			3,273
	Other	966			945
	Total deferred tax assets	37,013			29,083
	Less: Valuation allowance	(11,665		)	(10,229		)
	Total deferred tax assets net of valuation allowance	25,348			18,854
	Deferred tax liabilities:
	Depreciation & amortization	(5,567		)	(5,797		)
	Other	(926		)	(793		)
	Total deferred tax liabilities	(6,493		)	(6,590		)
	Net deferred tax assets	$	18,855		$	12,264
Statutory federal income tax rate reconciliation	'
	Differences between income taxes computed by applying the statutory federal income tax rate to income (loss) before income taxes and the provision (benefit) for income taxes consist of the following (in thousands):
		Years Ended
		December 28, 2013			December 29, 2012			December 31, 2011
	Income taxes computed at U.S. statutory rate	$	(8,247	)	$	1,616		$	15,604
	State income taxes	(324		)	(116		)	636
	Foreign tax rate differential	9			(275		)	907
	Change in valuation allowance	—			—			17
	Domestic production activities deduction	—			(17		)	(1,033		)
	Tax credits	(1,377		)	—			(601		)
	Benefit of tax elections	—			(1,309		)	—
	Liabilities for uncertain tax positions	111			66			153
	Other, net	409			189			216
	Provision (benefit) for income taxes	$	(9,419	)	$	154		$	15,899
Unrecognized tax benefits	'
	A reconciliation of the beginning and ending amount of unrecognized tax benefits is as follows (in thousands):
		Years Ended
		December 28, 2013			December 29, 2012			December 31, 2011
	Unrecognized tax benefits - beginning of the period	$	3,464		$	3,599		$	3,370
	Foreign currency movements	—			—			—
	Gross increases-tax positions in prior period	305			—			154
	Gross decreases-tax positions in prior period	—			(183		)	—
	Gross increases-current-period tax positions	688			265			622
	Lapse of statute of limitations	(21		)	(217		)	(547		)
	Unrecognized tax benefits - end of the period	$	4,436		$	3,464		$	3,599

Segment_Geographic_Product_and1

Segment, Geographic, Product and Significant Customer Information (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2013
Geographic and Significant Customer Information [Abstract]	'
Total net revenue	'
	The following tables summarize total net revenues and long-lived assets (excluding intangible assets) attributed to significant countries (in thousands):
		Years Ended
		December 28, 2013			December 29, 2012				31-Dec-11
	Total net revenues (1):
	United States	$	47,019		44,811				50,447
	Japan	11,629			16,832				34,806
	South Korea	34,873			79,555				87,533
	Other	50,786			41,683				57,275
	Total net revenues	$	144,307		$	182,881			$	230,061
	(1) Net revenues are attributed to countries based on the customer's deployment and service locations of systems.
Long-lived tangible assets	'
	Long-lived tangible assets:	December 28, 2013			29-Dec-12
	United States	44,775			40,600
	Japan	125			148
	South Korea	445			520
	All Other	2,094			1,945
	Total long-lived tangible assets	$	47,439		$	43,213
Revenues by product type	'
	Revenues by product type were as follows (in thousands):
		Years Ended
		28-Dec-13			29-Dec-12				31-Dec-11
	Automated Systems	$	82,924		119,451				139,261
	Integrated Systems	11,412			12,379				25,413
	Materials Characterization Systems	13,066			11,997				30,100
	Total product revenues	$	107,402		$	143,827			$	194,774
Customers accounted for 10% or more of total accounts receivable	'
	The following customers accounted for 10% or more of total accounts receivable:
		At
		December 28, 2013		December 29, 2012			December 31, 2011
	Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.	27.4	%	***			41.1	%
	Intel Corporation	14.4	%	12.3	%		***
	Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited	12.1	%	17.3	%		***
	SK Hynix	21.8	%	***			***
	*** The customer accounted for less than 10% of total accounts receivable as of that period end.
Customers accounted for 10% or more of total revenue	'
	The following customers accounted for 10% or more of total revenue:
		Years Ended
		December 28, 2013		December 29, 2012			December 31, 2011
	Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.	14.4	%	27.8	%		30	%
	SK Hynix	18.4	%	16.5	%		11.4	%
	Intel Corporation	30	%	22.3	%		16.9	%

Nature_of_Business_Basis_of_Pr3

Nature of Business, Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 28, 2013	Dec. 29, 2012
Accumulated Comprehensive Income [Roll Forward]	'	'
Ending Balance	$612	$1,272
Foreign Currency Translations [Member]	'	'
Accumulated Comprehensive Income [Roll Forward]	'	'
Beginning Balance	1,453	1,717
Current period change	-818	-264
Ending Balance	635	1,453
Defined Benefit Pension Plans [Member]	'	'
Accumulated Comprehensive Income [Roll Forward]	'	'
Beginning Balance	-179	-168
Current period change	151	-11
Ending Balance	-28	-179
Unrealized Income Loss on Investment [Member]	'	'
Accumulated Comprehensive Income [Roll Forward]	'	'
Beginning Balance	-2	0
Current period change	7	-2
Ending Balance	5	-2
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member]	'	'
Accumulated Comprehensive Income [Roll Forward]	'	'
Beginning Balance	1,272	1,549
Current period change	-660	-277
Ending Balance	$612	$1,272

Nature_of_Business_Basis_of_Pr4

Nature of Business, Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies (Details Textual) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 28, 2013	Dec. 29, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Nature of Business and Basis of Presentation (Textual) [Abstract]	'	'	'
Fiscal year reporting period	'52/53 week	'	'
Number of weeks in fiscal year (in days)	'364 days	'364 days	'364 days
Foreign currency transaction gains (losses)	$0.70	$0.30	$0.30
Maximum period of delivery to customers	'6 months	'	'
Maximum period services are provided over the fixed arrangement term	'12 months	'	'
Maximum measurement period	'1 year	'	'
Product warranty period	'12 months	'	'
Advertising costs	$0.20	$0.10	$0.20
Minimum [Member]	'	'	'
Nature of Business and Basis of Presentation (Textual) [Abstract]	'	'	'
Number of weeks in fiscal year (in days)	'364 days	'	'
Finite-lived intangibles estimated lives	'2 years	'	'
Maximum [Member]	'	'	'
Nature of Business and Basis of Presentation (Textual) [Abstract]	'	'	'
Number of weeks in fiscal year (in days)	'371 days	'	'
Finite-lived intangibles estimated lives	'10 years	'	'
Developed technology [Member] | Minimum [Member]	'	'	'
Nature of Business and Basis of Presentation (Textual) [Abstract]	'	'	'
Finite-lived intangibles estimated lives	'5 years	'	'
Developed technology [Member] | Maximum [Member]	'	'	'
Nature of Business and Basis of Presentation (Textual) [Abstract]	'	'	'
Finite-lived intangibles estimated lives	'10 years	'	'
Customer relationships [Member] | Minimum [Member]	'	'	'
Nature of Business and Basis of Presentation (Textual) [Abstract]	'	'	'
Finite-lived intangibles estimated lives	'2 years	'	'
Customer relationships [Member] | Maximum [Member]	'	'	'
Nature of Business and Basis of Presentation (Textual) [Abstract]	'	'	'
Finite-lived intangibles estimated lives	'10 years	'	'
Brand name [Member] | Minimum [Member]	'	'	'
Nature of Business and Basis of Presentation (Textual) [Abstract]	'	'	'
Finite-lived intangibles estimated lives	'5 years	'	'
Brand name [Member] | Maximum [Member]	'	'	'
Nature of Business and Basis of Presentation (Textual) [Abstract]	'	'	'
Finite-lived intangibles estimated lives	'10 years	'	'
Patented technology [Member]	'	'	'
Nature of Business and Basis of Presentation (Textual) [Abstract]	'	'	'
Finite-lived intangibles estimated lives	'7 years 3 months	'	'
Patented technology [Member] | Minimum [Member]	'	'	'
Nature of Business and Basis of Presentation (Textual) [Abstract]	'	'	'
Finite-lived intangibles estimated lives	'7 years	'	'
Patented technology [Member] | Maximum [Member]	'	'	'
Nature of Business and Basis of Presentation (Textual) [Abstract]	'	'	'
Finite-lived intangibles estimated lives	'10 years	'	'
Trademark [Member]	'	'	'
Nature of Business and Basis of Presentation (Textual) [Abstract]	'	'	'
Finite-lived intangibles estimated lives	'5 years	'	'
Building and Improvements [Member] | Minimum [Member]	'	'	'
Nature of Business and Basis of Presentation (Textual) [Abstract]	'	'	'
Estimated useful lives of depreciable assets	'5 years	'	'
Building and Improvements [Member] | Maximum [Member]	'	'	'
Nature of Business and Basis of Presentation (Textual) [Abstract]	'	'	'
Estimated useful lives of depreciable assets	'40 years	'	'
Machinery and equipment [Member] | Minimum [Member]	'	'	'
Nature of Business and Basis of Presentation (Textual) [Abstract]	'	'	'
Estimated useful lives of depreciable assets	'3 years	'	'
Machinery and equipment [Member] | Maximum [Member]	'	'	'
Nature of Business and Basis of Presentation (Textual) [Abstract]	'	'	'
Estimated useful lives of depreciable assets	'10 years	'	'
Furniture and fixtures [Member] | Minimum [Member]	'	'	'
Nature of Business and Basis of Presentation (Textual) [Abstract]	'	'	'
Estimated useful lives of depreciable assets	'3 years	'	'
Furniture and fixtures [Member] | Maximum [Member]	'	'	'
Nature of Business and Basis of Presentation (Textual) [Abstract]	'	'	'
Estimated useful lives of depreciable assets	'10 years	'	'
Sales Revenue, Goods, Net [Member] | Customer Concentration Risk [Member]	'	'	'
Nature of Business and Basis of Presentation (Textual) [Abstract]	'	'	'
Top five largest customers	71.00%	74.00%	67.00%
Stock Options [Member]	'	'	'
Nature of Business and Basis of Presentation (Textual) [Abstract]	'	'	'
Anti-dilutive shares	'	0.9	0.5

Acquisition_Goodwill_Impairmen2

Acquisition, Goodwill Impairment and Long-lived Asset Impairment (Details) (USD $)	Dec. 28, 2013	Dec. 29, 2012	Dec. 28, 2013	Nov. 21, 2011	Nov. 21, 2011	Nov. 21, 2011	Dec. 29, 2012	Nov. 21, 2011
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified			Nanda [Member]	Nanda [Member]	Developed technology [Member]	Customer relationships [Member]	In-process research and development [Member]	In-process research and development [Member]
					Nanda [Member]	Nanda [Member]	Nanda [Member]	Nanda [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Cash and equivalents	'	'	'	$1,239	'	'	'	'
Account receivables	'	'	'	724	'	'	'	'
Inventories	'	'	'	1,440	'	'	'	'
Property, plant and equipment – machinery and equipment	'	'	'	616	'	'	'	'
Other assets	'	'	'	227	'	'	'	'
Intangibles (finite)	'	'	'	'	9,042	1,040	'	'
Intangibles (indefinite)	'	'	'	'	'	'	300	308
Liabilities	'	'	'	-1,603	'	'	'	'
Total identifiable net assets	'	'	'	13,033	'	'	'	'
Goodwill	11,743	11,352	11,700	11,610	'	'	'	'
Total purchase consideration	'	'	'	$24,643	'	'	'	'

Acquisition_Goodwill_Impairmen3

Acquisition, Goodwill Impairment and Long-lived Asset Impairment (Details 1) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 28, 2013	Dec. 29, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Nov. 21, 2011
Finite-lived Intangible Assets [Roll Forward]	'	'	'	'
Fair Value as of acquisition date	$31,927	$31,497	'	'
Amortization expense during period	-24,063	-20,517	'	'
Net carrying amount, end of period	7,864	10,980	'	'
Developed technology [Member]	'	'	'	'
Finite-lived Intangible Assets [Roll Forward]	'	'	'	'
Fair Value as of acquisition date	18,095	17,700	'	'
Amortization expense during period	-11,032	-8,277	'	'
Net carrying amount, end of period	7,063	9,423	'	'
Customer relationships [Member]	'	'	'	'
Finite-lived Intangible Assets [Roll Forward]	'	'	'	'
Fair Value as of acquisition date	9,573	9,538	'	'
Amortization expense during period	-9,263	-8,643	'	'
Net carrying amount, end of period	310	895	'	'
Nanda [Member] | Developed technology [Member]	'	'	'	'
Finite-lived Intangible Assets [Roll Forward]	'	'	'	'
Net carrying amount, beginning of period	7,130	8,603	'	'
Fair Value as of acquisition date	'	'	'	9,200
Adjustments to carrying value during period	315	279	-393	'
Amortization expense during period	-1,961	-1,752	-204	'
Net carrying amount, end of period	5,484	7,130	8,603	'
Nanda [Member] | Customer relationships [Member]	'	'	'	'
Finite-lived Intangible Assets [Roll Forward]	'	'	'	'
Net carrying amount, beginning of period	639	957	'	'
Fair Value as of acquisition date	'	'	'	1,040
Adjustments to carrying value during period	35	12	-45	'
Amortization expense during period	-364	-330	-38	'
Net carrying amount, end of period	310	639	957	'
Nanda [Member] | In-process research and development [Member]	'	'	'	'
Finite-lived Intangible Assets [Roll Forward]	'	'	'	'
Net carrying amount, beginning of period	0	316	'	'
Fair Value as of acquisition date	'	'	'	330
Adjustments to carrying value during period	0	-316	-14	'
Amortization expense during period	0	0	0	'
Net carrying amount, end of period	0	0	316	'
Nanda [Member] | Total identifiable intangible assets acquired [Member]	'	'	'	'
Finite-lived Intangible Assets [Roll Forward]	'	'	'	'
Net carrying amount, beginning of period	7,769	9,876	'	'
Fair Value as of acquisition date	'	'	'	10,570
Adjustments to carrying value during period	350	-25	-452	'
Amortization expense during period	-2,325	-2,082	-242	'
Net carrying amount, end of period	$5,794	$7,769	$9,876	'

Acquisition_Goodwill_Impairmen4

Acquisition, Goodwill Impairment and Long-lived Asset Impairment (Details 2) (Nanda [Member], USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2011
Nanda [Member]	'
Business Acquisition, Pro Forma Information [Line Items]	'
Total revenues	$232,418
Net income	$24,939
Net income (loss) per share:	'
Basic (in dollars per share)	$1.10
Diluted (in dollars per share)	$1.06

Acquisition_Goodwill_Impairmen5

Acquisition, Goodwill Impairment and Long-lived Asset Impairment (Details Textual) (USD $)

3 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

0 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

0 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2012

Dec. 29, 2012

Dec. 28, 2013

Dec. 29, 2012

Dec. 29, 2012

Dec. 31, 2011

Dec. 28, 2013

Nov. 21, 2011

Nov. 21, 2011

Nov. 21, 2011

Dec. 29, 2012

Nov. 21, 2011

Dec. 28, 2013

Dec. 28, 2013

Dec. 28, 2013

Dec. 29, 2012

Dec. 28, 2013

Mar. 31, 2012

Nov. 21, 2011

Nanda [Member]

Nanda [Member]

Nanda [Member]

Nanda [Member]

Nanda [Member]

Developed technology [Member]

Customer relationships [Member]

In-process research and development [Member]

In-process research and development [Member]

Maximum [Member]

Maximum [Member]

Maximum [Member]

Real Time Metrology Inc. (RTM) [Member]

Real Time Metrology Inc. (RTM) [Member]

Real Time Metrology Inc. (RTM) [Member]

Real Time Metrology Inc. (RTM) [Member]

Nanda [Member]

Nanda [Member]

Nanda [Member]

Nanda [Member]

Developed technology [Member]

Customer relationships [Member]

Nanda [Member]

Nanda [Member]

Nanda [Member]

Acquisition Goodwill Impairment and Long Lived Asset Impairment (Textual) [Abstract]

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Preliminary purchase price allocation period

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'1 year

'

'

'

'

'

'

Reduction in fair value of royalty payments

$600,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

$600,000

'

'

'

Reduction in fair value of goodwill

400,000

500,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

400,000

'

'

'

Reduction in fair value of intangible assets

200,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

200,000

'

'

'

Proceeds from escrow

'

'

'

'

500,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Acquired percentage of the outstanding shares of Nanda Technologies GmbH

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

100.00%

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Net purchase price in cash

'

'

'

24,600,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Goodwill

'

11,352,000

11,743,000

'

'

'

11,700,000

11,610,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Intangibles (finite)

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

9,042,000

1,040,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Intangibles (indefinite)

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

300,000

308,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Finite-lived intangibles estimated lives

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'5 years

'3 years

'

'

'10 years

'10 years

'10 years

'

'

'

'

Royalty payments to be remitted for the first three years subsequent to the acquisition

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

100.00%

'

'

Royalty payments to be remitted subsequent to the first three years after the acquisition

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

50.00%

'

'

Contingent liabilities

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

0

0

600,000

Pro forma adjustments, amortization

'

'

'

'

'

2,400,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Pro forma adjustments, stock-based compensation

'

'

'

'

'

$800,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Fair_Value_Measurements_and_Di2

Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures (Details) (Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member], USD $)	Dec. 28, 2013	Dec. 29, 2012
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Cash [Member]	'	'
Assets:	'	'
Cash and Cash Equivalents	$43,100	$60,200
Level 1 [Member]	'	'
Assets:	'	'
Cash and Cash Equivalents	876	110
Marketable Securities	5,036	4,997
Total assets:	5,912	5,107
Liabilities:	'	'
Contingent consideration payable	0	0
Level 1 [Member] | Money market funds [Member]	'	'
Assets:	'	'
Cash and Cash Equivalents	876	110
Level 1 [Member] | U.S. Treasury, U.S. Government and U.S. Government agency debt securities [Member]	'	'
Assets:	'	'
Marketable Securities	5,036	4,997
Level 1 [Member] | Commercial paper and corporate debt securities [Member]	'	'
Assets:	'	'
Cash and Cash Equivalents	0	0
Marketable Securities	0	0
Level 2 [Member]	'	'
Assets:	'	'
Cash and Cash Equivalents	750	2,600
Marketable Securities	43,061	41,996
Total assets:	43,811	44,596
Liabilities:	'	'
Contingent consideration payable	0	0
Level 2 [Member] | Money market funds [Member]	'	'
Assets:	'	'
Cash and Cash Equivalents	0	0
Level 2 [Member] | U.S. Treasury, U.S. Government and U.S. Government agency debt securities [Member]	'	'
Assets:	'	'
Marketable Securities	11,980	19,130
Level 2 [Member] | Commercial paper and corporate debt securities [Member]	'	'
Assets:	'	'
Cash and Cash Equivalents	750	2,600
Marketable Securities	31,081	22,866
Level 3 [Member]	'	'
Assets:	'	'
Cash and Cash Equivalents	0	0
Marketable Securities	0	0
Total assets:	0	0
Liabilities:	'	'
Contingent consideration payable	2,783	2,462
Level 3 [Member] | Money market funds [Member]	'	'
Assets:	'	'
Cash and Cash Equivalents	0	0
Level 3 [Member] | U.S. Treasury, U.S. Government and U.S. Government agency debt securities [Member]	'	'
Assets:	'	'
Marketable Securities	0	0
Level 3 [Member] | Commercial paper and corporate debt securities [Member]	'	'
Assets:	'	'
Cash and Cash Equivalents	0	0
Marketable Securities	0	0
Total [Member]	'	'
Assets:	'	'
Cash and Cash Equivalents	1,626	2,710
Marketable Securities	48,097	46,993
Total assets:	49,723	49,703
Liabilities:	'	'
Contingent consideration payable	2,783	2,462
Total [Member] | Money market funds [Member]	'	'
Assets:	'	'
Cash and Cash Equivalents	876	110
Total [Member] | U.S. Treasury, U.S. Government and U.S. Government agency debt securities [Member]	'	'
Assets:	'	'
Marketable Securities	17,016	24,127
Total [Member] | Commercial paper and corporate debt securities [Member]	'	'
Assets:	'	'
Cash and Cash Equivalents	750	2,600
Marketable Securities	$31,081	$22,866

Fair_Value_Measurements_and_Di3

Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures (Details 1) (Level 3 [Member], USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 28, 2013	Dec. 29, 2012
Fair value measurement on recurring basis, unobservable input reconciliation	'	'
Fair value, beginning balance	$2,462	$3,194
Change in fair value included in earnings, Zygo	1,325	129
Fair Value, ending balance	2,783	2,462
Zygo Corporation [Member]	'	'
Fair value measurement on recurring basis, unobservable input reconciliation	'	'
Payments made to Zygo Corporation	-1,004	-300
Nanda [Member]	'	'
Fair value measurement on recurring basis, unobservable input reconciliation	'	'
Addition: Fair value of royalty payment to RTM related to acquisition of Nanda	'	($561)

Fair_Value_Measurements_and_Di4

Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures (Details Textual) (USD $)	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended					12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2012	Dec. 28, 2013	Dec. 29, 2012	Nov. 21, 2011	Dec. 28, 2013	Dec. 29, 2012	Dec. 29, 2012
				Nanda [Member]	Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member]	Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member]	Real Time Metrology Inc. [Member]
					Zygo Corporation [Member]	Zygo Corporation [Member]
Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures (Textual) [Abstract]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Liabilities resulting from the acquisition of certain assets from acquisitions, measured at fair value	'	'	'	$1,603,000	$2,800,000	$2,500,000	'
Current liability at fair value	'	'	'	'	1,300,000	700,000	'
Long-term liability at fair value	'	'	'	'	1,500,000	1,800,000	'
Reduction in fair value of royalty payments	600,000	'	'	'	'	'	600,000
Reduction in fair value of goodwill	400,000	'	500,000	'	'	'	400,000
Reduction in fair value of intangible assets	$200,000	'	'	'	'	'	$200,000
Minimum maturity period of Available-for-sale marketable securities, classified as marketable securities	'	'90 days	'	'	'	'	'
Maximum maturity period of Available-for-sale marketable securities, classified as cash equivalents	'	'90 days	'	'	'	'	'
Maximum period of available for sale securities debt maturities (less than two years)	'	'2 years	'	'	'	'	'

Accounts_Receivable_Details_Te

Accounts Receivable (Details Textual) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2013	Dec. 29, 2012
Accounts Receivable (Additional Textual) [Abstract]	'	'
Sold receivables amount	$6,300,000	$6,700,000
Gains or losses on sale of accounts receivables	0	0
Due from unrelated third parties	$0	$0
Minimum [Member]	'	'
Accounts Receivable (Textual) [Abstract]	'	'
Administrative fees as well as interest percent	1.21%	'
Maximum [Member]	'	'
Accounts Receivable (Textual) [Abstract]	'	'
Administrative fees as well as interest percent	1.68%	'

Inventories_Details

Inventories (Details) (USD $)	Dec. 28, 2013	Dec. 29, 2012
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Component of inventories	'	'
Raw materials and sub-assemblies	$19,655	$22,477
Work in process	7,597	5,812
Finished goods	7,268	11,370
Inventories	34,520	39,659
Inventories-delivered systems	6,901	2,274
Total inventories	$41,421	$41,933

Property_Plant_and_Equipment_D

Property, Plant and Equipment (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2013	Dec. 29, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Components of property, plant and equipment	'	'	'
Total property, plant and equipment, gross	$72,784,000	$62,932,000	'
Accumulated depreciation	-25,345,000	-19,719,000	'
Total property, plant and equipment, net	47,439,000	43,213,000	'
Property, Plant and Equipment (Textual) [Abstract]	'	'	'
Depreciation expense	5,400,000	4,800,000	3,300,000
Land [Member]	'	'	'
Components of property, plant and equipment	'	'	'
Total property, plant and equipment, gross	15,569,000	15,573,000	'
Building and improvements [Member]	'	'	'
Components of property, plant and equipment	'	'	'
Total property, plant and equipment, gross	19,403,000	19,231,000	'
Machinery and equipment [Member]	'	'	'
Components of property, plant and equipment	'	'	'
Total property, plant and equipment, gross	29,671,000	21,523,000	'
Furniture and fixtures [Member]	'	'	'
Components of property, plant and equipment	'	'	'
Total property, plant and equipment, gross	2,308,000	2,228,000	'
Capital in progress [Member]	'	'	'
Components of property, plant and equipment	'	'	'
Total property, plant and equipment, gross	$5,833,000	$4,377,000	'

Intangible_Assets_Details

Intangible Assets (Details) (USD $)	Dec. 28, 2013	Dec. 29, 2012
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Summary of Finite-lived intangible assets	'	'
Adjusted cost	$31,927	$31,497
Accumulated amortization	-24,063	-20,517
Net carrying amount	7,864	10,980
Developed technology [Member]	'	'
Summary of Finite-lived intangible assets	'	'
Adjusted cost	18,095	17,700
Accumulated amortization	-11,032	-8,277
Net carrying amount	7,063	9,423
Customer relationships [Member]	'	'
Summary of Finite-lived intangible assets	'	'
Adjusted cost	9,573	9,538
Accumulated amortization	-9,263	-8,643
Net carrying amount	310	895
Brand names [Member]	'	'
Summary of Finite-lived intangible assets	'	'
Adjusted cost	1,927	1,927
Accumulated amortization	-1,700	-1,599
Net carrying amount	227	328
Patented technology [Member]	'	'
Summary of Finite-lived intangible assets	'	'
Adjusted cost	2,252	2,252
Accumulated amortization	-1,988	-1,922
Net carrying amount	264	330
Trademark [Member]	'	'
Summary of Finite-lived intangible assets	'	'
Adjusted cost	80	80
Accumulated amortization	-80	-76
Net carrying amount	$0	$4

Intangible_Assets_Details_1

Intangible Assets (Details 1) (USD $)	Dec. 28, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Estimated future amortization expense	'
2014	$3,097
2015	2,405
2016	1,924
2017	232
2018	140
Thereafter	66
Total amortization	$7,864

Intangible_Assets_Details_Text

Intangible Assets (Details Textual) (USD $)

3 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

0 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2012

Dec. 28, 2013

Dec. 29, 2012

Dec. 31, 2011

Dec. 28, 2013

Dec. 28, 2013

Dec. 28, 2013

Dec. 29, 2012

Dec. 28, 2013

Dec. 28, 2013

Nov. 21, 2011

Nov. 21, 2011

Dec. 29, 2012

Nov. 21, 2011

Dec. 29, 2012

Dec. 09, 2010

Minimum [Member]

Maximum [Member]

Patented Technology [Member]

Patented Technology [Member]

Patented Technology [Member]

Patented Technology [Member]

Nanda [Member]

Nanda [Member]

Nanda [Member]

Nanda [Member]

Real Time Metrology Inc. [Member]

Real Time Metrology Inc. [Member]

Minimum [Member]

Maximum [Member]

Total identifiable intangible assets acquired [Member]

Research and Development in Process [Member]

Research and Development in Process [Member]

Patented Technology [Member]

Intangible Assets (Textual) [Abstract]

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Acquired percentage of the outstanding shares of Nanda Technologies GmbH

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

100.00%

'

'

'

'

'

Fair Value as of acquisition date

'

$31,927,000

$31,497,000

'

'

'

$2,252,000

$2,252,000

'

'

'

$10,570,000

'

$330,000

'

'

Payments to Acquire Intangible Assets

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

400,000

Legal expenses capitalized

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

100,000

Finite-lived intangibles estimated lives

'

'

'

'

'2 years

'10 years

'7 years 3 months

'

'7 years

'10 years

'

'

'

'

'

'

Intangibles acquired

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

300,000

308,000

'

'

Total amortization expense

'

3,300,000

3,300,000

1,700,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Reduction in fair value of royalty payments

600,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

600,000

'

Reduction in fair value of goodwill

400,000

'

500,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

400,000

'

Reduction in fair value of intangible assets

200,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

200,000

'

Other adjustment to intangible assets

'

$0

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Other_Current_Liabilities_Deta

Other Current Liabilities (Details) (USD $)	Dec. 28, 2013	Dec. 29, 2012
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Summary of other current liabilities	'	'
Accrued warranty	$3,426	$4,203
Accrued professional services	545	584
Customer deposits	867	27
Fair value of current portion of contingent payments to Zygo Corporation related to acquisition	1,344	649
Other	1,754	2,359
Total other current liabilities	$7,936	$7,822

Warranties_Details

Warranties (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 28, 2013	Dec. 29, 2012
Components of the warranty accrual	'	'
Balance as of beginning of period	$4,203	$4,797
Accruals for warranties issued during period	2,889	4,156
Aggregate changes in liabilities related to preexisting warranties	1,287	2,403
Settlements during the period	-4,953	-7,153
Balance as of end of period	$3,426	$4,203

Warranties_Details_Textual

Warranties (Details Textual)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2013
Warranties (Textual) [Abstract]	'
Product warranty period	'12 months

Restructuring_Details_Textual

Restructuring (Details Textual) (USD $)	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 28, 2013	Dec. 28, 2013	Dec. 29, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Restructuring (Textual) [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Restructuring charge	$1,740,000	$1,740,000	$0	$0
Additional restructuring charge	'	200,000	'	'
Period of additional restructuring charge	'	'5 months	'	'
Employee Severance and Benefits [Member]	'	'	'	'
Restructuring (Textual) [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Restructuring charge	800,000	1,740,000	'	'
Acceleration of RSUs [Member]	'	'	'	'
Restructuring (Textual) [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Restructuring charge	$900,000	'	'	'

Restructuring_Details

Restructuring (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 28, 2013	Dec. 28, 2013	Dec. 29, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Restructuring Reserve [Roll Forward]	'	'	'	'
Charges	$1,740	$1,740	$0	$0
Employee Severance and Benefits [Member]	'	'	'	'
Restructuring Reserve [Roll Forward]	'	'	'	'
Beginning Balance	'	0	'	'
Charges	800	1,740	'	'
Cash Payments	'	-844	'	'
Non-cash acceleration of vesting of RSUs	'	-896	'	'
Ending Balance	'	$0	'	'

Line_of_Credit_and_Debt_Obliga2

Line of Credit and Debt Obligations (Details) (USD $)	Dec. 28, 2013	Dec. 29, 2012
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Line of Credit	'	'
Balance on line of credit	$0	$0
Debt Obligations	'	'
Milpitas building mortgage	0	5,302
Total debt obligations	0	5,302
Current portion of debt obligations	0	-928
Long-term debt obligations	$0	$4,374

Line_of_Credit_and_Debt_Obliga3

Line of Credit and Debt Obligations (Details Textual) (USD $)	0 Months Ended		1 Months Ended		12 Months Ended			0 Months Ended	1 Months Ended
	Jul. 18, 2013	Apr. 23, 2012	Jul. 31, 2012	Jul. 31, 2011	Dec. 28, 2013	Dec. 29, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Apr. 23, 2012	Jul. 31, 2008
								Revolving line of credit facility [Member]	Residential Mortgage [Member]
Line of Credit and Debt Obligations (Textual) [Abstract]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Extension of maturity period on amendment of existing credit facility	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'2 years	'
Maturity date	'	30-Apr-14	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Commitment fee minimum percentage decreased	'	0.19%	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Commitment fee minimum percentage further decreased	'	0.10%	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Interest rate during period	'	5.75%	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Borrowing interest rate	'	3.00%	'	'	3.00%	'	'	'	'
Limited borrowing amount	'	'	'	'	$7,500,000	'	'	'	'
Borrowing base	'	'	'	'	20,000,000	'	'	'	'
Total borrowing available	'	'	'	'	12,300,000	'	'	'	'
Mortgage agreement, borrowed amount	'	'	'	'	0	5,302,000	'	'	13,500,000
Interest rate description for mortgage	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'Initially bears interest at the rate of 7.18% per annum, which rate will be reset after five years to 3.03% over the then weekly average yield of five-year U.S. Dollar Interest Rate Swaps as published by the Federal Reserve
Mortgage bears interest rate initially	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	7.18%
Mortgage bears interest rate after five year	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	3.03%
Monthly principal and interest payments description	'	'	'	'	'A twenty year amortization for the first sixty months and fifteen year amortization thereafter. The remaining principal balance of the mortgage and any accrued but unpaid interest will be due on August 1, 2018	'	'	'	'
Amortization period of mortgage loan for sixty month	'	'	'20 years	'	'	'	'	'	'
Amortization period, initial basis	'	'	'60 months	'	'	'	'	'	'
Amortization period of mortgage loan after sixty month	'	'	'15 years	'	'	'	'	'	'
Early Repayment Percent of Outstanding Debt	'	'	'	20.00%	20.00%	'	'	'	'
Debt instrument pre payment	'	'	1,400,000	1,950,000	'	'	'	'	'
Maximum percentage of outstanding debt for pre payment	'	'	20.00%	'	'	'	'	'	'
Repayments of Long-term Debt	$4,800,000	'	'	'	$5,224,000	$2,210,000	$2,571,000	'	'

Commitments_and_Contingencies_1

Commitments and Contingencies (Details Textual) (USD $)	0 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Jan. 13, 2013	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 28, 2013	Dec. 29, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Commitments and Contingencies (Textual) [Abstract]	'	'	'	'	'
Liabilities recorded for obligations	'	'	$0	$0	'
One time payment to KLA	2,500,000	'	'	'	'
Legal settlement in operating expense	'	2,500,000	'	'	'
Long-term Purchase Commitment [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'
Rent expense	'	'	2,000,000	2,200,000	1,800,000
Inventories [Member]	'	'	'	'	'
Long-term Purchase Commitment [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'
Purchase commitment	'	'	25,100,000	'	'
Inventories [Member] | Zygo Corporation [Member]	'	'	'	'	'
Long-term Purchase Commitment [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'
Purchase commitment	'	'	2,800,000	'	'
Purchase commitment, estimated future amount	'	'	$3,500,000	'	'

Commitments_and_Contingencies_2

Commitments and Contingencies (Details) (USD $)	Dec. 28, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Future minimum lease payments under operating leases	'
2014	$1,382
2015	890
2016	675
2017	312
2018	48
Thereafter	7
Total	$3,314

Net_Income_Loss_Per_Share_Deta

Net Income (Loss) Per Share (Details)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 28, 2013	Dec. 29, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Reconciliation of the basic and diluted net income per share computations	'	'	'
Weighted average common shares outstanding used in basic net income (loss) per share calculation	23,290	23,358	22,743
Potential dilutive common stock equivalents, using treasury stock method	0	487	737
Weighted average shares used in diluted net income (loss) per share calculation	23,290	23,845	23,480
Net Income Per Share (Textual) [Abstract]	'	'	'
Weighted average common share equivalents consisting of stock options included in the calculation of diluted net income per share	0	487	737

Stockholders_Equity_Details

Stockholders' Equity (Details)	Dec. 28, 2013	24-May-13
2005 Equity Incentive Plan [Member]	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'	'
Shares Authorized	7,292,594	2,600,000
2002 Non-statutory Stock Option Plan [Member]	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'	'
Shares Authorized	1,200,000	'
2000 Employee Stock Option Plan [Member]	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'	'
Shares Authorized	2,450,000	'
2000 Director Stock Option Plan [Member]	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'	'
Shares Authorized	250,000	'
Accent Optical Technologies, Inc. Stock Incentive Plan [Member]	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'	'
Shares Authorized	205,003	'

Stockholders_Equity_Details_Te

Stockholders' Equity (Details Textual) (USD $)

12 Months Ended

0 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

0 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

Dec. 28, 2013

Dec. 29, 2012

Dec. 31, 2011

Dec. 28, 2013

Dec. 29, 2012

Dec. 31, 2011

Jun. 30, 2012

Nov. 29, 2010

Dec. 29, 2012

Dec. 31, 2011

Jan. 01, 2011

Feb. 22, 2013

29-May-12

Dec. 28, 2013

Dec. 29, 2012

Employee Stock Purchase Plan [Member]

Employee Stock Purchase Plan [Member]

Employee Stock Purchase Plan [Member]

November 29, 2010 Program [Member]

November 29, 2010 Program [Member]

November 29, 2010 Program [Member]

November 29, 2010 Program [Member]

November 29, 2010 Program [Member]

May 29, 2012 Program [Member]

May 29, 2012 Program [Member]

May 29, 2012 Program [Member]

May 29, 2012 Program [Member]

Preferred and Common Stock and Stock Repurchases

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Shares of common stock

47,000,000

47,000,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Common stock, par value per share (in dollars per share)

$0.00

$0.00

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Shares of preferred stock

3,000,000

3,000,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Preferred stock, par value per share (in dollars per share)

$0.00

$0.00

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Maximum amount of common stock approved to repurchase, Value

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

$10,000,000

'

'

'

$5,000,000

$20,000,000

'

'

Common stock repurchased and retired during period, value

5,000,000

8,504,000

4,257,000

'

'

'

'

'

4,900,000

4,300,000

800,000

'

'

'

'

Common stock repurchased and retired, shares

332,771

587,766

'

'

'

'

667,406

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

250,400

Weighted average repurchase price of common stock (in dollars per share)

$15.03

$14.47

'

'

'

'

$14.97

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

$14.15

Remaining authorized repurchase amount

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

$16,500,000

'

Employee Stock Purchase Plan [Abstract]

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Maximum percentage of salary withholdings

'

'

'

10.00%

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Purchase price of common stock, percent

'

'

'

85.00%

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Shares remaining for issuance

'

'

'

600,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Shares issued

'

'

'

128.165

65,355

112,491

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Weighted average price of shares issued (in dollars per share)

'

'

'

$12.38

$15.36

$12.92

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

StockBased_Compensation_Detail

Stock-Based Compensation (Details)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2013	Dec. 29, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Stock Options [Member]	'	'	'
Assumption of stock option's fair value	'	'	'
Expected life	'4 years 6 months	'4 years 6 months	'4 years 6 months
Volatility	69.90%	77.30%	77.00%
Risk free interest rate	1.05%	0.80%	1.82%
Dividends	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
Employee Stock Purchase Plan [Member]	'	'	'
Assumption of stock option's fair value	'	'	'
Expected life	'6 months	'6 months	'6 months
Volatility	26.80%	45.50%	73.40%
Risk free interest rate	0.11%	0.12%	0.19%
Dividends	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

StockBased_Compensation_Detail1

Stock-Based Compensation (Details 1)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2013
Activity of stock option plans including options and RSUs [Roll Forward]	'
Beginning balance (in shares)	2,020,319
Options granted (in shares)	-430,800
Ending balance (in shares)	1,909,039
Stock Options and Restricted Stock Units [Member]	'
Activity of stock option plans including options and RSUs [Roll Forward]	'
Beginning balance (in shares)	1,093,565
Increase in shares authorized	2,600,000
Options granted (in shares)	-430,800
Options cancelled (in shares)	150,459
Options - expired plan shares	-53,607
RSUs granted (in shares)	-664,902
RSUs cancelled (in shares)	133,418
RSUs - shares issued to satisfy tax withholding obligations	108,868
Ending balance (in shares)	2,937,001

StockBased_Compensation_Detail2

Stock-Based Compensation (Details 2) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 28, 2013	Dec. 29, 2012
Options	'	'
Beginning balance (in shares)	2,020,319	'
Number of Shares Outstanding (Options), Exercised	-391,621	'
Number of Shares Outstanding (Options), Granted	430,800	'
Number of Shares Outstanding (Options), Cancelled	-150,459	'
Ending balance (in shares)	1,909,039	2,020,319
Number of Shares Outstanding (Options), Exercisable	1,189,895	'
Weighted Average Exercise Price, Beginning Balance (in dollars per share)	$12.01	'
Weighted Average Exercise Price, Exercised (in dollars per share)	$8.71	'
Weighted Average Exercise Price, Granted (in dollars per share)	$15.49	'
Weighted Average Exercise Price, Cancelled (in dollars per share)	$15.22	'
Weighted Average Exercise Price, Ending Balance (in dollars per share)	$13.22	$12.01
Weighted Average Exercise Price, Exercisable (in dollars per share)	$11.84	'
Weighed Average Remaining Contractual Term, Opening	'4 years 0 months 7 days	'4 years 5 months 9 days
Weighed Average Remaining Contractual Term, Closing	'4 years 0 months 7 days	'4 years 5 months 9 days
Weighed Average Remaining Contractual Term, Exercisable	'3 years 3 months	'
Aggregate Intrinsic Value, Closing	$10,341	'
Aggregate Intrinsic Value, Exercisable	$8,089	'

StockBased_Compensation_Detail3

Stock-Based Compensation (Details 3) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2013	Dec. 29, 2012
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range [Line Items]	'	'
Options Outstanding, Number Outstanding (in shares)	1,909,039	2,020,319
Options Outstanding, Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life (Years)	'4 years 0 months 7 days	'4 years 5 months 9 days
Options Outstanding, Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$13.22	$12.01
Options Exercisable, Number Exercisable (in shares)	1,189,895	'
Options Exercisable, Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$11.84	'
$0.93-$7.35 [Member]	'	'
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range [Line Items]	'	'
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range, Lower Range Limit (in dollars per share)	$0.93	'
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range, Upper Range Limit (in dollars per share)	$7.35	'
Options Outstanding, Number Outstanding (in shares)	235,358	'
Options Outstanding, Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life (Years)	'1 year 4 months 28 days	'
Options Outstanding, Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$3.75	'
Options Exercisable, Number Exercisable (in shares)	235,358	'
Options Exercisable, Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$3.75	'
$7.47-$10.46 [Member]	'	'
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range [Line Items]	'	'
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range, Lower Range Limit (in dollars per share)	$7.47	'
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range, Upper Range Limit (in dollars per share)	$10.46	'
Options Outstanding, Number Outstanding (in shares)	265,654	'
Options Outstanding, Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life (Years)	'3 years 0 months 4 days	'
Options Outstanding, Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$9.44	'
Options Exercisable, Number Exercisable (in shares)	235,063	'
Options Exercisable, Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$9.35	'
$10.83-$13.08 [Member]	'	'
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range [Line Items]	'	'
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range, Lower Range Limit (in dollars per share)	$10.83	'
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range, Upper Range Limit (in dollars per share)	$13.08	'
Options Outstanding, Number Outstanding (in shares)	233,446	'
Options Outstanding, Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life (Years)	'3 years 6 months 7 days	'
Options Outstanding, Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$11.81	'
Options Exercisable, Number Exercisable (in shares)	185,568	'
Options Exercisable, Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$11.88	'
$13.16-$14.88 [Member]	'	'
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range [Line Items]	'	'
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range, Lower Range Limit (in dollars per share)	$13.16	'
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range, Upper Range Limit (in dollars per share)	$14.88	'
Options Outstanding, Number Outstanding (in shares)	192,792	'
Options Outstanding, Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life (Years)	'5 years 3 months 29 days	'
Options Outstanding, Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$14.24	'
Options Exercisable, Number Exercisable (in shares)	53,756	'
Options Exercisable, Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$14.32	'
$14.95-$15.85 [Member]	'	'
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range [Line Items]	'	'
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range, Lower Range Limit (in dollars per share)	$14.95	'
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range, Upper Range Limit (in dollars per share)	$15.85	'
Options Outstanding, Number Outstanding (in shares)	289,732	'
Options Outstanding, Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life (Years)	'5 years 11 months 5 days	'
Options Outstanding, Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$15.61	'
Options Exercisable, Number Exercisable (in shares)	67,376	'
Options Exercisable, Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$15.64	'
$15.88-$16.59 [Member]	'	'
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range [Line Items]	'	'
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range, Lower Range Limit (in dollars per share)	$15.88	'
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range, Upper Range Limit (in dollars per share)	$16.59	'
Options Outstanding, Number Outstanding (in shares)	148,238	'
Options Outstanding, Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life (Years)	'3 years 1 month 2 days	'
Options Outstanding, Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$16.05	'
Options Exercisable, Number Exercisable (in shares)	122,554	'
Options Exercisable, Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$16.03	'
$16.70-$16.70 [Member]	'	'
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range [Line Items]	'	'
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range, Lower Range Limit (in dollars per share)	$16.70	'
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range, Upper Range Limit (in dollars per share)	$16.70	'
Options Outstanding, Number Outstanding (in shares)	285,419	'
Options Outstanding, Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life (Years)	'4 years 0 months 11 days	'
Options Outstanding, Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$16.70	'
Options Exercisable, Number Exercisable (in shares)	189,472	'
Options Exercisable, Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$16.70	'
$16.89-$19.03 [Member]	'	'
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range [Line Items]	'	'
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range, Lower Range Limit (in dollars per share)	$16.89	'
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range, Upper Range Limit (in dollars per share)	$19.03	'
Options Outstanding, Number Outstanding (in shares)	245,900	'
Options Outstanding, Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life (Years)	'5 years 4 months 2 days	'
Options Outstanding, Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$18.02	'
Options Exercisable, Number Exercisable (in shares)	92,209	'
Options Exercisable, Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$18.19	'
$19.77-$19.77 [Member]	'	'
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range [Line Items]	'	'
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range, Lower Range Limit (in dollars per share)	$19.77	'
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range, Upper Range Limit (in dollars per share)	$19.77	'
Options Outstanding, Number Outstanding (in shares)	3,000	'
Options Outstanding, Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life (Years)	'4 years 6 months 7 days	'
Options Outstanding, Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$19.77	'
Options Exercisable, Number Exercisable (in shares)	1,812	'
Options Exercisable, Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$19.77	'
$19.84-$19.84 [Member]	'	'
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range [Line Items]	'	'
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range, Lower Range Limit (in dollars per share)	$19.84	'
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range, Upper Range Limit (in dollars per share)	$19.84	'
Options Outstanding, Number Outstanding (in shares)	9,500	'
Options Outstanding, Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life (Years)	'4 years 1 month 21 days	'
Options Outstanding, Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$19.84	'
Options Exercisable, Number Exercisable (in shares)	6,727	'
Options Exercisable, Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$19.84	'
$0.93-$19.84 [Member]	'	'
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range [Line Items]	'	'
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range, Lower Range Limit (in dollars per share)	$0.93	'
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range, Upper Range Limit (in dollars per share)	$19.84	'
Options Outstanding, Number Outstanding (in shares)	1,909,039	'
Options Outstanding, Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life (Years)	'4 years 0 months 7 days	'
Options Outstanding, Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$13.22	'
Options Exercisable, Number Exercisable (in shares)	1,189,895	'
Options Exercisable, Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$11.84	'

StockBased_Compensation_Detail4

Stock-Based Compensation (Details 4) (Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member], USD $)	0 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Nov. 21, 2011	Dec. 28, 2013	Dec. 29, 2012
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member]	'	'	'
Activity for RSUs [Roll Forward]	'	'	'
Number of RSU, Beginng balance (in shares)	'	235,162	'
Number of RSU, Granted (in shares)	286,180	348,328	51,777
Number of RSU, Released (in shares)	'	-171,094	'
Number of RSU, Cancelled (in shares)	'	-77,952	'
Number of RSU, Ending balance (in shares)	'	334,444	235,162
Weighted Average Fair Value, Beginng balance (in dollars per share)	'	$16.32	'
Weighted Average Fair Value, Granted (in dollars per share)	'	$15.51	'
Weighted Average Fair Value, Released (in dollars per share)	'	$16.69	'
Weighted Average Fair Value, Cancelled (in dollars per share)	'	$18.29	'
Weighted Average Fair Value, Ending balance (in dollars per share)	'	$18.61	$16.32

StockBased_Compensation_Detail5

Stock-Based Compensation (Details 5) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 28, 2013	Dec. 29, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Stock-based compensation expense for all share-based payment awards	'	'	'
Total stock-based compensation expense related to employee stock options and employee stock purchases	$7,674	$5,890	$4,473
Cost of products [Member]	'	'	'
Stock-based compensation expense for all share-based payment awards	'	'	'
Total stock-based compensation expense related to employee stock options and employee stock purchases	207	164	176
Cost of service [Member]	'	'	'
Stock-based compensation expense for all share-based payment awards	'	'	'
Total stock-based compensation expense related to employee stock options and employee stock purchases	278	230	218
Research and development [Member]	'	'	'
Stock-based compensation expense for all share-based payment awards	'	'	'
Total stock-based compensation expense related to employee stock options and employee stock purchases	1,478	1,220	984
Selling [Member]	'	'	'
Stock-based compensation expense for all share-based payment awards	'	'	'
Total stock-based compensation expense related to employee stock options and employee stock purchases	1,894	1,791	1,366
General and administrative [Member]	'	'	'
Stock-based compensation expense for all share-based payment awards	'	'	'
Total stock-based compensation expense related to employee stock options and employee stock purchases	2,919	2,485	1,729
Restructuring [Member]	'	'	'
Stock-based compensation expense for all share-based payment awards	'	'	'
Total stock-based compensation expense related to employee stock options and employee stock purchases	$898	$0	$0

StockBased_Compensation_Detail6

Stock-Based Compensation (Details Textual) (USD $)

0 Months Ended

1 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

0 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

0 Months Ended

1 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

Feb. 22, 2010

Nov. 30, 2008

Dec. 27, 2008

Dec. 28, 2013

Dec. 29, 2012

Dec. 31, 2011

Dec. 28, 2013

Nov. 21, 2011

Dec. 28, 2013

Dec. 29, 2012

Dec. 28, 2013

Dec. 28, 2013

24-May-13

Feb. 22, 2010

Aug. 31, 2011

Dec. 28, 2013

Stock Options [Member]

Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member]

Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member]

Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member]

Maximum [Member]

Minimum [Member]

2005 Equity Incentive Plan [Member]

2005 Equity Incentive Plan [Member]

2005 Equity Incentive Plan [Member]

2005 Equity Incentive Plan [Member]

Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member]

Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member]

Stock Based Compensation (Textual) [Abstract]

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Estimated forfeiture rate

'

'

'

11.90%

7.60%

6.30%

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Excess tax benefit

'

'

'

($53,000)

$910,000

$3,915,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Vesting percentage

2.78%

'

33.33%

'

'

'

'

33.33%

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Option term

'

'

'7 years

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Initial vesting percentage

25.00%

33.33%

'

'

'

'

'

10.00%

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Period of vesting

'4 years

'

'3 years

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'3 years

'1 year

'

'

'

'

Ratio of restricted stock units against available for grant pool

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

1.7

2

'

'

Shares Authorized

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

2,600,000

'

'

7,292,594

RSUs granted (in shares)

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

286,180

348,328

51,777

'

'

'

'

'

664,902

RSUs cancelled (in shares)

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

77,952

'

'

'

'

'

'

133,418

Weighted average fair value per share of stock options (in dollars per share)

'

'

'

$8.58

$10

$9.98

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Closing stock price of options (in dollars per share)

'

'

'

$18.61

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Intrinsic value of options exercised

'

'

'

2,900,000

4,900,000

11,600,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Fair value of options vested

'

'

'

3,700,000

3,600,000

2,900,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Unrecognized compensation costs

'

'

'

'

'

'

$5,300,000

'

$3,100,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Weighted average remaining amortization period for unrecognized compensation costs

'

'

'

'

'

'

'2 years 4 months 45 days

'

'1 year 9 months 29 days

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Additional shares authorized

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

2,000,000

'

Shares per unit granted

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

1.7

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Defined_Benefit_Pension_Plan_D

Defined Benefit Pension Plan (Details) (Pension Plans, Defined Benefit [Member], USD $)	Dec. 28, 2013	Dec. 29, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Pension Plans, Defined Benefit [Member]	'	'	'
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]	'	'	'
Fair value of plan assets	$0.20	$0.20	$0.10
Net funding deficiency of the Benefit Plan	$0.20	$0.30	$0.20

Income_Taxes_Details

Income Taxes (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 28, 2013	Dec. 29, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]	'	'	'
Domestic	($26,447)	$1,887	$41,773
Foreign	2,882	2,732	2,811
Income (loss) before income taxes	($23,565)	$4,619	$44,584

Income_Taxes_Details_1

Income Taxes (Details 1) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 28, 2013	Dec. 29, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Current:	'	'	'
Federal	$119	($2,403)	$11,059
State	5	-492	1,048
Foreign	933	270	354
Total current	1,057	-2,625	12,461
Deferred:	'	'	'
Federal	-10,686	1,753	2,366
State	-325	379	-158
Foreign	535	647	1,230
Total deferred	-10,476	2,779	3,438
Provision (benefit) for income taxes	($9,419)	$154	$15,899

Income_Taxes_Details_2

Income Taxes (Details 2) (USD $)	Dec. 28, 2013	Dec. 29, 2012
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Deferred tax assets:	'	'
Reserves and accruals	$10,592	$7,682
Deferred revenue	1,614	1,714
Shared based compensation	3,789	3,129
Tax credit carry-forwards	6,591	1,510
Net operating losses	10,220	10,830
Depreciation & amortization	3,241	3,273
Other	966	945
Total deferred tax assets	37,013	29,083
Less: Valuation allowance	-11,665	-10,229
Total deferred tax assets net of valuation allowance	25,348	18,854
Deferred tax liabilities:	'	'
Depreciation & amortization	-5,567	-5,797
Other	-926	-793
Total deferred tax liabilities	-6,493	-6,590
Net deferred tax assets	$18,855	$12,264

Income_Taxes_Details_3

Income Taxes (Details 3) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 28, 2013	Dec. 29, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Income Tax Reconciliation:	'	'	'
Income taxes computed at U.S. statutory rate	($8,247)	$1,616	$15,604
State income taxes	-324	-116	636
Foreign tax rate differential	9	-275	907
Change in valuation allowance	0	0	17
Domestic production activities deduction	0	-17	-1,033
Tax credits	-1,377	0	-601
Benefit of tax elections	0	-1,309	0
Liabilities for uncertain tax positions	111	66	153
Other, net	409	189	216
Provision (benefit) for income taxes	($9,419)	$154	$15,899

Income_Taxes_Details_4

Income Taxes (Details 4) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 28, 2013	Dec. 29, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Reconciliation of Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Excluding Amounts Pertaining to Examined Tax Returns [Roll Forward]	'	'	'
Unrecognized tax benefits - beginning of the period	$3,464	$3,599	$3,370
Foreign currency movements	0	0	0
Gross increases-tax positions in prior period	305	0	154
Gross decreases-tax positions in prior period	0	-183	0
Gross increases-current-period tax positions	688	265	622
Lapse of statute of limitations	-21	-217	-547
Unrecognized tax benefits - end of the period	$4,436	$3,464	$3,599

Income_Taxes_Details_Textual

Income Taxes (Details Textual) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2013	Dec. 29, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Jan. 01, 2011
Income Taxes (Textual) [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Excess benefits due to stock option exercise	$100,000	'	'	'
Change in amount of operating loss carryforwards valuation allowance	1,400,000	2,100,000	'	'
Undistributed earnings from non-U.S. operations	2,900,000	'	'	'
Research tax credit	'	600,000	'	'
Maximum amount company recognize from unrecognized tax benefit	4,436,000	3,464,000	3,599,000	3,370,000
Unrecognized tax benefits that would impact effective tax rate if recognized	1,200,000	'	'	'
Additional Paid-in Capital [Member]	'	'	'	'
Income Taxes (Textual) [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
State research and experimental tax credit carryforward	200,000	'	'	'
California Tax Authority [Member]	'	'	'	'
Income Taxes (Textual) [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Operating loss carryforwards	27,500,000	'	'	'
California Tax Authority [Member] | Additional Paid-in Capital [Member]	'	'	'	'
Income Taxes (Textual) [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Operating loss carryforwards	2,700,000	'	'	'
Foreign Tax Authority [Member]	'	'	'	'
Income Taxes (Textual) [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Operating loss carryforwards	37,600,000	'	'	'
Foreign Tax Authority [Member] | Additional Paid-in Capital [Member]	'	'	'	'
Income Taxes (Textual) [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Operating loss carryforwards	1,800,000	'	'	'
Federal [Member]	'	'	'	'
Income Taxes (Textual) [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
State research and experimental tax credit carryforward	5,500,000	'	'	'
State [Member]	'	'	'	'
Income Taxes (Textual) [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
State research and experimental tax credit carryforward	$5,000,000	'	'	'

Segment_Geographic_Product_and2

Segment, Geographic, Product and Significant Customer Information (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 28, 2013	Dec. 29, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Total net revenues (1):	'	'	'
Total net revenues	$144,307	$182,881	$230,061
United States [Member]	'	'	'
Total net revenues (1):	'	'	'
Total net revenues	47,019	44,811	50,447
Japan [Member]	'	'	'
Total net revenues (1):	'	'	'
Total net revenues	11,629	16,832	34,806
South Korea [Member]	'	'	'
Total net revenues (1):	'	'	'
Total net revenues	34,873	79,555	87,533
Other [Member]	'	'	'
Total net revenues (1):	'	'	'
Total net revenues	$50,786	$41,683	$57,275

Segment_Geographic_Product_and3

Segment, Geographic, Product and Significant Customer Information (Details 1) (USD $)	Dec. 28, 2013	Dec. 29, 2012
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Long-lived tangible assets:	'	'
Total long-lived tangible assets	$47,439	$43,213
United States [Member]	'	'
Long-lived tangible assets:	'	'
Long-lived tangible assets	44,775	40,600
Japan [Member]	'	'
Long-lived tangible assets:	'	'
Long-lived tangible assets	125	148
South Korea [Member]	'	'
Long-lived tangible assets:	'	'
Long-lived tangible assets	445	520
All other [Member]	'	'
Long-lived tangible assets:	'	'
Long-lived tangible assets	$2,094	$1,945

Segment_Geographic_Product_and4

Segment, Geographic, Product and Significant Customer Information (Details 2) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 28, 2013	Dec. 29, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'	'
Total product revenues	$107,402	$143,827	$194,774
Automated Systems [Member]	'	'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'	'
Total product revenues	82,924	119,451	139,261
Integrated Systems [Member]	'	'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'	'
Total product revenues	11,412	12,379	25,413
Materials Characterization Systems [Member]	'	'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'	'
Total product revenues	$13,066	$11,997	$30,100

Segment_Geographic_Product_and5

Segment, Geographic, Product and Significant Customer Information (Details 3)	Dec. 28, 2013	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 28, 2013	Dec. 29, 2012	Dec. 28, 2013	Dec. 29, 2012	Dec. 28, 2013
	Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. [Member]	Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. [Member]	Intel Corporation [Member]	Intel Corporation [Member]	Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited [Member]	Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited [Member]	Sk Hynix [Member]
Customers accounted for 10% or more of total accounts receivable	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Customers accounted for 10% or more of total accounts receivable	27.40%	41.10%	14.40%	12.30%	12.10%	17.30%	21.80%

Segment_Geographic_Product_and6

Segment, Geographic, Product and Significant Customer Information (Details 4)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2013	Dec. 29, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. [Member]	'	'	'
Net revenues:	'	'	'
Customers accounted for 10% or more of total revenue	14.40%	27.80%	30.00%
SK Hynix [Member]	'	'	'
Net revenues:	'	'	'
Customers accounted for 10% or more of total revenue	18.40%	16.50%	11.40%
Intel Corporation [Member]	'	'	'
Net revenues:	'	'	'
Customers accounted for 10% or more of total revenue	30.00%	22.30%	16.90%

Schedule_II_VALUATION_AND_QUAL1

Schedule II - VALUATION AND QUALIFYING ACCOUNTS (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 28, 2013	Dec. 29, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts [Member]	'	'	'
Movement in Valuation Allowances and Reserves [Roll Forward]	'	'	'
Balance at beginning of period	$82	$117	$63
Charged to costs and expenses	255	-3	81
Deductions – write-offs of accounts	-44	-32	-27
Balance at end of period	293	82	117
Valuation Allowance for Deferred Tax Assets [Member]	'	'	'
Movement in Valuation Allowances and Reserves [Roll Forward]	'	'	'
Balance at beginning of period	10,229	8,142	7,002
Charged to costs and expenses	1,436	2,087	1,140
Deductions – write-offs of accounts	0	0	0
Balance at end of period	$11,665	$10,229	$8,142