Basis of Presentation

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2017

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

1)	Basis of Presentation

The terms “MKS” and the “Company” refer to MKS Instruments, Inc. and its subsidiaries. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. The interim financial data as of March 31, 2017, and for the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016 are unaudited; however, in the opinion of MKS, the interim data includes all adjustments, consisting of normal recurring adjustments, necessary for a fair statement of the results for the interim periods. The condensed consolidated balance sheet presented as of December 31, 2016 has been derived from the consolidated audited financial statements as of that date. The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements presented herein have been prepared in accordance with the instructions to Form 10-Q and do not include all of the information and note disclosures required by United States generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”). The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the MKS Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 1, 2017.

The preparation of these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent liabilities at the date of the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. On an on-going basis, management evaluates its estimates and judgments, including those related to revenue recognition, stock-based compensation, inventory, intangible assets, goodwill and other long-lived assets, warranty liabilities, pension liabilities, acquisition expenses, income taxes and investments. Management bases its estimates and judgments on historical experience and on various other factors that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.