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Commitments and Contingencies | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2020
Commitments and Contingencies |
Commitments and Contingencies | Note 16. Commitments and Contingencies Legal Proceedings From time to time we may be involved in judicial or administrative proceedings concerning matters arising in the ordinary course of business. We do not expect that any of these matters, individually or in the aggregate, will have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, cash flows or results of operations. Leases We lease certain equipment, office space, warehouse and facilities under long-term operating leases expiring at various dates through July 2029. The majority of our lease obligations relate to our lease agreement for a nitrogen system to be used during the manufacturing process for our facility in Dingxing, China. The equipment lease became effective in August 2019 and will expire in July 2029. There are no variable lease payments, residual value guarantees or any restrictions or covenants imposed by the equipment lease. The remainder relate to our lease agreement for our facility in Fremont, California with approximately 19,467 square feet, which expires in 2020. Under the terms of the facility lease agreement, in May 2020, we were granted an extension to the term of the lease for an additional three years. There are no variable lease payments, residual value guarantees or any restrictions or covenants imposed by the facility lease. All other operating leases have a term of 12 months or less. ​ Leases are classified as either finance leases or operating leases. A lease is classified as a finance lease if any one of the following criteria are met: the lease transfers ownership of the asset by the end of the lease term, the lease contains an option to purchase the asset that is reasonably certain to be exercised, the lease term is for a major part of the remaining useful life of the asset or the present value of the lease payments equals or exceeds substantially all of the fair value of the asset. A lease is classified as an operating lease if it does not meet any one of these criteria. All of our leases are classified as operating leases and substantially all of our operating leases are comprised of equipment and office space leases. None of our leases are classified as, finance leases. ​ For all leases at the lease commencement date, a right-of-use asset and a lease liability are recognized. The right-of-use asset represents the right to use the leased asset for the lease term. The lease liability represents the present value of the lease payments under the lease. ​ The right-of-use asset is initially measured at cost, which primarily comprises the initial amount of the lease liability, plus any initial direct costs incurred, consisting mainly of brokerage commissions, less any lease incentives received. All right-of-use assets are reviewed for impairment. The lease liability is initially measured at the present value of the lease payments, discounted using the interest rate implicit in the lease or, if that rate cannot be readily determined, our secured incremental borrowing rate for the same term as the underlying lease. ​ Lease payments included in the measurement of the lease liability comprise the following: the fixed noncancelable lease payments, payments for optional renewal periods where it is reasonably certain the renewal period will be exercised, and payments for early termination options unless it is reasonably certain the lease will not be terminated early. ​ Lease expense for operating leases consists of the lease payments plus any initial direct costs, primarily brokerage commissions, and is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term. ​ We have elected not to recognize right-of-use assets and lease liabilities for short-term leases that have a term of 12 months or less. The effect of short-term leases on our right-of-use asset and lease liability was not material. ​ As of December 31, 2020, the maturities of our operating lease liabilities (excluding short-term leases) are as follows (in thousands):
​ | ​ | ​
Maturity of Lease Liabilities |  | ​
2021 | $ | 566
2022 | ​ | 583
2023 | ​ | 574
2024 | ​ | 284
2025 | ​ | 284
Thereafter | ​ | 1,020
Total minimum lease payments | ​ | 3,311
Less: Interest | ​ | (492)
Present value of lease obligations | ​ | 2,819
Less: Current portion, included in accrued liabilities | ​ | (445)
Long-term portion of lease obligations | $ | 2,374
​ The weighted average remaining lease term and the weighted-average discount rate for our operating leases are as follows: ​
​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​
​ | ​ | December 31, | ​ | December 31, | ​
​ | ​ | 2020 | ​ | 2019 | ​
Weighted-average remaining lease term (years) | ​ | 7.15 | ​ | 7.94 | ​
Weighted-average discount rate | ​ | 4.61 | % | 4.61 | %
​ Supplemental cash flow information related to leases where we are the lessee is as follows (in thousands):
​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​
​ | ​ | Year Ended | ​
​ | ​ | December 31, | ​
​ | ​ | 2020 | ​ | 2019 | ​
Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of lease liabilities: | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​
Operating cash flows from operating leases | ​ | $ | 456 | ​ | $ | 267 | ​
Supplemental noncash information on lease liabilities arising from obtaining right-of-use assets: | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​
Leased assets obtained in exchange for new operating lease liabilities | ​ | $ | — | ​ | $ | 2,072 | ​
​ ​ The components of lease expense are as follows (in thousands) within our consolidated statements of operations:
​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​
​ | ​ | Year Ended
​ | ​ | December 31,
​ | ​ | 2020 | ​ | 2019
Operating lease | ​ | $ | 512 | ​ | $ | 358
Short-term lease expense | ​ | ​ | 89 | ​ | ​ | 60
Total | ​ | $ | 601 | ​ | $ | 418
​ Royalty Agreement In 2010, we and a competitor had entered into a royalty agreement with a term of eight years, terminating December 31, 2018. We were obligated to make annual payments over an eight-year period. For the year ended December 31, 2018, royalty expense under this agreement was $565,000, which was net of claim for credit of $10,000. These expenses were included in cost of revenue. In 2020, we and a competitor entered into a cross license and covenant agreement (the “Cross License Agreement”), which has a term that began on January 1, 2020 and expires on December 31, 2029. The Cross License Agreement is a fixed-cost cross license and not a variable-cost cross license that is based on revenue or units. Under the Cross License Agreement, we are obligated to make annual payments over a 10-year period. For the year ended December 31, 2020, royalty expense under this agreement was $174,000. ​ ​ ​ Land Purchase and Investment Agreement We have established a wafer process production line in Dingxing, China. In addition to a land rights and building purchase agreement that we entered into with a private real estate development company to acquire our new manufacturing facility, we also entered into a cooperation agreement with the Dingxing local government. In addition to pledging its full support and cooperation, the Dingxing local government will issue certain credits or rebates to us as we achieve certain milestones. We, in turn, agreed to hire local workers over time, pay taxes when due and eventually demonstrate a total investment of approximately $90 million in value, assets and capital. The investment will include cash paid for the land and buildings, cash on deposit in our name at local banks, the gross value of new and used equipment (including future equipment that might be used for indium phosphide and germanium substrates production), the deemed value for our customer list or the end user of our substrates, for example, the end users of 3-D sensing VCSELs (vertical cavity surface emitting lasers), a deemed value for employment of local citizens, a deemed value for our proprietary process technology, other intellectual property, other intangibles and additional items of value. There is no timeline or deadline by which this must be accomplished, rather it is a good faith covenant entered into between AXT and the Dingxing local government. Further, there is no specific penalty contemplated if either party breaches the agreement. However, the agreement does state that each party has a right to seek from the other party compensation for losses. Under certain conditions, the Dingxing local government may purchase the land and building at the appraised value. We believe that such cooperation agreements are normal, customary and usual in China and that the future valuation is flexible. We have a similar agreement with the city of Kazuo, China, although on a smaller scale. The total investment targeted by AXT in Kazuo is approximately $15 million in value, assets and capital. In addition, BoYu has a similar agreement with the city of Kazuo. The total investment targeted by BoYu in Kazuo is approximately $8 million in value, assets and capital.

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