5. Financial Instruments

Fair Value Measurements

Financial instruments are categorized as Level 1, Level 2 or Level 3 based upon the method by which their fair value is computed. An investment is categorized as Level 1 when its fair value is based on unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets that the Company has the ability to access at the measurement date. An investment is categorized as Level 2 if its fair market value is based on quoted market prices for similar assets in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar assets in markets that are not active, based on observable inputs such as interest rates, yield curves, or derived from or corroborated by observable market data by correlation or other means. An investment is categorized as Level 3 if its fair value is based on assumptions developed by the Company about what a market participant would use in pricing the assets.

The following table details the fair value measurements within the fair value hierarchy of the Company’s financial assets:


			Fair Value Measurement at December 31, 2011 Using:
	Total		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3
Money Markets and Cash Equivalents	$	43,095,163	$	43,095,163	$	—	$	—
U.S. Government Securities		32,145,653		12,892,670		19,252,983		—
Corporate Debt		18,754,992		—		18,754,992		—
Certificates of Deposit		11,422,742		—		11,422,742		—
WIN Semiconductor Corp.		1,709,189		1,709,189
Advanced Wireless Semiconductor Company		1,602,096		1,602,096		—		—

	$	108,729,835	$	59,299,118	$	49,430,717	$	—


			Fair Value Measurement at December 25, 2010 Using:
	Total		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3
Money Markets and Cash Equivalents	$	49,834,547	$	49,834,547	$	—	$	—
U.S. Government Securities		24,194,630		9,806,380		14,388,250		—
Corporate Debt		23,212,833		—		23,212,833		—
Certificates of Deposit		13,705,380		—		13,705,380		—
Advanced Wireless Semiconductor Company		4,001,937		4,001,937		—		—

	$	114,949,327	$	63,642,864	$	51,306,463	$	—

The corporate debt consists of floating rate notes with a maturity that is over multiple years but has interest rates which are reset every three months based on the then current three month London Interbank Offering Rate (3 month Libor). The Company determines the fair market values of these corporate debt instruments through the use of a model which incorporates the 3 month Libor, the credit default swap rate of the issuer and the bid and ask price spread of same or similar investments which are traded on several markets.

Marketable Debt Securities

Investments in available-for-sale marketable debt securities are as follows at December 31, 2011 and December 25, 2010:


	Amortized Cost				Unrealized Gains				Unrealized Losses						Fair Value
	2011		2010		2011		2010		2011			2010			2011		2010
U.S. government and agency backed securities	$	31,480,482	$	23,899,218	$	665,171	$	295,412	$	—		$	—		$	32,145,653	$	24,194,630
Corporate debt and certificates of deposits		30,879,717		36,949,546		—		—		(701,983	)		(31,333	)		30,177,734		36,918,213

Total	$	62,360,199	$	60,848,764	$	665,171	$	295,412	$	(701,983	)	$	(31,333	)	$	62,323,387	$	61,112,843

The contractual maturity of the Company’s marketable debt securities is as follows at December 31, 2011:


	Less than One year		One to Five years		Greater than Five years		Total
U.S. government and agency backed securities	$	5,301,740	$	25,061,877	$	1,782,036	$	32,145,653
Corporate debt and certificates of deposits		21,089,896		8,405,338		682,500		30,177,734

Total	$	26,391,636	$	33,467,215	$	2,464,536	$	62,323,387

Other-than-Temporary Impairments

The Company reviews its marketable debt securities on a quarterly basis for the presence of other-than-temporary impairment (OTTI).

If the Company determines that an OTTI has occurred it further estimates the amount of OTTI resulting from a decline in the credit worthiness of the issuer (credit-related OTTI) and the amount of non credit-related OTTI. Noncredit-related OTTI can be caused by such factors as market illiquidity. Credit-related OTTI is recognized in earnings while noncredit-related OTTI on securities not expected to be sold is recognized in other comprehensive income (OCI). The Company reclassified $1.8 million of noncredit-related OTTI recognized in its earnings prior to March 29, 2009 from retained earnings to accumulated OCI as a cumulative effect adjustment when it adopted a new accounting standard in the second quarter of 2009.

Included in other income and expense is an impairment charge on investments in corporate debt instruments of $0.2 million and $0.9 million for fiscal years 2011 and 2010, respectively.