FORM 6-K
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
For the month of December 2003
TOWER SEMICONDUCTOR LTD.
(Translation of registrant's name into English)
P.O. BOX 619, MIGDAL HAEMEK, ISRAEL 10556
(Address of principal executive offices)
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual
reports under cover Form 20-F or Form 40-F.
Form 20-F x Form 40-F___
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant by furnishing the
information contained in this Form is also thereby furnishing the information to
the Commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of
1934.
Yes [ ] No [x]
As previously announced and reported, on November 11, 2003, the
Registrant entered into amendment agreements with its banks and its major
investors for the continued funding of the Fab 2 project.
On December 16, 2003, the Registrant announced receipt of the fifth
and final Fab 2 milestone payment from its strategic partners and the closing of
the aforementioned amendment to its credit facility for the continued financing
of Fab 2.
Annexed as Exhibits 99.1 through 99.5 are copies of the amendment
agreements and the press release:
99.1. Seventh Amendment to the Facility Agreement dated November 11,
2003.
99.2. Undertaking of The Israel Corporation Ltd. dated November 11,
2003.
99.3. Undertaking of the Registrant dated November 11, 2003.
99.4. Letter Agreement dated November 11, 2003 by and among the
Registrant, Israel Corporation Technologies, SanDisk
Corporation, Alliance Semiconductor Corporation and Macronix
International Co., Ltd.
99.5. Press Release
This Form 6-K is being incorporated by reference into (i) the
Registrant's Registration Statement on Form F-3 filed with the Commission on
November 14, 2003 (File No. 333-110486) and (ii) all currently effective
registration statements of the Registrant under the Securities Act of 1933.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
TOWER SEMICONDUCTOR LTD.
Date: December 17, 2003 By: /s/ Tamar Cohen
----------------------
Tamar Cohen
Corporate Secretary
SEVENTH AMENDMENT
TO THE FACILITY AGREEMENT
Made and entered into on this 11th day of November, 2003, by and
between:
(1) TOWER SEMICONDUCTOR LTD. ("THE BORROWER")
and
(2) BANK LEUMI LE-ISRAEL B.M. AND BANK HAPOALIM B.M. ("THE BANKS")
WHEREAS: the Borrower, on the one hand, and the Banks, on the other hand, are
parties to a Facility Agreement dated January 18, 2001, as amended
pursuant to a letter dated January 29, 2001 ("THE FIRST AMENDMENT"), a
Second Amendment dated January 10, 2002 ("THE SECOND AMENDMENT"), a
letter dated March 7, 2002 ("THE THIRD Amendment"), a letter dated
April 29, 2002 ("THE FOURTH AMENDMENT"), a letter dated September 18,
2002, as amended on October 22, 2002 ("THE FIFTH AMENDMENT") and a
letter dated June 10, 2003 ("THE SIXTH AMENDMENT") (the Facility
Agreement, as amended as aforesaid, hereinafter "THE FACILITY
AGREEMENT"); and
WHEREAS: the Borrower and the Banks have agreed to amend the Facility Agreement
in the manner set out below ("THIS SEVENTH AMENDMENT"),
NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY AGREED AS FOLLOWS:
1. INTERPRETATION
1.1. Terms defined in the Facility Agreement shall have the same meanings
when used in this Seventh Amendment.
1.2. References herein to clauses and paragraphs, are to clauses and
paragraphs of the Facility Agreement.
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1.3. References herein to sections, are to sections of this Seventh
Amendment.
2. AMENDMENT
Subject to the fulfilment of the conditions precedent referred to in
section 3 below, the Facility Agreement shall, with effect from the date
upon which the Banks shall, pursuant to section 3.2 below, have confirmed
in writing fulfilment of all of the conditions precedent set out in section
3 below (if fulfilled) (such date hereinafter being referred to as the
"SEVENTH AMENDMENT CLOSING DATE"), be amended in the manner set out below:
2.1. Clause 1 (Interpretation) shall be amended as follows:
2.1.1. clause 1.1.4 ("Advance") shall be amended by the insertion of the
following, after the words "clause 5.2 below":
"(including, for the removal of doubt, in respect of the Safety
Net Loans);"
2.1.2. clause 1.1.16 ("Business Plan") shall be amended by deleting the words
"January 2001" and substituting the words "No. 75, October 2003"
therefor;
2.1.3. clause 1.1.18 ("a Change of Ownership") shall be amended as follows:
(i) in paragraph (a) thereof, by deleting the words "3 (three)"
and substituting therefor the words "5 (five)"; and
(ii) in paragraph (a)(ii) thereof, by replacing the current
language with the following:
"TIC ceases to hold the higher of:
(1) at least 8,000,000 (eight million) shares of the
Borrower; or
(2) 16.5% (sixteen point five percent) of the total
outstanding issued share capital of the Borrower;
provided, however, that: (A) the sale by TIC of up to
2,000,000 (two million) shares (the "FREE Shares")
shall not be taken into account, inter alia, for the
purposes of this clause 1.1.18(a)(ii)(2), nor be
deemed as a `Change of Ownership', provided
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that TIC continues to hold at least 8,000,000 (eight
million) shares of the Borrower; (B) if TIC's
percentage ownership of the Borrower as required in
this clause 1.1.18(a)(ii)(2) above is reduced below
16.5% (sixteen point five percent) as a result of
additional issuances after the Seventh Amendment
Closing Date by the Borrower of shares ((i) whether
before or after sales by TIC of Free Shares or (ii)
after sales of shares by TIC that did not bring the
shareholdings of TIC under 16.5% (sixteen point five
percent) of the total outstanding issued share
capital of the Borrower), such reduction below 16.5%
(sixteen point five percent) shall not be deemed a
`Change of Ownership'; and (C) shares acquired by TIC
after the Seventh Amendment Closing Date shall not be
taken into account, inter alia, for the purposes of
this clause 1.1.18(a)(ii)(2) and the sale of such
shares shall not be deemed a `Change of Ownership'
and TIC shall be permitted to sell such acquired
shares at any time; and"
(iii) in paragraphs (a)(iii) and (b) thereof, the words "timeous
fulfilment of all the Milestones and" shall be deleted and the
following shall be added to the end thereof and the following
shall be taken into account for the purposes of the definition
of Committed Minimum Shareholdings in paragraph (c) thereof:
"save for, the sale of shares in the Borrower, during
a period commencing on January 29, 2004, by any of
the Lead Investors (other than TIC) in an aggregate
amount equal to 30% (thirty percent) of the shares in
the Borrower held by such Lead Investor on January
29, 2004."
(iv) in paragraph (d)(i) thereof, by replacing the current language
thereof with the following:
"For the purposes of this paragraph, the "Number of
Shares" shall mean the number of shares of Tower held
by TIC on January 29, 2006, less (i) the Free Shares
not sold by
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TIC since the date of the Seventh Amendment, (ii) the
number of shares that were purchased after the date
of the Seventh Amendment but before January 29, 2006
and not yet sold, and (iii) the number of shares that
are held by TIC on January 29, 2006 above 16.5%
(sixteen point five percent) of the total outstanding
issued share capital of the Borrower; provided that
for purposes of determining the number of shares in
this (iii), the number of shares described in (i) and
(ii) above shall not be taken into account and
provided further that the Number of Shares shall not
be less than 8,000,000 (eight million) shares of the
Borrower;
TIC holds in any period below less than that Number
of Shares specified for such period below: (1) the
period commencing on January 29, 2006 and ending on
January 28, 2007--75% of the Number of Shares; (2)
the period commencing on January 29, 2007 and ending
on January 28, 2008--45% of the Number of Shares; and
(3) the period commencing on January 29, 2008 and
ending on January 28, 2009-10% of the Number of
Shares".
and
(v) in paragraph (e) thereof, by deleting the words "the planned
date for the achievement of the Fifth Milestone (as referred
to in Schedule 1.1.104 hereto)" and substituting therefor the
words "June 30, 2004";
2.1.4. the following shall be added to the end of clause 1.1.22
("Commitment"):
"Notwithstanding the aforegoing, in the event that the Banks
exercise, in their sole discretion, their option under clause
16.34.1 below to require a Safety Net Investment in the
Borrower in accordance therewith and such Safety Net
Investment is in fact made pursuant to clause 16.34.1 below,
then each Bank's Commitment under the Facility shall, at the
time of such Safety Net Investment, be increased by its
Proportion (excluding in relation to the Safety Net
Investment) of an amount equal to US $43 (forty-three United
States Dollars) for every US $50 (fifty
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United States Dollars) of Safety Net Investments actually made
by Safety Net Investors pursuant to clause 16.34.1 below, all
as set out in clause 16.34 below."
2.1.5. the words "the Initial Loans" in clause 1.1.34 ("Credit") in the third
line shall be deleted and the words "the Reborrowed Loans and the
Safety Net Loans" substituted therefor;
2.1.6. in clause 1.1.49A ("Equity Convertible Debentures"), the words "issued
by no later than May 31, 2002 and that they" shall be deleted;
2.1.6A in clause 1.1.51 ("Event of Default"), the words "17.2-17.20A
(inclusive)" shall be replaced with "17.2-17.20B (inclusive)";
2.1.7. clause 1.1.60 ("Final Maturity Date") shall be amended to read as
follows:
"`FINAL MATURITY
DATE' - means December 31, 2010; provided,
however, that if a Safety Net
Investment is made, the Final Maturity
Date shall be June 30, 2011;"
2.1.8. clause 1.1.74 ("Initial Loans") shall be deleted and the words
"[Intentionally Deleted]" substituted therefor;
2.1.9. in clause 1.1.77 ("Insurance Report"), there shall be inserted after
the word "Borrower", the words:
"including all revisions thereto in the form to be prepared by
the Insurance Adviser and addressed to the Banks and the
Borrower;"
2.1.10. in clause 1.1.84(c) ("Interest Periods"), the words "during the
Availability Period" shall be deleted;
2.1.11. clause 1.1.96 ("Loan") shall be amended by deleting the words "or the
Initial Loans" and substituting the words "or the Reborrowed Loans or
the Safety Net Loans, if any", therefor;
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2.1.12. clause 1.1.97 ("Loan Maturity Date") shall be amended to read as
follows:
"`LOAN MATURITY
DATE' - means, in respect of:
(a) all Loans outstanding on December
31, 2003 (including, for the
removal of doubt, all Advances
consolidated into a Loan in
accordance with clause 5.2.4
below, on the last Business Day of
the Quarter ending on December 31,
2003), December 31, 2003;
(b) the Reborrowed Loans, December 31,
2009;
(c) each Loan (other than a Safety Net
Loan) made after December 31,
2003, the 6th (sixth) anniversary
of the date on which the Advances
constituting such Loan are
consolidated into such Loan in
accordance with clause 5.2.4
below; and
(d) each Safety Net Loan, if any, the
earlier of December 31, 2007 and
the 3rd (third) anniversary of the
date on which the Advances
constituting such Safety Net Loan
are consolidated into such Safety
Net Loan in accordance with clause
5.2.4 below;"
2.1.13. clause 1.1.106 ("Net Cash Flow") shall be amended as follows:
(i) by inserting the words, "or during the period described in the
final paragraph of clause 16.29 below only, as specified in
Schedule 1.1.106A hereto" after the words "in Schedule 1.1.106
hereto"; and
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(ii) by deleting the words "1.5% (one and-a-half percent)" and
substituting "2.5% (two and-a-half percent)" therefor;
2.1.14. clause 1.1.113 ("Permitted Distribution") shall be amended as follows:
(i) the date "January 1, 2006" in paragraph (a) thereof shall be
deleted and the date "January 1, 2008" substituted therefor;
and
(ii) in subparagraph (b)(ii) thereof, the words "(that is, on the
basis that the SDPP shall have fallen within Q3'03)" shall be
deleted;
2.1.15. clause 1.1.114(d) ("Permitted Encumbrances") shall be deleted;
2.1.16. in clause 1.1.115 ("Permitted Financial Indebtedness"):
(i) in the first sentence of paragraph (c) thereof, the words
"(which may be secured by way of a first-ranking fixed charge
(only) over the items of equipment listed in SCHEDULE
1.1.115(C)(1) hereto)" shall be deleted; and
(ii) the second sentence of paragraph (c) thereof shall be deleted;
2.1.17. in clause 1.1.118 ("Permitted Subordinated Debt"):
(i) paragraph (e) thereof shall be amended to read as follows:
(a) the first sentence shall be deleted and replaced by
the following:
"the Borrower shall procure that, at all
times, an amount equal to 20% (twenty
percent) of the outstanding principal amount
of all convertible debentures (as may be
increased from time to time through the
issuance of additional convertible
debentures and as may be decreased from time
to time through repayment by the Borrower of
outstanding principal of some or all of the
convertible debentures) shall be deposited
in an account with either Bank Hapoalim or
Bank Leumi (`THE
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RESERVE ACCOUNT') which account shall be
duly pledged in favour of the Banks, by way
of a first-ranking fixed charge under the
Debenture, as security for the payment of
all amounts by the Borrower under the
Finance Documents."
(b) in the second sentence, the amount US $396,000,000
(three hundred and ninety-six million United States
Dollars)" shall be deleted and replaced by "US
$544,000,000 (five hundred and forty-four million
United States Dollars)" and "50% (fifty percent)"
wherever it appears shall be deleted and replaced by
"20% (twenty percent)"; and
(c) following the second sentence, the following shall be
added:
"This clause 1.1.118(e) shall not apply to
convertible debentures issued to Safety Net
Investors within the framework of a Safety
Net Investment."
(ii) paragraph (g) shall be amended as follows:
(a) by deleting the date "July 1, 2005" in subparagraph
(i) thereof and substituting therefor the date "July
1, 2007";
(b) the year "2006" in subparagraph (ii) thereof shall be
deleted wherever it appears and the year "2008"
substituted therefor;
(c) the date "January 1, 2007" in subparagraph (iii)
thereof shall be deleted and the date "January 1,
2009" substituted therefor; and
(d) the following shall be added at the end thereof:
"Provided that: (1) the aforegoing
provisions of this paragraph (g) shall not
apply in respect of those Equity Convertible
Debentures issued in January 2002 (`THE 2002
EQUITY CONVERTIBLE DEBENTURES'), in respect
of which the cumulative amounts on
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account of principal of approximately US
$24,000,000 (twenty-four million United
States Dollars) which are to be repaid shall
be repayable in 4 (four) instalments on
January 20 of the years 2006-2009; and (2)
the amount specified in (i) above of this
paragraph (g) shall be reduced by the amount
of any principal repaid on account of the
2002 Equity Convertible Debentures prior to
July 1, 2007; and the amount referred to in
(ii) above of this paragraph (g) shall be
reduced by the amount of any principal
repaid on account of the 2002 Equity
Convertible Debentures prior to 2008 not
already applied to reduce the amount under
(i) above of this paragraph (g), i.e., to
the extent exceeding US $20,000,000 (twenty
million United States Dollars) in
aggregate."
2.1.18. clause 1.1.132 ("SDPP") shall be deleted and replaced by the following:
"`SDPP' - means the date on which the Banks
receive written notice signed by the
Consulting Engineer certifying that Fab
2 has a production capacity of 10,000
(ten thousand) wafer starts per month
based on the parameters set forth in
SCHEDULE 1.1.132 hereto;
2.1.19. clause 1.1.133 ("Security
Documents") shall be amended by adding
thereto new paragraphs (f) and (g), as
follows:
"(f) the Safety Net Undertaking; and
(g) Outside Investment Undertakings;"
2.1.20. clause 1.1.137 ("Termination Date") shall be amended to read as
follows:
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"`TERMINATION
DATE' - means December 31, 2004; provided that,
if a Safety Net Investment is made,
`the Termination Date' shall mean June
30, 2005;"
2.1.21. there shall be inserted at the end of clause 1.1.147 (Warrants"),
before the semi-colon, the following words:
"as well as any other warrants to acquire shares of the
Borrower issued by the Borrower to the Banks from time to
time;"
2.1.22. in clause 1.3.14, the word "Sales" shall be inserted after the words
"`Excess Cash Flow';".
and
2.1.23. the following new definitions shall be added:
(i) as new clause 1.1.9A:
"`BANK ADVISER' - shall bear the meaning
assigned to such term in
clause 16.16.3 below;"
(ii) as new clause 1.1.13A:
"`BORROWER
OFFERING
UNDERTAKING' - means the undertaking of the
Borrower, inter alia, to
complete a rights offering in
the event a Contribution
Notice (as defined in clause
16.34.1 below), is delivered
to it, such undertaking to be
in the form of SCHEDULE
1.1.13A hereto;"
(iii) as new clause 1.1.111A:
"`OUTSIDE
INVESTMENT
UNDERTAKING' - shall bear the meaning
assigned to such term in
clause 16.35.1 below;"
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(iv) as new clause 1.1.127A:
"`SAFETY NET
INVESTMENT' - means the amount actually
received by the Borrower from
Safety Net Investors for
Units, as defined in Schedule
1.1.13A hereof, purchased from
the Borrower in a public
offering or a private
placement following, and in
accordance with, a
Contribution Notice (as
defined in clause 16.34.1
below) delivered in the sole
discretion of the Banks to the
Borrower (with a copy to the
Safety Net Obligor) by the
Banks. For the removal of
doubt, amounts invested
pursuant to clauses 4.5, 4.6
and 16.27.1 below shall not
constitute Safety Net
Investments;"
(v) as new clause 1.1.127B:
"`SAFETY NET
INVESTOR AUDITOR' - means the respective auditors
of the Safety Net Investors,
provided that each such
auditor is one of the "big
four" internationally
recognised firms of auditors
(or a local country affiliate
thereof, in the case of Safety
Net Investors incorporated
outside of the United
States);"
(vi) as new clause 1.1.127C:
"`SAFETY NET
INVESTORS' - means TIC, Israel Corporation
Technologies (ICTech) Ltd.
(`ICTech'), Sandisk, Alliance,
Macronix, QuickLogic, Etgar
and any other shareholder of
the Borrower
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which holds at the date hereof
or at the time the relevant
Contribution Notice is
delivered by the Banks no less
than 6% (six percent) of the
issued and outstanding share
capital of the Borrower;"
(vii) as new clause 1.1.127D:
"`SAFETY NET
LOANS' - means Loans, if any, not to
exceed in the aggregate an
amount equal to US $43,000,000
(forty-three million United
States Dollars), made by the
Banks to the Borrower
following receipt of Safety
Net Investments made by Safety
Net Investors, all in
accordance with and subject to
the provisions of clause 16.34
below;"
(viii) as new clause 1.1.127E:
"`SAFETY NET
OBLIGOR' - means TIC;"
(ix) as new clause 1.1.127F:
"`SAFETY NET
OBLIGOR'S
AUDITORS' - means KPMG Somekh Chaikin or
another leading firm of
independent Israeli auditors
affiliated to one of the "big
four" internationally
recognised firms of auditors;"
(x) as new clause 1.1.127G:
"`SAFETY NET
UNDERTAKING' - means the undertaking in the
form of SCHEDULE 1.1.127G
hereto to be executed by TIC
in
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accordance with clause 16.34
below and to be delivered to
the Banks;"
(xi) as new clause 1.1.133A:
"`SEVENTH
AMENDMENT
CLOSING DATE' - shall bear the meaning
assigned to such term in the
Seventh Amendment to this
Agreement;" and
(xii) as new clause 1.1.133B:
"`SEVENTH
AMENDMENT
FEE LETTER' - means the fee letter of the
date hereof between the
Borrower and the Banks;"
2.2. Clause 2 (The Facility) shall be amended as follows:
2.2.1. clause 2.1 (Grant of Facility) shall be amended by adding the following
as a second paragraph thereof:
"In addition, in the event that the Banks shall (in their sole
discretion) have exercised their option to require the making
of Safety Net Investments pursuant to clause 16.34 below, and
provided such Safety Net Investments are in fact made by
Safety Net Investors in accordance with the relevant
Contribution Notice (as defined in clause 16.34.1 below) and
otherwise in accordance with clause 16.34 below, the Banks
agree to increase the Facility by an aggregate amount equal to
US $43 (forty-three United States Dollars) for every US $50
(fifty United States Dollars) of Safety Net Investment made by
Safety Net Investors pursuant to clause 16.34.1 below (but not
to exceed an amount equal to US $43,000,000 (forty-three
million United States Dollars)), such increased amount of the
Facility to be made available by way of Safety Net Loans, all
as set out in, and subject to the terms and conditions of,
clause 16.34 below."
and
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2.2.2. in clause 2.2.1, the words "or of the Initial Loans" shall be deleted.
2.3. Clause 3 (Purpose) shall be amended as follows:
2.3.1. in clause 3.1.6, the words "in respect of the Availability Period"
shall be deleted; and
2.3.2. a new clause 3.1.10 shall be added as follows:
"to utilise, for the purpose of Fab 1, monies in an amount not
exceeding the aggregate amounts which were generated by Fab 1,
but were applied for the purposes of Fab 2 (all as recorded as
such in the books of the Borrower)."
2.4. Clause 5 (Availability of Credits) shall be amended as follows:
2.4.1. clause 5.1.1(ii) shall be amended to read as follows:
"5.1.1. (ii) the Total Outstandings shall at no time exceed the
product of 1.11 (one point one one) (or, in the
event, and only in the event, any Safety Net Loans
shall be made, then 1.29 (one point two nine)) and
the aggregate amount of investments in Paid-in Equity
(including a deemed amount of US $493,331 (four
hundred and ninety three thousand, three hundred and
thirty-one United States Dollars) from Etgar),
proceeds, net of taxes paid and related expenses from
the sale of shares in accordance with clause
16.27.2(b) below, wafer prepayments (including
credits), MEI Proceeds (other than any MEI Proceeds
constituting wafer prepayments and which are taken
into account as such under this clause 5.1.1(ii)
above) and principal (net of discounts) of Equity
Convertible Debentures or Permitted Subordinated Debt
issued to Safety Net Investors within the framework
of a Safety Net Investment, in all cases actually
received by the Borrower
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prior to such time and taken into account for the
purposes of the US $544,000,000 (five hundred and
forty-four million United States Dollars) investment,
all as required pursuant to clauses 16.27.1-16.27.2
below;"
2.4.2. clause 5.1.2 shall be deleted and the words "[Intentionally Deleted]"
substituted therefor;
2.4.3. clause 5.1.4 shall be amended as follows:
"5.1.4. Credits shall be made available during the Availability Period
only (except that Safety Net Loans, if any, may be provided
after the Availability Period pursuant to clause 16.34 below),
and then only, if all the following conditions (in addition to
those specific conditions for each type of Credit specified
hereunder in this clause 5 and, with respect to Safety Net
Loans, also in addition to those conditions specified in
clause 16.34 below), are fulfilled; provided that, only
clauses 5.1.4.2, 5.2.3, 5.2.4, 5.2.5, 5.2.6 and 5.2.7 below
and the delivery of a Drawdown Request in respect thereof
shall constitute conditions for the making of Safety Net
Loans."
2.4.4. clause 5.1.4.2 shall be amended by adding the following words:
", except that a Safety Net Loan may be made after the
Termination Date;"
2.4.5. in clause 5.1.4.4, there shall be inserted at the beginning thereof,
the following words:
"save only with respect to the Credit to be made pursuant to
clause 6.1.1 below,..."
2.4.6. in clause 5.1.4.6, the words "save with respect to the Initial Loans",
in the first line shall be deleted;
2.4.7. the opening paragraph of clause 5.2 shall be amended by adding the
following after the words "during the Availability Period only":
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"(except that Safety Net Loans, if any, may be provided after
the Availability Period pursuant to clause 16.34 below),"
2.4.8. clause 5.2.2 shall be amended by adding the following words to the
beginning thereof:
"except with respect to Safety Net Loans,"
2.4.9. in clause 5.2.7, there shall be inserted at the beginning thereof, the
following words:
"save only with respect to the Credit to be made pursuant to
clause 6.1.1 below,..."
and
2.4.10. clause 5.2.8 shall be deleted and replaced by the following:
"5.2.8. for the removal of doubt, the Borrower shall not be entitled
to obtain any Advances in respect of that part of the Facility
comprising the Safety Net Loans, unless and until the Banks
shall, in their discretion, have exercised their option to
require the making of Safety Net Investments and the relevant
Safety Net Investments shall in fact have been received from
Safety Net Investors in accordance with the relevant
Contribution Notice (as defined in clause 16.34.1 below) and
otherwise in accordance with clause 16.34 below."
2.5. Clause 6 (Repayment) shall be amended as follows:
2.5.1. clause 6.1 (Repayment of Loans) shall be amended to read as follows:
"6.1. REPAYMENT OF LOANS
6.1.1. On December 31, 2003, or, if not a Business Day, on the
immediately preceding Business Day, the Borrower shall repay
the Total Outstandings in respect of Loans and Advances as at
such date in
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accordance with this clause 6.1.1 below. The Borrower shall
deliver to each of the Banks an irrevocable Drawdown Request
for a Loan in the amount of each Bank's Proportion of the
Total Outstandings in respect of Loans and Advances of the
Borrower, such Loan to be drawn down by the Borrower on
December 31, 2003, or, if not a Business Day, on the
immediately preceding Business Day, together with instructions
to each Bank to apply such Loan towards repayment in full of
all then outstanding Loans and Advances, together with all
accrued and unpaid Interest thereon (such Loans to be made on
December 31, 2003, or, if not a Business Day, on the
immediately preceding Business Day, in accordance with the
aforegoing, hereinafter `THE REBORROWED Loans'). Subject to
all the conditions for an Advance under this Agreement being
met, each Bank shall make available its Proportion of the
Reborrowed Loans in accordance with the aforegoing, to be
applied in repayment in accordance with this clause 6.1.1.
The Borrower shall repay to each Bank its Proportion of the
Reborrowed Loans by way of 12 (twelve) equal consecutive
quarterly instalments, payable on the last Business Day of
each Quarter, the first such instalment in respect of the
Reborrowed Loans to be paid on March 31, 2007 and the last
such instalment to be paid on December 31, 2009.
6.1.2. With respect to all Advances made after December 31, 2003
(other than Safety Net Loans), the Borrower shall repay to
each Bank its Proportion of each such Loan by way of 12
(twelve) equal consecutive quarterly instalments, payable on
the last Business Day of each Quarter,
- 18 -
the first such instalment in respect of each such Loan to be
paid on the date falling 36 (thirty-six) months after the
Consolidation Date for such Loan (in any event all Advances
and Loans to be fully repaid by no later than the Final
Maturity Date).
6.1.3. With respect to Safety Net Loans, if any, the Borrower shall
repay to each Bank its Proportion of each such Safety Net Loan
by way of a lump sum payment made on the earlier of: (a)
December 31, 2007; and (b) the 3rd (third) anniversary of the
Consolidation Date for such Safety Net Loan. Notwithstanding
the aforegoing, the Borrower shall use its best efforts to
voluntarily prepay the Safety Net Loan, in accordance with
clause 7 below, as soon as practicable."
2.5.2. in clause 6.5 (No Reborrowing), the following shall be added to the
beginning thereof:
"Except only as otherwise provided in clause 6.1.1, ...".
2.5.3. in clause 6.6 (Cancellation of Commitments), the words " of the Initial
Loans pursuant to clause 5.2.8.3 above" shall be deleted and replaced
by:
"on December 31, 2003 (or, if not a Business Day, on the
immediately preceding Business Day), as referred to in
clause 6.1.1 above."
2.6. Clause 7 (Voluntary Prepayment) shall be amended as follows:
2.6.1. by deleting, in the third line of clause 7.1, the words "after the
Availability Period";
2.6.2. by deleting in clause 7.4, the words "or for amounts applied in
repayment of the Initial Loans pursuant to clause 5.2.8.3 above)";
- 19 -
2.6.3. by adding to the beginning of clause 7.5:
"Except with respect to prepayment of Safety Net Loans,"
and
2.6.4. by adding a new clause 7.12 thereto, as follows:
"7.12. PREPAYMENT PURSUANT TO CLAUSE 6.1.1
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this clause 7
above, the provisions of clauses 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, 7.5, 7.8,
7.9 and 7.11 above shall not apply to the prepayment on
December 31, 2003 and to the making of the Reborrowed Loans in
accordance with the provisions of clause 6.1.1 above."
2.7. Clause 9 (Interest) shall be amended as follows:
2.7.1. clause 9.1 (Interest Rate) shall be deleted and replaced with the
following:
"9.1. INTEREST RATE
The rate of Interest applicable to each of the Advances and
each Loan (including the Reborrowed Loans) in respect of each
Interest Period shall be:
9.1.1. with respect to all Advances and Loans (other than Safety Net
Loans), the sum of: (a) the rate per annum determined by the
Banks to be LIBOR on the Interest Determination Date for such
Interest Period; and (b) 2.5% (two point five percent) per
annum; and
9.1.2. with respect to Safety Net Loans, the sum of: (a) the rate per
annum determined by the Banks to be LIBOR on the Interest
Determination Date for such Interest Period; and (b) 2.5% (two
point five percent) per annum."
and
- 20 -
2.7.2. clause 9.2 (Accrual of Interest) shall be amended by deleting the words
"and 5.2.8.2" in the first line thereof.
2.8. Clause 11 (Commissions, Fees and Expenses) shall be amended as follows:
2.8.1. clause 11.1 shall be amended to read as follows:
"11.1. SEVENTH AMENDMENT FRONT-END FEE
The Borrower shall pay to each of the Banks, on the earlier
of: (a) the Seventh Amendment Closing Date; and (b) December
31, 2003, the fees set out in paragraph 1 of the Seventh
Amendment Fee Letter."
2.8.2. clause 11.2 (Commitment Commission) shall be amended as follows:
(i) the first sentence of clause 11.2 shall be replaced by the
following:
"The Borrower shall, from and after the date of
signature of the Seventh Amendment to this Agreement
through the end of the Availability Period, pay to
each of the Banks a Commitment commission at the rate
per annum as specified in paragraph 2 of the Seventh
Amendment Fee Letter on such Bank's Available Loan
Commitment (other than in respect of that part of the
Commitment, if any, which may relate to Safety Net
Loans) from time to time as from the date of the
Seventh Amendment to this Agreement until the last
day of the Availability Period."
(ii) the following shall be inserted before the sentence commencing
" `Available Loan Commitment' means ...":
"If the Termination Date is extended until June 30,
2005 as a result of the exercise by the Banks of
their option to call for the making of Safety Net
Investments pursuant to clause 16.34 below, then,
with respect to such extended period the Commitment
commission shall be payable for the period
- 21 -
commencing from the date the Contribution Notice
exercising such option was delivered to the Safety
Net Obligor and ending on the Termination Date (as
extended)."
and
2.8.3. clause 11.4 (Consultants) shall be amended to read as follows:
"11.4. CONSULTANTS
The Borrower shall, in accordance with the letters of
engagement referred to in clauses 4.8-4.10 (inclusive) above
and, in the case of the Bank Adviser, the letter described in
section 3.1.11 of the Seventh Amendment to this Agreement,
retain the following experts: the Consulting Engineer, the
Insurance Adviser, the Consulting Economist and the Bank
Adviser, to advise and act on behalf of the Banks and the
Borrower in respect of the Project, including to perform on
behalf of the Banks such financial, economic, insurance and
technical due diligence inquiries, review, analysis and
monitoring as the Banks may require in connection with the
Project, as well as, in the case of the Consulting Engineer,
to perform all those functions referred to in this Agreement,
in the case of the Insurance Adviser, to provide the Insurance
Report, in the case of the Consulting Economist, to provide an
opinion as to the economic viability of the Project and in the
case of the Bank Adviser, to monitor, review and analyse the
financial information received by the Banks from the Borrower
pursuant to this Agreement and any of the Finance Documents.
The Borrower shall pay all fees of such experts, such fees to
be payable in accordance with the tariffs agreed to between
the Borrower and such experts."
2.9. Clause 16 (Undertakings) shall be amended as follows:
2.9.1. the following subclauses shall be added at the end of clause 16.7.2:
- 22 -
"(v) payments permitted by clause 16.27.3.1 below;
(vi) payments in connection with the Borrower's indemnification
obligations as contemplated by the Borrower Offering
Undertaking;
(vii) warrants to TIC or TIC's Subsidiary, ICTech, in consideration
for the provision by TIC of the Safety Net Undertaking, the
value of which warrants not to exceed US $500,000 (five
hundred thousand United States Dollars) plus 5% (five percent)
of the Safety Net Investments actually made by TIC or IC
Tech."
2.9.2. the following shall be added in the second line of clause 16.14.2,
after the word "Banks", wherever it appears: "(and with the Bank
Adviser)";
2.9.3. clause 16.16.1 shall be amended as follows:
(i) in the second line, the words "(including the Bank Adviser)"
shall be inserted after the words "professional adviser"; and
(ii) the words ", the Bank Adviser" shall be added after the words
"the Consulting Engineer".
2.9.4. a new clause 16.16.3 shall be added to read as follows:
"16.16.3. For the avoidance of doubt, no information or
access provided to any of the Banks' professional
advisors, including, the adviser to the Banks on
financial and accounting matters (`THE BANK
ADVISER'), pursuant to this Agreement shall
release the Borrower from its obligations to make
and provide, and to be fully responsible for, all
reports and notices as shall be required under
this Agreement, or in any way place any
responsibility on the Banks with respect to the
Borrower or to any third parties with respect to
such information and access, including, any claim
that any knowledge obtained by the Banks'
professional advisors (including the Bank
Advisor), constitutes any waiver of any nature or
- 23 -
acceptance by the Banks of any such matter or
matters as to which the Banks' professional
advisors (including the Bank Advisor) obtain
knowledge."
2.9.5. clause 16.27 (Investments in the Borrower) shall be amended as follows:
(i) clause 16.27.1 shall be amended to read as follows:
"16.27.1 procure that, notwithstanding anything to the
contrary in the Finance Documents, the balance of
the aggregate amount of all investments in Paid-in
Equity of the Borrower to be invested and all
wafer prepayments, including credits, under
Qualifying Wafer Prepayment Contracts to be made
(other than by QuickLogic), all as described in
the undertakings (other than by QuickLogic)
referred to in clause 4.6 above (such balance
being US $24,635,440 (twenty-four million six
hundred and thirty-five thousand, four hundred and
forty United States Dollars) such balance, broken
down as amongst each counterparty to such
undertakings, as detailed in SCHEDULE 16.27.1
hereto) are invested and received (into one of the
Project Accounts or into the Foreign Paid-in
Equity Account) in full, by not later than 3
(three) Business Days following the date the
Borrower's shareholders approve the Amendment No.
3 to Payment Schedule of Series A-5 Additional
Purchase Obligations, Waivers of Series A-5
Conditions, Conversion of Series A-4 Wafer Credits
and all other provisions pursuant to which, inter
alia, the Lead Investors (other than QuickLogic)
give their written consents, as referred to in
section 3.1.5 of the Seventh Amendment to this
Agreement (`THE AMENDMENT NO. 3 LETTER').
- 24 -
The Borrower shall, on or prior to 5 (five) days
after such 3 (three) Business Days, submit to the
Banks a certificate from the Auditors, in the form
of Schedule 16.1.1(v)(B) hereto, confirming
receipt by the Borrower of all such sums."
(ii) clause 16.27.2 shall be amended to read as follows:
"16.27.2. procure that (in addition to the investments
already made prior to the date of execution of the
Seventh Amendment to this Agreement pursuant to
this clause 16.27.2 (the aggregate amount of which
investments the Borrower declares amounts to US
$86,000,000 (eighty-six million United States
Dollars)), there shall have been: (a) invested in
the Paid-in Equity of the Borrower, by way of
private placement or public offering (including
exercise of employee share options or any other
warrants issued by the Borrower); and/or (b)
received by the Borrower proceeds, net of taxes
paid and related expenses, generated from the sale
of shares of the Borrower in Saifun, Azalea
Microelectronics Corporation, Chip Express
Corporation and/or Virage Logic Corporation;
provided that, the Borrower shall have undertaken
in writing to the Banks to capitalise the amount
of such proceeds, which comprises a net capital
gain, into Paid-in Equity by way of share issue,
by no later than September 30, 2005 (to the extent
necessary to satisfy
- 25 -
the Borrower's obligations on such date pursuant
to the last sentence of this clause 16.27.2) and
that such capital gains are recognised as
additional paid-up share capital by the Investment
Centre in accordance with the terms of the
Investment Centre Fab 2 Grants (to the extent
necessary to satisfy the Borrower's obligations
pursuant to the last sentence of this clause
16.27.2) (such net capital gains, when duly
capitalised and recognised as aforesaid,
hereinafter `THE RECOGNISED INVESTMENTS'); and/or
(c) received by the Borrower wafer prepayments
(including credits) under Qualifying Wafer
Prepayment Contracts; and/or (d) received by the
Borrower an amount (net of discounts, but not net
of commissions, fees and other issuance costs) in
respect of the principal amount of Equity
Convertible Debentures (subject to the terms of
clause 1.1.118 above) or Permitted Subordinated
Debt issued to Safety Net Investors within the
framework of a Safety Net Investment. (For the
purposes of this clause 16.27.2 only, Safety Net
Investments shall also include investments made by
shareholders of the Borrower who are not Safety
Net Investors within the framework of an
investment made pursuant to the Borrower Offering
Undertaking); and/or (e) received by the Borrower
MEI Proceeds (excluding any MEI Proceeds
comprising wafer prepayments under Qualifying
Wafer Prepayment Contracts which are taken into
account under (c) above, all the above in an
aggregate amount of not less than US $152,000,000
(one hundred and fifty-two million United States
Dollars) to be invested and/or received as
aforesaid, as to US $28,000,000 (twenty-eight
million United States Dollars) by not later than 4
(four) months after the date of execution of the
Seventh Amendment to this Agreement; as to an
additional US $25,500,000 (twenty-five million,
five hundred thousand United States Dollars), by
not later
- 26 -
than June 30, 2004; as to an additional US
$25,500,000 (twenty-five million, five hundred
thousand United States Dollars) by not later than
December 31, 2004; as to an additional US
$36,500,000 (thirty-six million five hundred
thousand United States Dollars), by not later than
June 30, 2005; and as to an additional US
$36,500,000 (thirty-six million, five hundred
thousand United States Dollars), by not later than
December 31, 2005 (such amount of US $152,000,000
(one hundred and fifty-two million United States
Dollars) being in addition to the amount of US
$86,000,000 (eighty-six million United States
Dollars) already invested pursuant to this clause
16.27.2 prior to the date of execution of the
Seventh Amendment pursuant to this Agreement and
in addition to the investment of US $306,323,000
(three hundred and six million, three hundred and
twenty-three thousand United States Dollars) to be
invested in accordance with clauses 4.5 and 4.6
above. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in
this Agreement, the aggregate investments in
Paid-in Equity as referred to in clauses 4.5 and
4.6 above together with the aggregate proceeds
pursuant to this clause 16.27.2 above (other than
from wafer prepayments (including Credits)) shall
not be less than US $459,000,000 (four hundred and
fifty-nine million United States Dollars).
Accordingly, in the event that at any date for
receipt of an investment under Schedule 4.6 it
becomes apparent that the amount received by the
Borrower in respect of wafer prepayments
(including credits) under Qualifying Wafer
Prepayment
- 27 -
Contracts (it being recorded that all amounts of
MEI Proceeds in excess of US $8,000,000 (eight
million United States Dollars) in aggregate shall,
for this purpose, be deemed to constitute wafer
prepayments under Qualifying Wafer Prepayment
Contracts as aforesaid) is in excess of US
$85,000,000 (eighty-five million United States
Dollars), the Borrower shall, within 41/2 (four
and-a-half) months from the date the capacity of
Fab 2 is 15,000 (fifteen thousand) wafer starts,
procure that there shall have been invested in the
Borrower in Paid-in Equity an amount equal to the
excess of such wafer prepayments over US
$85,000,000 (eighty-five million United States
Dollars) as aforesaid (in addition to all other
Paid-in Equity to be invested pursuant to this
Agreement). The Borrower shall within 7 (seven)
days of receipt of each investment, proceeds from
the sale of shares, wafer prepayment, payment on
account of Equity Convertible Debentures or Safety
Net Investments or MEI Proceeds, submit to the
Banks a confirmation by the Auditors of each
investment in Paid-in Equity, proceeds and net
capital gains referred to in paragraph (b) above,
wafer payment, payment on account of Equity
Convertible Debentures or Safety Net Investments
or MEI Proceeds referred to in this clause 16.27.2
above, together, with respect to net capital gains
as referred to in paragraph (b) above, with the
undertaking by the Borrower to capitalise same as
aforesaid. In addition, by no later than September
30, 2005, the aggregate investments in Paid-in
Equity as referred to in clauses 4.5 and 4.6 above
and as
- 28 -
described above in paragraph (a) above and the
Recognised Investments of the Borrower under
Schedule 4.6 shall not be less than US
$345,000,000 (three hundred and forty-five million
United States Dollars);"
(iii) clause 16.27.3 shall be amended as follows:
(a) the existing clause 16.27.3 shall be renumbered
"16.27.3.2" and shall commence with the words "With
effect from January 1, 2007 ..."; and
(b) a new clause 16.27.3.1 shall be inserted as follows:
"16.27.3.1 The Borrower shall cause all Qualifying
Wafer Prepayment Contracts to which it
is a party as at the date of execution
of the Seventh Amendment to this
Agreement to be amended to the effect
(and all Qualifying Wafer Prepayment
Contracts which the Borrower shall enter
into after the date of execution of the
Seventh Amendment to this Agreement
shall provide) that no prepayments made
to the Borrower with respect to the
purchase of wafers may be reimbursed or
refunded to, or utilised by, or credited
in favour of, the wafer customer and/or
designer party to the Qualifying Wafer
Prepayment Contract providing such
prepayment, except with respect to: (a)
the utilisation of such prepayments
towards the purchase price of wafers
which were ordered prior to the date of
execution of the Seventh Amendment to
this Agreement and
- 29 -
which were or will be manufactured and
delivered by the Borrower for such wafer
customer and/or designer in an aggregate
amount not to exceed US $1,100,000 (one
million one hundred thousand United
States Dollars); (b) the utilisation of
such prepayments towards the purchase
price of wafers manufactured and
delivered by the Borrower to such wafer
customer and/or designer after December
31, 2006; and (c) the utilisation of
such prepayments to purchase shares of
the Borrower. The Borrower shall be
entitled to pay quarterly, in arrears,
to the counterparty to any Qualifying
Wafer Prepayment Contract in effect as
of the date of execution of the Seventh
Amendment to this Agreement which is
amended in accordance with the
aforegoing in this clause 16.27.3.1,
Interest in respect of the amount of any
prepayment to a counterparty which is a
party as aforesaid, in respect of the
period commencing on the date stipulated
for utilisation thereof pursuant to such
Qualifying Wafer Prepayment Contract
prior to such amendment as aforesaid in
this clause 16.27.3.1 and ending on
January 1, 2007, such Interest to be at
a rate not higher than that payable by
the Borrower to the Banks
- 30 -
pursuant to clause 9.1.1 above, during
such period and the Borrower shall be
further entitled to pay to any such
counterparty under any such Qualifying
Wafer Prepayment Contract the principal
of such prepayment in cash after June
30, 2007; provided that, at the date of
payment of any such Interest or
principal as aforesaid, the Banks shall
not have declared an Event of Default to
have occurred or to have made any other
declarations under clause 17.21 below."
2.9.6. clause 16.29 (Financial Undertakings) shall be amended as follows:
(i) the opening paragraph will be deleted and replaced by the
following:
"The Borrower will procure that: (a) with respect to
clauses 16.29.1 and 16.29.2 below, at all times
during the period of this Agreement; (b) with respect
to clause 16.29.9 and clause 16.29.11 below, with
effect from June 30, 2004 (including for the Quarter
ending on June 30, 2004), at all times during this
Agreement; and (c) with respect to clauses
16.29.3-16.29.8 and clause 16.29.10 below, with
effect from June 30, 2005 (including for the Quarter
ending on June 30, 2005), at all times during this
Agreement, the Borrower shall comply with the
Financial Undertakings set out below:"
(ii) in clause 16.29.1, the words "30% (thirty percent)" should be
deleted and replaced with the words "the applicable ratio set
out in Schedule 16.29";
(iii) in clause 16.29.2, the words "1.5 (one point five)" should be
deleted and replaced with the words "1.3 (one point three)";
- 31 -
(iv) a new clause 16.29.11 shall be inserted to read as follows:
"16.29.11 for any Quarter, Sales (determined on the same
basis as the term `Sales' appearing in the audited
consolidated annual financial statements of the
Borrower) for such Quarter for Fab 2, shall not be
less than the amount for such Quarter as set out
in Schedule 16.29 hereto."
and
(v) the following paragraph shall be added at the end of clause
16.29:
"Notwithstanding the aforegoing in this clause 16.29
above, in the event and only in the event that
Contribution Notices (as defined in clause 16.34.1
below) are or have been delivered by the Banks and
Safety Net Investments are duly made in accordance
with the provisions of clause 16.34 below, then, in
respect of the period commencing on the date of the
confirmation of the making of Safety Net Investments
in accordance with the provisions of clause 16.34
below and until the earliest of the following 3
(three) dates: (a) June 30, 2006 (or, in the event a
Contribution Notice is made within 3 (three) months
prior to June 30, 2006, the date corresponding to the
date Safety Net Investments are made pursuant to such
Contribution Notice or, if earlier, 3 (three) months
after the date of such Contribution Notice); (b) the
date on which the Borrower shall have fulfilled all
of its obligations under clause 16.27.2 above; and
(c) the date on which the Total Outstandings shall
first equal or exceed US $500,000,000 (five hundred
million United States Dollars) (disregarding, for
this purpose only, Safety Net Loans) and in respect
of such period only, all references in this clause
16.29 above to `Schedule 16.29' shall be deemed to be
replaced by SCHEDULE 16.29A hereto and in determining
LLCR for the purposes of this clause 16.29 above, the
Net Cash Flow shall
- 32 -
be that as specified in SCHEDULE 1.1.106A hereto
(rather than the Net Cash Flow as specified in
Schedule 1.1.106 hereto)."
2.9.7. clause 16.31.2 shall be amended by adding the words "MEI Proceeds",
after the words "proceeds of Permitted Subordinated Debt";
2.9.8. clause 16.31.3 shall be amended by adding the words "MEI Proceeds",
after the words "Wafer Prepayment Contracts";
2.9.9. a new clause 16.34 shall be added to read as follows:
"16.34. SAFETY NET UNDERTAKING
16.34.1. The parties record that the Safety Net Obligor has
provided a Safety Net Undertaking in favour of the
Banks (such undertaking, for the removal of doubt,
being only to the Banks and not to the Borrower,
its shareholders or any third party) that may be
called upon at the option of the Banks (the Banks
being under no obligation to exercise said
option), in the event that the Borrower shall fail
to fulfil any of its finance raising obligations
under clause 16.27.2 above (such obligations under
clause 16.27.2 above, hereinafter `THE BORROWER'S
EQUITY RAISING OBLIGATIONS'). The Borrower
acknowledges, for the removal of doubt, that: (a)
such Safety Net Undertaking is in addition to, and
does not in any way derogate from, the obligations
and undertakings of the Borrower described in
clauses 4.5, 4.6 and 16.27 above; and (b) subject
to clause 16.34.4 below, in the event of any
Default under clause 16.27.2 above, the Banks
shall have available to them all remedies under
the Finance Documents (including pursuant to
clauses 17.21, 17.22, 17.23, 17.24 and 17.25
below) and nothing in this clause 16.34 nor the
fact of the giving of the Safety Net Undertaking
shall derogate from the Banks' rights and remedies
as aforesaid. The
- 33 -
maximum aggregate amount of Safety Net Investments
that the Banks may require the Safety Net Obligor
to make pursuant to the Safety Net Undertaking
shall not exceed an amount equal to US $50,000,000
(fifty million United States Dollars).
It is further recorded that the Borrower has
delivered a Borrower Offering Undertaking to TIC
and the Banks and that pursuant to the Borrower
Offering Undertaking and the Safety Net
Undertaking (and subject to the terms and
conditions of each such Undertaking), in the event
that the Borrower shall fail to meet any of the
Borrower's Equity Raising Obligations under clause
16.27.2 above (by the relevant date provided
therefor pursuant to clause 16.27.2 above), then,
at any time thereafter, subject to the terms of
the Safety Net Undertaking, the Banks shall be
entitled (but shall not be obliged) to exercise
(not more than twice in any 1 (one) calendar year)
their option to call upon the Borrower by way of
sending a contribution notice, in the form of
SCHEDULE 16.34.1 hereto (`THE CONTRIBUTION
NOTICE') to the Borrower, with a copy to the
Safety Net Obligor, to make a rights offering in
accordance with the Borrower Offering Undertaking
in an amount equal to the difference between the
aggregate of the Borrower's Equity Raising
Obligations which, pursuant to clause 16.27.2
above were required to have been performed by the
date of the Contribution Notice and the aggregate
amounts actually invested in the Borrower or
received by the Borrower (after the Seventh
Amendment Closing Date) pursuant to clause 16.27.2
above, as at the date of such Contribution Notice
(`THE DEFICIENT AMOUNT') (or such lesser amount as
may be required to be raised by the Contribution
Notice)
- 34 -
(the amount which is required to be raised by the
Contribution Notice, hereinafter, `THE AMOUNT TO
BE Raised'). In the event a Contribution Notice
will be delivered as aforesaid, the Safety Net
Obligor shall, within 3 (three) months of such
Contribution Notice, make, or procure the making
by the Safety Net Investors of Safety Net
Investments in an amount equal to 50/93 of the
Amount to be Raised by no later than 3 (three)
months from the date of such Contribution Notice,
all in accordance with the terms of the Safety Net
Undertaking. Pursuant to the Safety Net
Undertaking, inter alia, with respect to each
Contribution Notice, in the event that during the
Relevant Period ending immediately prior to the
date of such Contribution Notice, there shall have
been made Additional Investments, then, for the
purposes of calculating the amount of the Safety
Net Investments required to be made pursuant to
such Contribution Notice: (i) the aggregate amount
of the Recognised Additional Investments during
such Relevant Period shall be deemed to be added
to the Amount to be Raised; and (ii) the Safety
Net Obligor shall be deemed to have provided
Safety Net Investments in respect of such
Contribution Notice in an amount equal to the
aggregate Recognised Additional Investments for
such Relevant Period.
In this clause 16.34.1:
(1) `ADDITIONAL INVESTMENT' means, in respect
of any Relevant Period (as defined
below), the aggregate of the amount of
Paid-in Equity and Permitted Subordinated
Debt, in each case, actually received by
the Borrower from the Safety Net Obligor
during such Relevant Period within the
framework of a public offering
- 35 -
or private placement by the Borrower of
Paid-in Equity and/or Permitted
Subordinated Debt, as such amount shall
be certified by the Safety Net Obligor's
Auditors or the Auditors (such
certificate to be in a form satisfactory
to the Banks), but excluding any Safety
Net Investment and the investments that
TIC is required to make as referred to in
clauses 4.6 and 16.27.1 above. It is
recorded that it is a term of the Safety
Net Undertaking that the Safety Net
Obligor shall, within 10 (ten) days after
each Relevant Period, submit to the Banks
a certificate from the Safety Net
Obligor's Auditors or the Auditors (such
certificate to be in a form satisfactory
to the Banks), confirming the amount and
receipt of all such amounts received, as
aforesaid, during such Relevant Period;
(2) `RECOGNISED ADDITIONAL INVESTMENT' means,
with respect to any Additional
Investment, an amount equal to the lowest
of:
(aa) the amount of the Additional
Investment;
(bb) US $10,000,000 (ten million United
States Dollars); and
(cc) 20% (twenty percent) of the amount
actually invested in the Borrower
within the framework of the
relevant public offering or private
placement in which such Additional
Investment is made;
(3) `A RELEVANT PERIOD' means the period
commencing from the date a Contribution
Notice is
- 36 -
made by the Banks pursuant to clause
16.34.1 above and ending on the date
before the next Contribution Notice is
made, as aforesaid, save that the period
of the first Relevant Period shall
commence from the date of the Safety Net
Undertaking and shall end on the date
before the first Contribution Notice is
made.
By way of example only, and without
derogating from the generality of the
aforegoing, if the Deficient Amount is US
$41,500,000 (forty-one million five
hundred thousand United States Dollars)
and the aggregate of the Recognised
Additional Investments made in the
Relevant Period is US $5,000,000 (five
million United States Dollars), then the
Banks could require the Safety Net
Obligor to contribute US $20,000,000
(twenty million United States
Dollars)--representing the amount found
by subtracting the amount of the
Recognised Additional Investment (i.e.,
US $5,000,000 (five million United States
Dollars)) from US $25,000,000
(twenty-five million United States
Dollars), which latter amount represents
the amount found by multiplying the sum
of the Deficient Amount and the
Recognised Additional Investment (i.e.,
US $46,500,000 (forty-six million five
hundred thousand United States Dollars))
by 50/93.
Any failure by the Borrower to perform timeously
all of the Borrower's obligations under the
Borrower Offering Undertaking shall constitute an
Event of Default.
- 37 -
For the removal of doubt, the option granted to
the Banks pursuant to this clause 16.34.1 above is
exercisable each time that the Borrower shall fail
to meet any of the Borrower's Equity Raising
Obligations and at any time after such failure,
subject to the terms of the Safety Net
Undertaking.
16.34.2. Should the Banks exercise their option, from time
to time, to require Safety Net Investments in the
Borrower and such Safety Net Investments are in
fact made pursuant to the terms of the Safety Net
Undertaking as referred to in clause 16.34.1 above
by Safety Net Investors, and the Safety Net
Investor Auditors shall have delivered a
certificate in a form satisfactory to the Banks
confirming same or the Auditors shall have
confirmed receipt thereof by the Borrower, the
Borrower shall be entitled, subject to delivery of
a Drawdown Request and fulfilment of the condition
as set forth in clause 5.1.4.2 above and in
accordance with the conditions set out in clauses
5.2.3, 5.2.4, 5.2.5, 5.2.6 and 5.2.7 above, to
obtain from the Banks Safety Net Loans in an
aggregate amount equal to 86% (eighty-six percent)
of the amount of Safety Net Investments actually
received from Safety Net Investors as aforesaid
(including, for the removal of doubt, the amount
of Recognised Additional Investments deemed as
Safety Net Investments by the Safety Net Obligor
as referred to in clause 16.34.1(ii) above, if
any, taken into account for the purposes of the
relevant Contribution Notice) (based on a ratio of
US $43 (forty-three United States Dollars) of
Safety Net Loans for every US $50 (fifty United
States Dollars) constituting a Safety Net
Investment), but not more than US $43,000,000
(forty-three million United States Dollars) in the
aggregate. For the removal of
- 38 -
doubt, only Safety Net Investments made by Safety
Net Investors (and not any other person) shall be
taken into account for the purposes of this clause
16.34.2. Subject to the aforegoing, the Safety Net
Loans shall be available for drawdown by the
Borrower from the date of confirmation of receipt
of the relevant Safety Net Investment, as
aforesaid.
16.34.3. At any time after delivery of a Contribution
Notice (but not later than 1 (one) day prior to
the date on which the relevant rights offering
prospectus or private placement is due to become
effective), the Banks may, at their sole
discretion and without any liability to the Safety
Net Obligor or the Borrower arising therefrom, by
notice in writing to the Safety Net Obligor and
the Borrower, withdraw a Contribution Notice.
Without derogating from the foregoing, in the
event that, if after delivery of a Contribution
Notice, the Banks are of the view that, due to a
legal impediment, they would not be in a position
to make Safety Net Loans available to the
Borrower, the Banks shall so notify the Safety Net
Obligor and the Borrower, and the Contribution
Notice shall be withdrawn. Notwithstanding the
aforegoing, the Banks shall be entitled to send a
Contribution Notice once they are of the view that
they would be in a position to make Safety Net
Loans.
16.34.4. In the event that Safety Net Investments shall be
duly made in accordance with the Safety Net
Undertaking and this clause 16.34, then the Banks
agree that: (a) they shall not be entitled to
exercise their rights pursuant to clauses
17.21-17.25 below nor shall the Banks be entitled
to refrain from making Credits pursuant to clause
5 above, by reason only of the Borrower's Default
in failing to comply with
- 39 -
clause 16.27.2 above, and (b) until the earlier
of: (i) the date on which the Safety Net
Undertaking expires; and (ii) the date on which
the Total Outstandings shall first reach or exceed
US $500,000,000 (five hundred million United
States Dollars) (disregarding, for this purpose
only, Safety Net Loans), with respect only to
Defaults or Events of Defaults listed in (1)-(3)
hereunder, the Banks shall not be entitled to
exercise their rights pursuant to clauses
17.21-17.25 below nor shall the Banks be entitled
to refrain from making Credits pursuant to clause
5 above, by reason only of such Default or Events
of Default (without derogating from the
requirement that all other conditions for the
making of a particular Credit will still have to
be complied with):
(1) an Event of Default constituted by the
receipt by the Borrower of a Credit, in
breach of clauses 2.3 or 5.1 above. For
the removal of doubt, the aforegoing
shall not entitle the Borrower to a
Credit if at the time of the request of
same, it does not comply with clauses 2.3
or 5.1 above (however, if a Credit is
made despite such non-compliance, the
mere fact of the making of such Credit,
despite non-compliance, shall not prevent
the making of further Credits); or
(2) a Default constituted by a failure by the
Borrower to make payments to suppliers on
the due date for payment; or
(3) a Default specifically waived pursuant to
the Waiver Notice, or the Additional
Waiver Notice (each as defined below) as
set forth in clause 16.34.5 below.
- 40 -
16.34.5. After a Contribution Notice is made, the Borrower
may, no later than 25 (twenty-five) Business Days
before the date corresponding to 3 (three) months
after the date of such Contribution Notice, or, if
earlier, before the date a Safety Net Investor
makes a Safety Net Investment pursuant to such
Contribution Notice (the earlier of the
aforegoing, `THE SAFETY NET INVESTMENT DATE'),
send a written notice to the Banks expressly
setting out and particularising all actually
existing Defaults or Events of Default, including
all relevant facts, and the steps being taken to
remedy the same (`THE DEFAULT NOTICE'), that have
occurred and are continuing as at the date of such
Default Notice. In connection therewith, the
Borrower shall not be entitled to set out and
particularise in any Default Notice any Default or
Event of Default arising from any act or omission
by, or under the control of, the Safety Net
Obligor. In the event the Banks agree, within 15
(fifteen) Business Days after the receipt of such
Default Notice to waive such Defaults or Events of
Default by way of a waiver notice (`THE WAIVER
NOTICE') in substantially the same form as set out
in SCHEDULE 16.34.5 hereto, then, subject to the
Banks receiving certificates from each applicable
Safety Net Investor Auditor or a certificate from
the Auditors (in a form or forms satisfactory to
the Banks), confirming that all Safety Net
Investments to be made by the Safety Net Investors
in respect of such Contribution Notice pursuant to
clause 16.34.1 above have actually been made, with
effect from the date such Safety Net Investments
are made, the Banks shall be deemed to have waived
those actually existing Defaults or Events of
Default expressly set out and particularised in
such Default Notice as aforesaid.
- 41 -
For the avoidance of doubt: (i) any such waiver
shall only relate to the period prior to the
making of such Safety Net Investments by the
Safety Net Investors, as aforesaid, and shall not
be interpreted in any event as a waiver by the
Banks of any representation, warranty or
obligation (including, under clause 16.29 above)
of the Borrower included in the Finance Documents,
or of any Default or Event of Default not actually
existing and not expressly set out and
particularised in such Default Notice, as
aforesaid; and (ii) in the event the Banks do not
send a Waiver Notice within such 15 (fifteen)
Business Day period, or if the Safety Net
Investors do not actually make all of the Safety
Net Investments, as aforesaid, as required under
the relevant Contribution Notice, or if the Banks
do not receive such certificates from the Safety
Net Investor Auditors or the Auditors (in a form
satisfactory to the Banks), as aforesaid, then the
Banks shall not be deemed to have waived any
rights they have or may have arising from the
Defaults or Events of Default set out and
particularised in such Default Notice as
aforesaid. In the event the Banks do not send a
Waiver Notice to the Banks within 15 (fifteen)
Business Days after receipt of the relevant
Default Notice from the Borrower, then the
relevant Contribution Notice shall be deemed to
have been withdrawn by the Banks and the Safety
Net Obligor shall not be required to make, or
procure to be made, Safety Net Investments in
accordance with said Contribution Notice and the
Borrower shall not be required to fulfil its
undertakings under the Borrower Offering
Undertaking with respect, only, to such withdrawn
Contribution Notice. If after a Waiver Notice is
sent by the Banks to the Borrower, but no later
than 8 (eight) Business Days prior to
- 42 -
the Safety Net Investment Date, the Borrower sends
a written notice to the Banks expressly setting
out and particularising additional actually
existing Defaults or Events of Default not listed
on the Default Notice (or adds more detail to the
ones detailed in the Default Notice) and the steps
being taken to remedy same (`THE ADDITIONAL
DEFAULT NOTICE'), that have occurred and are
continuing as at the date of such Additional
Default Notice (the above provisions applicable to
the Default Notice to be equally applicable to the
Additional Default Notice, mutatis mutandis), the
Banks shall have 7 (seven) Business Days after the
receipt of such Additional Default Notice to
decide whether to waive such additional Defaults
or Events of Default by way of an additional
waiver notice (`THE ADDITIONAL WAIVER NOTICE')
(the above provisions applicable to the Waiver
Notice to be equally applicable to the Additional
Waiver Notice, mutatis mutandis). In the event the
Banks do not send an Additional Waiver Notice to
the Borrower within 7 (seven) Business Days after
receipt of the relevant Additional Default Notice
from the Borrower, then the relevant Contribution
Notice shall be deemed to have been withdrawn by
the Bank and the Safety Net Obligor shall not be
required to make, or procure to be made, Safety
Net Investments in accordance with said
Contribution Notice and the Borrower shall not be
required to fulfil its undertakings under the
Borrower Offering Undertaking with respect, only,
to such withdrawn Contribution Notice. For the
removal of doubt, notwithstanding anything to the
contrary in this clause, any waiver granted as
aforesaid, shall not apply in the event of any
change or development occurring after the date of
the relevant Default Notice or Additional Default
Notice (as
- 43 -
the case may be) in the circumstances described in
the relevant Default Notice or Additional Default
Notice (as the case may be), including in the
event that any "Default" included in a Default
Notice or Additional Default Notice (as the case
may be) becomes an "Event of Default", other than
a change or development occurring after the date
of the relevant Default Notice or Additional
Default Notice (as the case may be), which does
not have any adverse effect on the interests of
the Banks."
and
2.9.10. a new clause 16.35 shall be added to read as follows:
"16.35. OUTSIDE INVESTMENT
16.35.1. The Borrower shall procure that each of the Lead Investors
provide an undertaking, in the form of SCHEDULE 16.35.1
hereto ("THE OUTSIDE INVESTMENT UNDERTAKINGS"), that
obligates each such Lead Investor to cooperate with an
Outside Investment Offer, all subject to the terms and
conditions of Schedule 16.35.1. For purposes of this clause
16.35 `AN OUTSIDE INVESTMENT OFFER' means a binding offer by
a person or persons (acceptable to the Banks in their sole
discretion) having sufficient assets, or having available to
it a binding financial commitment in an amount sufficient
from one or more reputable financial institutions, to make
the Outside Investment Offer (`THE OUTSIDE Offeror') to
subscribe for shares from the Borrower at a price specified
in such offer, which offer is: (a) made after the
commencement and continuation for 60 (sixty) days after the
institution thereof of bankruptcy or receivership
proceedings against the Borrower which are ordered by a
court of competent jurisdiction or the prior
- 44 -
determination of an arbitrator, mutually appointed by the
Banks and the Borrower, that a bankruptcy or receivership
order would be issued by a court against the Borrower were a
petition to be filed with a court of competent jurisdiction
or, an order providing for creditor protection in favour of
the Borrower pursuant to the request therefor by the
Borrower is issued by a court of competent jurisdiction
shall have occurred and be continuing (`THE TRIGGERING
EVENT'); and (b) in an amount sufficient, at least, to
enable the Borrower (after deduction of all attendant
expenses) to cure and remedy the Triggering Event.
16.35.2. Upon the happening of a Triggering Event, the Borrower shall
take all steps to cooperate with any Outside Offeror (or
potential Outside Offerors), including, by permitting
persons seeking to become an Outside Offeror (and their
representatives) the opportunity to conduct a due diligence
examination of the Borrower and of its assets, liabilities,
business and prospects (provided that such persons enter
into a confidentiality agreement in a reasonable and
customary form with the Borrower). If the Outside Investment
Offer is made and accompanied by an opinion of a reputable
investment banking firm that the Outside Investment Offer is
fair to the Borrower, the Borrower shall procure that a
rights offering (`THE RIGHTS OFFERING') be made to its
shareholders to invest up to 60% (sixty percent) of the
amount proposed to be invested by the Outside Offeror in the
Borrower at the same price per share and the other terms and
conditions set forth in the Outside Investment Offer.
Notwithstanding the aforegoing, if the Outside Investment
Offer is conditioned on the Outside Offeror acquiring at
least 51% (fifty-one
- 45 -
percent) of the shares of the Borrower, the maximum number
of shares that may be purchased in the Rights Offering shall
be limited to that number of offered shares which, together
with the number of then outstanding shares not owned by the
Outside Offeror, shall not exceed a maximum of 49%
(forty-nine percent) of the shares of the Borrower, unless
the Lead Investors agree to invest an amount at least equal
to, and at a price per share no less than, the Outside
Investment Offer (`THE ALTERNATIVE OUTSIDE OFFER') and
further agree, in addition to exercising all rights offered
to them in the Rights Offering, to exercise in a subsequent
private placement all rights not exercised by the other
shareholders of the Borrower in such rights offering, so as
to ensure that the full amount of the Outside Investment
Offer is invested in the Borrower; in such case, the
Alternative Outside Offer shall be made the subject of the
Rights Offering and the Lead Investors shall ensure that the
full amount of the Alternative Outside Offer is invested in
the Borrower and, to the extent required, used to cure and
remedy the Triggering Event.
16.35.3. For the removal of doubt: (a) nothing in this clause 16.35
above (or in the Outside Investment Undertakings) shall
prevent the Banks from enforcing any and all of their rights
or remedies under this Agreement (including in the case of
the occurrence of a Triggering Event) at any time, even if
such enforcement does not permit, or in any way adversely
affects the possibility of, an Outside Investment Offer, or
an Alternative Outside Offer, as the case may be, to be
made, or if made, to be completed and, for the further
removal of doubt, even after an Outside Investment Offer has
already been made; and (b) in the
- 46 -
event an Outside Investment Offer is conditional on the
Outside Offeror acquiring at least 51% (fifty-one percent)
of the shares of the Borrower and, pursuant thereto, the
Outside Offeror subscribes for shares from the Borrower as
contemplated in clause 16.35.1 above and the shares
subscribed, as aforesaid, confer on such Outside Offeror at
least 51% (fifty-one percent) of the shares of the Borrower,
then, with effect upon the occurrence of such event, clauses
16.1.3(vii) and 16.32 above shall cease to have any effect."
2.10. Clause 17 (Default) shall be amended as follows:
2.10.1A in clause 17.1, the words "clause 17.20A" shall be deleted and replaced
with the words "clause 17.20B";
2.10.1. in clause 17.3, the following new clause 17.3.3 shall be inserted:
"17.3.3. No breach in respect only of Permitted Financial Indebtedness
as referred to in clause 1.1.115(c) above shall constitute an
Event of Default provided the conditions set forth in clauses
17.6.6(a) and (b) below are met."
2.10.2. in clause 17.6, the following clause 17.6.6 shall be inserted:
"17.6.6. The aforegoing in this clause 17.6 shall not be applicable in
respect only of Permitted Financial Indebtedness as referred
to in clause 1.1.115(c) above and only, and for so long as,
the following 2 (two) conditions are both met:
(a) such Permitted Financial Indebtedness is to one or
both of the Banks; and
(b) such Permitted Financial Indebtedness is secured in
full by deposits (in amounts to be not less than the
amount of such
- 47 -
Permitted Financial Indebtedness) placed with the
relevant Banks and duly charged by first-ranking
floating charge in favour of the Banks."
2.10.3. clause 17.10.3 shall be amended such that the number "16,000 (sixteen
thousand)" shall be replaced by "15,733 (fifteen thousand seven hundred
and thirty-three)";
2.10.4. clause 17.15 (Completion of Fab 2) shall be amended as follows:
"Any of the following occur: (a) SDPP is not
achieved within 71/2 (seven and-a-half) months after
the date specified therefor in the Forecast (such
specified date being June 30, 2004); (b)
construction of Fab 2 is not completed (completion
constituting for this purpose the reaching of wafer
capacity for Fab 2 of 33,000 (thirty-three thousand)
wafer starts per month in accordance with the
Business Plan) by December 31, 2007; or (c) it
becomes apparent that, save as a result of any
action by a Bank in breach of this Agreement, SDPP
shall not be achieved by the date referred to in (a)
above or construction of Fab 2 shall not be
completed by the date referred to in (b) above."
and
2.10.5. a new clause 17.20B shall be inserted, as follows:
"17.20B SAFETY NET UNDERTAKING AND OUTSIDE INVESTMENT
UNDERTAKINGS
17.20B.1 (a) If within 3 (three) months after any
Contribution Notice is sent by the Banks,
the Amount to be Raised (as defined in
clause 16.34.1) under such Contribution
Notice shall not have been invested in the
Borrower by way of Additional Capital (as
defined in the Safety Net Undertaking).
- 48 -
(b) The Safety Net Undertaking shall cease to be
in full force and effect in any material
respect or shall cease to constitute the
legal, valid, binding and enforceable
obligation of the Safety Net Obligor or it
shall be unlawful for the Safety Net Obligor
to perform any of its material obligations
under the Safety Net Undertaking, unless it
expires in accordance with its terms.
(c) The Safety Net Obligor repudiates the Safety
Net Undertaking.
(d) There occurs with respect to the Safety Net
Obligor any of the events or circumstances
referred to in clauses 17.7-17.9 above, such
clauses to be read as if references to `the
Borrower' therein were instead references to
`the Safety Net Obligor'.
Notwithstanding the provisions of this clause
17.20B.1, for the removal of doubt, the Safety Net
Undertaking does not create any rights or
obligations in favour of the Borrower or any of its
shareholders.
17.20B.2. (a) Any of the representations and warranties by
any Lead Investor in any Outside Investment
Undertaking to which it is a party are
incorrect or misleading in any material
respect when made or deemed to be made or
repeated.
(b) Any Lead Investor fails to comply with any
undertaking or obligation contained in any
Outside Investment Undertaking to which it
is a party and, if such default is capable
of remedy within
- 49 -
such period, within 7 (seven) days after the
earlier of the Lead Investor becoming aware
of such default and receipt by the Lead
Investor of written notice from the Banks
requiring the failure to be remedied, that
Lead Investor shall have failed to cure such
default.
(c) Any Outside Investment Undertaking shall
cease to be in full force and effect in any
material respect or shall cease to
constitute the legal, valid, binding and
enforceable obligation of any Lead Investor
party to it or it shall be unlawful for any
Lead Investor to perform any of its material
obligations under any of the Outside
Investment Undertakings, unless it expires
in accordance with its terms.
(d) Any Lead Investor repudiates the Outside
Investment Undertaking to which it is a
party."
2.11. Clause 18.2 (Default Interest) shall be amended to read as follows:
"18.2. DEFAULT INTEREST
During each such Interest Period as is mentioned in clause
18.1 above, an Unpaid Sum shall bear Interest at the rate per
annum which is the sum from time to time of: (a) 3% (three
percent); and (b) the Interest rate in respect of such
Interest Period as would have been determined in accordance
with clauses 9.1.1 or 9.1.2 above (namely, 2.5% (two point
five percent)) (provided that, if, for any such Interest
Period LIBOR cannot be determined, the rate of Interest
applicable to such Unpaid Sum shall be the rate per annum
which is the sum of: (i) 3% (three percent); and (ii) 2.5%
(two point five percent) plus a rate as certified by the Banks
in accordance with clause 9 above."
- 50 -
2.12. Each of the following Schedules shall be replaced by updated Schedules
as referred to in section 3.1.28 below (the updated Schedules, for the
removal of doubt, to bear the same heading (Schedule number) as those
replaced): Schedule 1.1.16 (Business Plan); Schedule 1.1.42 (Form of
Drawdown Request); Schedule 1.1.64 (Borrower's Forecast); Schedule
1.1.101 (List of Material Contracts); Schedule 1.1.105 (List of Named
Directors and Officers); Schedule 1.1.106 (Net Cash Flow); Schedule
1.1.115(c)(2) (Description of Financial Indebtedness Exceeding US
$40,000,000); Schedule 1.1.115(j) (Other Permitted Financial
Indebtedness); Schedule 4.11.2 (Indebtedness of the Group); all
Schedules required by clause 15; and Schedule 16.29 (Financial
Undertakings); provided that Schedules 1.1.42, 1.1.101, 1.1.105,
1.1.115(c)(2), 1.1.115(j) and 4.11.2 (in form and substance
satisfactory to the Banks in their sole discretion), may be delivered
by the Borrower following the date hereof by no later than the Seventh
Amendment Closing Date.
2.13. New Schedules 16.27.1 (Breakdown of Amounts Owing to the Borrower
pursuant to Undertakings referred to in clause 4.6, as at the Seventh
Amendment Closing Date) and 16.29A (Financial Undertakings applicable
during Safety Net Period) in the forms respectively attached as
APPENDIX A and APPENDIX B hereto; new Schedules 1.1.13A (Borrower
Offering Undertaking); 1.1.132 (SDPP); 1.1.106A (Net Cash Flow);
1.1.127G (Form of Safety Net Undertaking); 16.34.1 (Contribution
Notice); 16.34.5 (Form of Waiver Notice); 16.35.1 (Form of Outside
Investment Undertakings); and Appendices C-M (inclusive) hereto shall
be added to and form part of the Facility Agreement; provided that,
Schedules 16.34.5, 16.35.1 and Appendices D, F, G, I, J, K and L (in
form and substance satisfactory to the Banks in their sole discretion),
may be delivered following the date hereof but by no later than the
Seventh Amendment Closing Date and the legal opinions to be attached
hereto as Appendices J, K and L shall be delivered as of the Seventh
Amendment Closing Date.
2.14. Schedule 1.1.104 (Description of Milestones) shall be deleted.
3. CONDITIONS PRECEDENT
3.1. This Seventh Amendment, other than section 3.3 below, is subject to the
conditions precedent that the Banks shall have received, by not later
than December 21, 2003 (or such earlier date expressly set out with
respect thereto below), the following documents, information, matters
and things in form and substance satisfactory to the Banks:
- 51 -
3.1.1. a copy, certified a true copy by a duly authorised officer of the
Safety Net Obligor of the Organisational Documents of the Safety Net
Obligor;
3.1.2. copies of resolutions of the Board of Directors of the Safety Net
Obligor and of each other Lead Investor and, to the extent applicable,
its audit committee and shareholders evidencing approval of the Finance
Documents to which the Safety Net Obligor and such other Lead Investor,
as aforesaid (as applicable) is a party and authorising named officers
of the Safety Net Obligor and such other Lead Investor, as aforesaid
(as applicable) to execute, deliver and perform each of such Finance
Documents and to give all notices and take all other action required to
be given or taken by the Safety Net Obligor and such other Lead
Investor, as aforesaid (as applicable) under such Finance Documents;
3.1.3. the Safety Net Undertaking (in the form of APPENDIX C hereto), duly
executed by TIC and a certification by TIC as set forth in section 8A
of the Safety Net Undertaking;
3.1.4. the Outside Investment Undertakings (in form satisfactory to the Banks
in their sole discretion and to be attached hereto as APPENDIX D), duly
executed by each of the Lead Investors;
3.1.5. written consents by each of the Lead Investors (other than QuickLogic):
(i) to make, in accordance with clause 16.27.1, those investments in
Paid-in Equity and/or prepayments under Qualifying Wafer Prepayment
Contracts required to be made pursuant to clause 16.27.1; (ii) to the
execution of the Safety Net Undertaking by the Safety Net Obligor;
(iii) to the amendments to the Qualifying Wafer Prepayment Contracts to
be made pursuant to clause 16.27.3.1; (iv) to the giving of the Outside
Investment Undertakings and (v) to this Seventh Amendment;
3.1.6. the Seventh Amendment Fee Letter executed as at the date hereof by the
Borrower;
3.1.7. the Borrower Offering Undertaking (in the form attached hereto as
APPENDIX E), duly executed by the Borrower;
3.1.8. the Borrower shall procure that the Debenture is updated (and such
updates are duly registered with the Registrar of
- 52 -
Companies and the Registrar of Pledges), such that all Material
Contracts entered into by it and all assets and rights acquired by it,
after January 18, 2001 (including, any lease with the ILA flowing from
the development agreement with the ILA described in clause 4.17 and the
two new development agreements with the ILA, any new Intellectual
Property Assets, any immovable property, any new machinery and
equipment and any new Insurance Policies), are duly pledged to the
Banks by way of first-ranking fixed charge (or, as applicable, assigned
by way of charge) under the Debenture, and that such updates are
otherwise perfected in accordance with its terms and the Borrower shall
deliver to the Banks all documents as referred to in clause 3.2 of the
Debenture (mutatis mutandis) and shall sign all such other documents
and forms required for the purposes of the aforegoing);
3.1.9. the Borrower shall procure that the Borrower's shares in Tower
Semiconductor USA, Inc. and all Intellectual Property Assets held
outside the State of Israel be duly pledged to the Banks by way of
first-ranking fixed charge (or its equivalent under the laws of the
relevant jurisdiction) under a debenture (or appropriate security
agreement) and otherwise perfected in accordance with its terms;
3.1.10. execution of amendments to the existing Warrants, in the form
satisfactory to the Banks in their sole discretion and to be attached
hereto as APPENDIX F and execution of additional warrants in favour of
the Banks, to acquire shares of the Borrower, in the form satisfactory
to the Banks in their sole discretion and to be attached hereto as
APPENDIX G, such amendments and additional warrants to reflect the
principles set out in APPENDIX H hereto;
3.1.11. duly executed letter of engagement of the Bank Adviser in the form
satisfactory to the Banks in their sole discretion and to be attached
hereto as APPENDIX I;
3.1.12. the Borrower paying the fees set out in section 5 below by the earlier
of: (a) the Seventh Amendment Closing Date; and (b) December 31, 2003;
3.1.13. copies of resolutions of the Board of Directors, audit committee and
shareholders of the Borrower, evidencing approval of this Seventh
Amendment (including, specifically, of the Borrower Offering
Undertaking, the Safety Net Undertaking, the Outside
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Investment Undertakings, the Amendment No. 3 Letter (as defined in
section 2.9.5(i) above) (together with a copy of the certificate
delivered to each of the parties thereto as referred to in the last
sentence of Section 1 of the Amendment No. 3 Letter), as referred and
of the Borrower's obligations pursuant to clause 16.34) and authorising
designated officers of the Borrower to execute, deliver and perform
this Seventh Amendment and to give all notices and take all other
action required to be given or taken by the Borrower under this Seventh
Amendment;
3.1.14. payment on the date of signature of this Seventh Amendment of the fees
and costs referred to in section 5 below, that are payable on or before
such date;
3.1.15. an opinion of Yigal Arnon & Co., Advocates, the Borrower's external
legal counsel, addressed to the Banks, in the form to be attached
hereto as APPENDIX J and an opinion from the Borrower's external
foreign counsel addressed to the Banks in respect of the pledges
referred to in section 3.1.9 above, to be attached hereto as APPENDIX
K;
3.1.16. opinions addressed to the Banks by the external legal counsel of the
Safety Net Obligor and of the other Lead Investors in the form
satisfactory to the Banks in their sole discretion and to be attached
hereto as APPENDIX L;
3.1.17. copies, certified by the external legal counsel of the Borrower, of the
amendments to the Wafer Prepayment Contracts in accordance with clause
16.27.3.1 (as it will be amended, if amended, by this Seventh
Amendment);
3.1.18. a copy, certified as a true copy by the external legal counsel of the
Borrower, of all amendments to the Certificate of Incorporation,
Memorandum of Association and Articles of Association of the Borrower
since January 18, 2001;
3.1.19. copies of the MEI Agreement;
3.1.20. copies of all amendments to the Organisational Documents of each of the
Subsidiaries of the Borrower since January 18, 2001;
3.1.21. copies of all amendments and restatements and documentation in
connection therewith since January 18, 2001 (in English or in
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Hebrew or, if the original is in another language, translated into
English by a certified translator), certified by the Borrower's
external legal counsel, as being true, complete and up-to-date, of all
the Material Contracts referred to in clause 4.25;
3.1.22. copies (in English or in Hebrew or, if the original is in another
language, translated into English by a certified translator), certified
by the Borrower's external legal counsel, as being true, complete
(including all amendments thereto and documentation in connection
therewith) and up-to-date of all Material Contracts entered into after
January 18, 2001;
3.1.23. an updated certificate by the Auditors confirming investments made
pursuant to clauses 4.5, 4.6 and 16.27 in Paid-in Equity and/or credits
(wafer prepayments) through and as of the Seventh Amendment Closing
Date;
3.1.24. a certificate of the Auditors and a certificate of the Chief Financial
Officer of the Borrower certifying that, as of the Seventh Amendment
Closing Date, the Borrower has no Indebtedness, save for Permitted
Financial Indebtedness;
3.1.25. all other amendments to Take-or-Pay Contracts and/or Wafer Prepayment
Contracts and/or if the other party to an agreement is one of the Lead
Investors (other than TIC) or another Equity Wafer Partner, agreements
providing for a right on the part of such other party to order wafers
from the Borrower;
3.1.26. all the Material Contracts described in sections 3.1.17, 3.1.19 3.1.20
and 3.1.22 above shall be in full force and effect and shall not have
been breached by any party thereto (save for any breach which: (a) is
not material; and (b) cannot constitute (including with the passage of
time or the giving of notice) a cause of action permitting termination
of any such Material Contract or any variation thereof adverse to the
Borrower);
3.1.27. an amended Insurance Report;
3.1.28. updated Schedules to replace each of the Schedules referred to in
section 2.12 above and each of the new Schedules referred to in section
2.13 above;
3.1.29. evidence that this Seventh Amendment and all documentation pursuant
thereto, including, the Safety Net Undertaking, required, if required,
to be stamped for stamp duty purposes,
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has been stamped and the relevant duty payable has been paid; and
3.1.30. all of the Borrower's representations and warranties given pursuant to
this Seventh Amendment shall be accurate in all material respects as of
the Seventh Amendment Closing Date, as if made on the Seventh Amendment
Closing Date.
3.2. In the event that the aforegoing conditions precedent are not all fulfilled
by December 21, 2003, then, save for sections 3.3 and 5 below, this Seventh
Amendment shall no longer be of any force or effect and the Facility
Agreement shall remain unaltered and in full force and effect and, save as
aforesaid, no party shall have any claim arising out of or in connection
with this Seventh Amendment. The Banks undertake that promptly following
the fulfilment to the satisfaction of the Banks of all the conditions
precedent referred to in section 3.1 above, the Banks shall confirm to the
Borrower in writing that the conditions precedent have been fulfilled and
this Seventh Amendment has become effective.
3.3. Subject to the fulfilment by the Borrower of the conditions precedent set
out in sections 3.1.3, 3.1.5, 3.1.6 and 3.1.7 above ("THE BRIDGE CONDITIONS
PRECEDENT") to the Banks' satisfaction, the Banks shall, upon fulfilment of
the Bridge Conditions Precedent, if fulfilled, notwithstanding that the
Banks are not obliged as at the date hereof to make any Advance under the
Facility, make available Credits to the Borrower under the Facility in the
amount of US $60,000,000 (sixty million United States Dollars), subject to
compliance with the terms and conditions for making a Credit under clause 5
(other than clause 5.2.1). It is hereby agreed that the making of such
Credit shall not constitute a waiver by the Banks of any Event of Default
referred to in APPENDIX M hereto. The Borrower shall immediately utilise US
$10,000,000 (ten million United States Dollars) of such Credits to repay
the Banks on account of Indebtedness of the Borrower to the Banks on
account of Fab 1, in accordance with clause 3.1.10.
4. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
The Borrower acknowledges that the Banks have agreed to this Seventh
Amendment in full reliance on the representations and warranties referred
to in clause 15. Without derogating from the provisions of clause 15, all
of those representations and warranties which are demanded to be repeated
pursuant to clause 15.30 shall be deemed to be repeated on the date of
signature of this Seventh Amendment, on the Seventh Amendment
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Closing Date and on the date of drawdown of the Reborrowed Loans and,
notwithstanding anything to the contrary in clause 15.30, the Borrower
shall be deemed also to have repeated, on each of the aforegoing dates, the
following further representations and warranties: the second sentence of
clause 15.2 (excluding with regard to a Default comprising only of the
commencement of negotiations by the Borrower with individual suppliers of
the Borrower to make an adjustment or rescheduling of its Indebtedness to
such suppliers); all of clause 15.3, clause 15.4, clause 15.5, the last two
sentences of clause 15.6, clause 15.13, clause 15.8.2 (but with respect to
audited consolidated Accounts of the Borrower, for the period ending
December 31, 2002 and with respect to unaudited reviewed consolidated
Accounts, for the periods ending March 31, 2003, June 30, 2003 and
September 30, 2003), clause 15.14, clause 15.16 (but the words "1999
Balance Sheet" shall be replaced by "December 31, 2002" and save for those
changes since December 31, 2002 expressly referred to in the Borrower's
annual report on Form 20-F for 2002 filed with the Securities Exchange
Commission and in the registration statement on Form F-3 filed with the
Securities Exchange Commission in September 2003, clause 15.18, clause
15.21 and clause 15.24, subject only to the specific disclosures set out in
APPENDIX N hereto).
For the removal of doubt, the term "Finance Documents" when referred to in
the representations and warranties set out in clause 15, includes also this
Seventh Amendment.
5. FEES AND EXPENSES
Without derogating from the obligations of the Borrower to pay the Banks
commissions, fees and expenses pursuant to the Facility Agreement and in
addition thereto, and for the removal of doubt, the Borrower shall pay to
the Banks on the date of signature of this Seventh Amendment and thereafter
on demand all costs and expenses (including legal fees for external counsel
and out-of-pocket expenses) incurred by the Banks in connection with the
negotiation, preparation and execution of this Seventh Amendment
(including, with respect to all Appendices thereto and all Schedules
attached, or to be delivered pursuant, thereto to the Facility Agreement)
and the completion of the transactions herein contemplated and with respect
to all further amendments to the Facility Agreement, as to any Permitted
Subordinated Debt to be issued by the Borrower, all subject, with respect
to legal fees, to such tariffs as have been agreed between the Banks and
the Borrower in writing.
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6. LIMITED WAIVER
The Banks agree that, with effect from the Seventh Amendment Closing Date,
the Banks waive those Defaults and Events of Default actually existing and
expressly set out in APPENDIX M hereto. For the removal of doubt, the
aforegoing waiver shall not be interpreted in any event as a waiver by the
Banks of any representation, warranty or obligation (including under clause
16.29) of the Borrower included in the Finance Documents or of any Default
or Event of Default not expressly set out in Appendix M or, for the removal
of doubt, of any Default or Event of Default occurring after the date of
signature of this Seventh Amendment. The aforegoing waiver shall not apply
in the event of any change or development occurring after the date of
signature of this Seventh Amendment in the circumstances described in said
Appendix M (including in the event any "Default" included in Appendix M
becomes an "Event of Default"), other than a change or development
occurring after the date of signature of this Seventh Amendment, which does
not have any adverse effect on the interests of the Banks.
The Banks further agree that they shall not, during the period commencing
from the date hereof and ending 40 (forty) days after the date hereof, or,
subject to the preceding sentence of this section 6, if earlier, ending on
the Seventh Amendment Closing Date, exercise any rights they may have under
clause 17.21 as a result of the Defaults and Events of Default actually
existing and expressly set out in Appendix M, as aforesaid. The aforegoing
shall not apply in the event of any change or development occurring after
the date of signature of this Seventh Amendment in the circumstances
described in said Appendix M (including in the event any "Default" included
in Appendix M becomes an "Event of Default"), other than a change or
development occurring after the date of signature of this Seventh
Amendment, which does not have any adverse effect on the interests of the
Banks. For the avoidance of doubt, in the event the conditions precedent
referred to in section 3.1 above are not fulfilled within such 40 (forty)
day period, then the Banks shall be entitled to exercise any rights they
have under clause 17.21 as a result of such Defaults or Events of Default,
as aforesaid, and the provisions of this section 6 shall neither
constitute, nor be construed, as a waiver of such Defaults or Events of
Default or of any rights the Banks may have against the Borrower in
connection therewith.
For the avoidance of doubt, although the Banks are waiving the fact that a
total of approximately $95,506,000 (ninety five million five hundred and
six thousand United States Dollars) in Investment Centre Fab 2 Grants that
were to be made to the Borrower by October 31, 2003 in accordance with the
previous Business Plan and Forecast were not made on schedule, the
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Banks are not waiving the receipt of these grants in the future in
accordance with the new Business Plan and Forecast attached hereto.
Accordingly, even though the Borrower has informed the Banks that it
neither expects to complete its investment program by 2005 as required by
the certificate of approval regarding, nor expects to achieve the levels of
revenues and employees that it forecasted to the Investment Centre in
connection with, Investment Centre Fab 2 Grants, failure by the Borrower in
the future to actually receive Investment Centre Fab 2 Grants in accordance
with the new Business Plan and Forecast or any actual breach by the
Borrower of any material condition of such approvals or cancellation or
reduction of such Investment Centre Fab 2 Grants or any part thereof (save
to the extent that such Investment Centre Fab 2 Grants may be, and are in
fact, replaced by Paid-in Equity pursuant to and subject to the conditions
set out in clause 16.27) or the Investment Centre informing the Borrower
that it is not continuing its funding of the Project, shall be considered
an Event of Default and nothing herein shall be deemed to constitute a
waiver in advance of such Default. The aforegoing shall apply, mutatis
mutandis, to any waiver arising from any Waiver Notice or any Additional
Waiver Notice.
7. AMENDMENT TO THE FACILITY AGREEMENT
Subject to the fulfilment of the conditions precedent set out in section
3.1 above and with effect from the Seventh Amendment Closing Date, the
Facility Agreement is hereby amended as expressly set out in this Seventh
Amendment above. This Seventh Amendment shall be read together with the
Facility Agreement as one agreement and, save as expressly amended by this
Seventh Amendment, the Facility Agreement shall remain unaltered and in
full force and effect.
[remainder of this page intentionally left blank]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, THE PARTIES HAVE SIGNED THIS SEVENTH AMENDMENT ON THE DATE
FIRST MENTIONED ABOVE.
for: TOWER SEMICONDUCTOR LTD.
By: ________________________
Title: ________________________
for: BANK LEUMI LE-ISRAEL B.M. for: BANK HAPOALIM B.M.
By: ________________________ By: ______________________
Title: ________________________ Title: ______________________
November 11, 2003
Bank Hapoalim B.M.
Bank Leumi Le-Israel B.M.
Re: UNDERTAKING
1. General Provisions
1.1. This undertaking (hereinafter: "THIS UNDERTAKING") has been furnished
by The Israel Corporation Ltd. (hereinafter: the "COMPANY") as part of
arrangements that were requested by Bank Hapoalim B.M. and Bank Leumi
Le-Israel B.M. (hereinafter: the "Banks") in order to facilitate, and
as a condition to, their continued financing of Tower Semiconductor
Ltd. (hereinafter: "TOWER") pursuant to the Facility Agreement (as
defined in Section 2 below) that was executed between the Banks and
Tower with respect to the financing of the construction of Tower's Fab
2 facility. This Undertaking shall neither confer any rights or
remedies upon, nor create any obligations by the Company to, any person
(including, for the avoidance of doubt, Tower or any of its
shareholders), other than the Banks.
1.2. The obligations in this Undertaking are related to Tower's obligation
under the Facility Agreement to raise Additional Capital (as defined in
Section 2 below) of US $152 (one hundred and fifty-two) million on or
prior to December 31, 2005.
1.3. The maximum aggregate amount of the Safety Net Investments, as defined
in Section 2 below, that the Banks may require pursuant to this
Undertaking is limited to US $50 (fifty) million. Safety Net
Investments actually made will be considered a portion of the raising
of Additional Capital by Tower as described above in Section 1.2. The
Banks confirm that the Facility Agreement provides that in the event
the Banks, in their sole discretion, exercise their option to require
Safety Net Investments, and such Safety Net Investments are actually
made, then the Banks will, subject to Section 4.1 below, make available
additional financing to Tower (in addition to the US $500 (five
hundred) million Facility provided pursuant to the Facility Agreement),
in a maximum aggregate amount of up to US $43 (forty-three) million,
the terms and conditions of the Facility Agreement to apply to such
additional financing, if and when made. The Banks undertake to the
Company that, subject to the foregoing, they will make available such
additional financing.
1.4. Pursuant to this Undertaking, the Company shall be obliged, in
accordance with the provisions of this Undertaking below, to make
Safety Net Investments in amounts not to exceed 50/93 of the amount of
Additional Capital that Tower is required to raise, but has not yet
raised on or prior to the relevant date, as required by clause 16.27.2
of the Facility Agreement, a copy of which clause is attached hereto as
SCHEDULE 1, such Safety Net Investments not to exceed the maximum
aggregate amount set forth in
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Section 1.3 above. The Banks confirm that the Facility Agreement
provides that should the Safety Net Investments be made by the Safety
Net Investors and the Banks shall have received confirmation of such
receipt by the relevant Safety Net Investor Auditor or the Auditors,
then, subject to Section 4.1 below, the Banks shall make available
additional financing to Tower (up to the maximum aggregate amount set
forth in Section 1.3 above), in an amount equal to 86% (eight-six
percent) of the amount of Safety Net Investments received from the
Safety Net Investors (based on a ratio of US $43 (forty-three) of
additional loan availability for every US $50 (fifty) constituting a
Safety Net Investment), the terms and conditions of the Facility
Agreement to apply to such loans if and when made.
1.5. For the avoidance of doubt, this Undertaking will be decreased
proportionally to the extent that the amount of Additional Capital that
remains to be raised by Tower is less than US $93 (ninety three)
million. In this event, the ratios will not change, however, the
remaining commitment represented by this Undertaking shall not exceed
50/93 of the remaining Additional Capital to be raised by Tower.
2. Definitions
With regard to this Undertaking, the terms below shall have the following
meanings:
2.1. "ADDITIONAL CAPITAL" shall mean the funds which Tower is required to
raise pursuant to clause 16.27.2 of the Facility Agreement, a copy of
which clause is attached hereto as Schedule 1, as aforesaid.
2.2. "CONTRIBUTION NOTICE" means a notice substantially in the form set out
in SCHEDULE 2 hereto pursuant to which the Banks request a Safety Net
Investment to be made pursuant to Section 3 below.
2.3. "EXPIRY DATE" means the earliest of: (i) the date on which Tower shall
have fulfilled all of its obligations under clause 16.27.2 of the
Facility Agreement; (ii) June 30, 2006 or such later date as may be
required by operation of the provisos to Section 5.2 below; and (iii)
the date on which Safety Net Investments in an amount of US $50 (fifty)
million are made, without derogating from Section 1.5 above.
2.4. "FACILITY AGREEMENT" shall mean the Facility Agreement that was
executed between the Banks and Tower on January 18, 2001 including all
amendments made from time to time thereto, including, without
limitation, the Seventh Amendment thereto.
2.5. "PROJECT ACCOUNTS" means: (i) account number 545454 at Bank Hapoalim,
Migdal Haemek Branch, No. 728, in the name of Tower; and (ii) account
number 13030062 at Bank Leumi, Haifa Branch, in the name of Tower.
- 3 -
2.6. "SAFETY NET INVESTMENTS" means the amount actually received by Tower
from Safety Net Investors for Units, as defined in Schedule 3 hereto,
purchased from Tower in a public offering or private placement
following, and in accordance with, a Contribution Notice delivered in
the sole discretion of the Banks to Tower (with a copy to the Company)
by the Banks. For the removal of doubt, amounts invested pursuant to
clauses 4.5, 4.6 and 16.27.1 of the Facility Agreement shall not
constitute Safety Net Investments.
2.7. "SAFETY NET INVESTOR AUDITOR" means an auditor of a Safety Net
Investor, provided that such auditor is one of the "big four"
internationally recognised firms of auditors (or a local country
affiliate thereof, in the case of Safety Net Investors incorporated
outside of the United States).
2.8. "SAFETY NET INVESTORS" means the Company, Israel Corporation
Technologies (ICTech) Ltd. (a subsidiary of the Company), Sandisk
Corporation, a Delaware corporation, Alliance Semiconductor
Corporation, a Delaware corporation, Macronix International Co. Ltd., a
Taiwan corporation, QuickLogic Corporation, a Delaware corporation,
Challenge Fund-Etgar L.P. and any other shareholder of Tower which
holds, at the date of this Undertaking or at the time the relevant
Contribution Notice is delivered by the Banks, no less than 6% (six
percent) of the issued and outstanding share capital of Tower.
2.9. "SAFETY NET LOANS" means Loans, if any, not to exceed an aggregate of
US $43 (forty-three) million, made by the Banks to Tower following
receipt of Safety Net Investments made by the Safety Net Investors, all
in accordance with Section 4.1 below, and the provisions of the
Facility Agreement shall be applicable to such Loans, if and when made.
2.10. For purposes of convenience only, and without in any way deeming the
Company to be a party to the Facility Agreement, capitalised terms,
words and expressions defined in the Facility Agreement not otherwise
defined herein shall bear the same meaning as in the Facility
Agreement.
3. The Undertaking
3.1. In the event that at any time and from time to time Tower shall fail to
fulfil any of Tower's obligations to raise Additional Capital by the
relevant date set out in clause 16.27.2 of the Facility Agreement,
then, at any time thereafter, but, subject to Section 5 below, the
Banks may, at their option (the Banks being under no obligation to
exercise said option), send a Contribution Notice (but not more than
twice in any 1 (one) calendar year) to Tower (with a copy to the
Company) requiring Tower to make a rights offering in accordance with
its undertaking, a copy of which is set out in SCHEDULE 3 hereto
(hereinafter: the "TOWER OFFERING UNDERTAKING"), in an amount equal to
the difference between the aggregate of Tower's obligations to raise
Additional Capital which, pursuant to clause 16.27.2 of
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the Facility Agreement, were required to have been performed by the
date of the Contribution Notice and the amount of Additional Capital in
fact raised by Tower by such date (hereinafter: the "DEFICIENT AMOUNT")
or such lesser amount as may be set forth in the Contribution Notice
(the amount, subject of the Contribution Notice, hereinafter: the "THE
AMOUNT TO BE Raised"). The Company irrevocably undertakes that in the
event that a Contribution Notice will be delivered as aforesaid, the
Company will make, or procure the making by the Safety Net Investors
of, a Safety Net Investment in Tower in an amount equal to 50/93 of the
Amount to be Raised, by no later than 3 (three) months from the date of
such Contribution Notice, all in accordance with this Section 3 below.
With respect to each Contribution Notice, in the event that during the
Relevant Period ending immediately prior to the date of such
Contribution Notice there shall have been made Additional Investments,
then, for the purposes of calculating the amount of the Safety Net
Investments required to be made pursuant to such Contribution Notice as
aforesaid: (i) the aggregate amount of the Recognised Additional
Investments during such Relevant Period shall be deemed to be added to
the Amount to be Raised; and (ii) the Company shall be deemed to have
provided Safety Net Investments in respect of such Contribution Notice
in an amount equal to the aggregate Recognised Additional Investments
for such Relevant Period.
By way of example only, and without derogating from the generality of
the aforegoing, if the Deficient Amount is US $41,500,000 (forty-one
million five hundred thousand) and the aggregate of the Recognised
Additional Investments made in the Relevant Period is US $5 (five)
million, then the Banks could require the Company to contribute US $20
(twenty) million--representing the amount found by subtracting the
amount of the Recognised Additional Investment (i.e., US $5 (five)
million) from US $25 (twenty-five) million), which latter amount
represents the amount found by multiplying the sum of the Deficient
Amount and the Recognised Additional Investment (i.e., US $46,500,000
(forty-six million five hundred thousand)) by 50/93.
In this Section 3.1:
3.1.1. "ADDITIONAL INVESTMENT" means, in respect of any Relevant
Period (as defined below), the aggregate of the amount of
Paid-in Equity and Permitted Subordinated Debt, in each case,
actually received by Tower from the Company during such
Relevant Period within the framework of a public offering or
private placement by Tower of Paid-in Equity and/or Permitted
Subordinated Debt, as such amount shall be certified by the
applicable Safety Net Investor Auditor or the Auditors (such
certificate to be in a form satisfactory to the Banks), but
excluding any Safety Net Investment and the investments that
the Company is required to make as referred to in clauses 4.6
and 16.27.1 of the Facility Agreement. The Company shall,
within 10 (ten) days
- 5 -
after each Relevant Period, submit to the Banks a certificate
from the applicable Safety Net Investor Auditor or the
Auditors (such certificate to be in a form satisfactory to the
Banks), confirming the amount and receipt of all such amounts
received, as aforesaid, during such Relevant Period;
3.1.2. "RECOGNISED ADDITIONAL INVESTMENT" means, with respect to any
Additional Investment, an amount equal to the lowest of:
(a) the amount of the Additional Investment;
(b) US $10 (ten) million; and
(c) 20% (twenty percent) of the amount actually invested
in Tower within the framework of the relevant public
offering or private placement in which such
Additional Investment is made;
3.1.3. "A RELEVANT PERIOD" means the period commencing from the date
a Contribution Notice is made by the Banks pursuant to this
Section 3.1 and ending on the day before the next Contribution
Notice is made, as aforesaid, save that the period of the
first Relevant Period shall commence from the date of this
Undertaking and shall end on the day before the first
Contribution Notice is made.
3.2.
3.2.1. In the event that following a Contribution Notice, Tower, in
accordance with its obligations under the Tower Offering
Undertaking, publishes a rights offering of Units, then the
Company irrevocably and unconditionally undertakes: (i) to
invest in Tower that proportion of the Amount to be Raised
equal to the proportion of its holdings (and the holdings of
any company in which it owns more than 50% (fifty percent) of
the share capital or voting rights) in Tower at the time of
the making of such rights offering; and (ii) to invest in, or
procure the investment by Safety Net Investors in, Tower the
remainder of the then Amount to be Raised (not raised pursuant
to such rights offering) by way of private placement of Units,
but in any event not in excess of 50/93 of the Amount to be
Raised.
3.2.2. Should Tower fail to file a registration statement with the
United States Securities and Exchange Commission (hereinafter:
the "SEC") within 12 (twelve) Business Days of the date a
Contribution Notice is given by the Banks as described in
Section 3.1 above, or fail promptly to respond, to the
satisfaction of the staff of the SEC, to SEC staff comments
with respect to said registration statement, or fail promptly
to take all actions required by all applicable jurisdictions
in which shareholders of Tower are resident to qualify said
rights offering in such jurisdiction, including, without
limitation, Israel and applicable states within the United
States, or otherwise fail to diligently proceed
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with the rights offering, and any such failure is attributed
by Tower or its counsel to one or more legal impediments, then
any of Tower, the Company or the Banks may request that Aaron
Lampert, Adv. (or failing him Cliff Felig, Adv.) (hereinafter:
the "EXPERT"), within 2 (two) weeks of the date requested to
do so by any of Tower, the Company or the Banks, confirm
whether or not the rights offering may legally proceed,
notwithstanding the legal impediment or impediments cited by
Tower. The parties record that if the Expert confirms that the
rights offering may legally proceed, Tower undertakes,
pursuant to the Tower Offering Undertaking, to promptly cure
such failures, in consultation with the Expert, and complete
the rights offering in accordance with Tower's undertaking set
forth in Schedule 3 hereto. The parties further record that in
accordance with the Tower Offering Undertaking, Tower shall
bear the reasonable fees of, and reasonable costs incurred by,
the Expert in providing his confirmation.
3.2.3. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if for any reason the rights
offering as referred to above is not completed within 3
(three) months of the Contribution Notice, the Company shall
make, or procure to be made, Safety Net Investments in an
amount of at least 50/93 of the Amount to be Raised within 3
(three) months of the Contribution Notice by purchasing, or
procuring the purchase by Safety Net Investors of, the Units
in a private placement with Tower.
3.2.4. Accordingly, and for the removal of doubt, if a Contribution
Notice in accordance with Section 3.1 above is delivered to
Tower, the Company unconditionally and irrevocably undertakes
to invest in Tower, either in such a rights offering as
referred to in Section 3.2.1 above or, failing such rights
offering, by way of private placement as referred to in
Section 3.2.3 above, 50/93 of the Amount to be Raised under
such Contribution Notice, subject to the first sentence of
Section 1.3 above and, for the removal of doubt, without
derogating from Section 3.1 above in relation to Recognised
Additional Investments. For the removal of doubt, for the
purposes of determining the Company's obligation as aforesaid,
the Amount to be Raised shall be deemed to be reduced by any
funds invested by shareholders other than the Safety Net
Investors in said rights offering or private placement, as the
case may be. For the removal of doubt, amounts invested by the
Safety Net Investors (other than the Company) in said rights
offering or private placement, as the case may be, shall also
be counted as Safety Net Investments procured to be made by
the Company for purposes of this Undertaking.
3.3. The Company acknowledges, for the removal of doubt, that: (i) this
Undertaking is in addition to, and does not in any way derogate from,
the obligations and undertakings: (a) described in clauses 4.5, 4.6 and
16.27 of the Facility Agreement; and (b) of the Outside Investment
Undertakings
- 7 -
which the Company and other Lead Investors are providing to the Banks;
(ii) in the event of any Default under clause 16.27.2 of the Facility
Agreement, the Banks shall have available to them all remedies under
the Finance Documents (including pursuant to clauses 17.21-17.25 of the
Facility Agreement) and nothing in clause 16.34 of the Facility
Agreement nor the fact of the execution and delivery of this
Undertaking by the Company shall derogate from the Banks' rights and
remedies as aforesaid, subject only to the express provisions of clause
16.34.4 of the Facility Agreement (which are described in Section 4.2
and Section 4.3 below and shall be applicable in the event, and only in
the event, that the requested Safety Net Investment is duly made
pursuant to the terms hereof and thereof); (iii) the Banks shall be
under no obligation to exercise their option to require a Safety Net
Investment to be made; and (iv) the option granted to the Banks to
require a Safety Net Investment to be made is exercisable each time
that Tower shall fail to meet any of Tower's obligations to raise
Additional Capital and any time after such failure, but, subject to
Section 5 below, and no more than twice during any one calendar year.
3.4. Payments made in respect of any Safety Net Investment pursuant to this
Section 3 shall be made only by way of cash deposit in Dollars into
one of the Project Accounts or into the Foreign Paid-in Equity
Account.
4. Obligations of the Banks
4.1. The Banks confirm that the Facility Agreement provides that should the
Banks exercise their option, from time to time, to require Safety Net
Investments to be made in Tower and such Safety Net Investments are in
fact made by the Safety Net Investors pursuant to the terms of this
Undertaking, and the Safety Net Investor Auditors or the Auditors shall
have delivered certificates (in a form satisfactory to the Banks
confirming the same), Tower shall be entitled, subject to delivery of a
Drawdown Request (in a form satisfactory to the Banks) and fulfilment
of the condition set forth in clause 5.1.4.2 of the Facility Agreement
requiring that the Safety Net Loan be made on a Business Day, to obtain
from the Banks Safety Net Loans in an aggregate amount equal to 86%
(eighty-six percent) of the amount of Safety Net Investments actually
received as aforesaid (including, for this purpose, the amount of
Recognised Additional Investments deemed as Safety Net Investments by
the Company as referred to in Section 3.1 above, if any, taken into
account for the purposes of the relevant Contribution Notice) (based on
a ratio of US $43 (forty-three) of Safety Net Loans for every US $50
(fifty) constituting a Safety Net Investment), but not more than US $43
(forty-three) million in the aggregate. The Banks undertake to the
Company to act in accordance with the foregoing. For the removal of
doubt, only Safety Net Investments made by the Safety Net Investors
(and not any other person) shall be taken into account for the purposes
of this Section 4.1. The Safety Net Loans shall (subject to the
fulfilment of the conditions described in this Section 4.1 above), be
available for drawdown by Tower (in accordance with clauses 5.2.3,
5.2.4,
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5.2.5, 5.2.6 and 5.2.7 of the Facility Agreement) from the date of
confirmation of receipt of the relevant Safety Net Investment.
4.2. The Banks confirm that the Facility Agreement provides, and the Banks
agree, that in the event that Safety Net Investments shall be duly made
in accordance with this Undertaking and clause 16.34 of the Facility
Agreement, then:
4.2.1. the Banks shall not be entitled to exercise their rights
pursuant to clauses 17.21-17.25 of the Facility Agreement nor
shall the Banks be entitled to refrain from making Credits
pursuant to clause 5 of the Facility Agreement, by reason only
of an Event of Default constituted by Tower's failure to
comply with the finance raising obligations of clause 16.27.2
of the Facility Agreement; and
4.2.2. until the earlier of: (a) the date this Undertaking expires in
accordance with Section 5 below; and (b) the date on which the
Total Outstandings shall first reach or exceed US $500 (five
hundred) million (disregarding, for this purpose only, Safety
Net Loans), with respect only to the Defaults or Events of
Default listed in (i)-(iii) of this Section 4.2.2 below, the
Banks shall not be entitled to exercise their rights pursuant
to clauses 17.21-17.25 of the Facility Agreement nor shall the
Banks be entitled to refrain from making Credits pursuant to
clause 5 of the Facility Agreement, by reason only of such
Default or Event of Default (without derogating from the
requirement that all other conditions for the making of a
particular Credit will still have to be complied with):
(i) an Event of Default constituted by the receipt by
Tower of a Credit, in breach of clauses 2.3 or 5.1 of
the Facility Agreement. For the removal of doubt, the
foregoing shall not entitle Tower to a Credit if at
the time of the request of same, it does not comply
with clauses 2.3 or 5.1 of the Facility Agreement
(however, if a Credit is made despite such
non-compliance, the mere fact of the making of such
Credit, despite non-compliance, shall not prevent the
making of further Credits);
(ii) a Default constituted by a failure by Tower to make
payments to suppliers on the due date for payment; or
(iii) a Default specifically waived pursuant to the Waiver
Notice or the Additional Waiver Notice (each as
defined in Section 4.3 below) as set forth in Section
4.3 below.
4.3. The Banks confirm, and the Company acknowledges and agrees, that the
Facility Agreement provides that after a Contribution Notice is made,
Tower may, no later than 25 (twenty-five) Business Days before the date
corresponding to 3 (three) months after the date of such Contribution
- 9 -
Notice, or, if earlier, before the date any of the Safety Net Investors
makes a Safety Net Investment pursuant to such Contribution Notice (the
earlier of the foregoing, hereinafter: the "SAFETY NET INVESTMENT
DATE"), send a written notice to the Banks expressly setting out and
particularising all actually existing Defaults or Events of Default,
including all relevant facts, and the steps being taken to remedy the
same (hereinafter: the "DEFAULT NOTICE"), that have occurred and are
continuing as at the date of such Default Notice. In connection
therewith, Tower shall not be entitled to set out and particularise in
any Default Notice any Defaults or Events of Default arising from any
act or omission by, or under the control of, the Company. In the event
the Banks agree, within 15 (fifteen) Business Days after the receipt of
such Default Notice to waive such Defaults or Events of Default by way
of a waiver notice (hereinafter: the "WAIVER NOTICE") in substantially
the same form as set out in Schedule 16.34.5 to the Facility Agreement,
then, subject to the Banks receiving certificates from each applicable
Safety Net Investor Auditor or a certificate from the Auditors (in a
form or forms satisfactory to the Banks), confirming that all Safety
Net Investments to be made by the Safety Net Investors in respect of
such Contribution Notice pursuant to clause 16.34.1 of the Facility
Agreement have actually been made, with effect from the date such
Safety Net Investments are made, the Banks shall be deemed to have
waived those actually existing Defaults or Events of Default expressly
set out and particularised in such Default Notice as aforesaid. For the
avoidance of doubt: (i) any such waiver shall only relate to the period
prior to the making of such Safety Net Investments by the Safety Net
Investors, as aforesaid and shall not be interpreted in any event as a
waiver by the Banks of any representation, warranty or obligation
(including, under clause 16.29 of the Facility Agreement) of Tower
included in the Finance Documents, or of any Default or Event of
Default not actually existing or not expressly set out and
particularised in such Default Notice, as aforesaid; and (ii) in the
event the Banks do not send a Waiver Notice within such 15 (fifteen)
Business Day period, or if the Safety Net Investors do not actually
make all of the Safety Net Investments, as aforesaid, as required under
the relevant Contribution Notice, or if the Banks do not receive such
certificates from all of the Safety Net Investor Auditors or the
Auditors (in a form satisfactory to the Banks), as aforesaid, then the
Banks shall not be deemed to have waived any rights they have or may
have arising from the Defaults or Events of Default set out and
particularised in such Default Notice as aforesaid. In the event the
Banks do not send a Waiver Notice to Tower within 15 (fifteen) Business
Days after receipt of the relevant Default Notice from Tower, then the
relevant Contribution Notice shall be deemed to have been withdrawn by
the Banks and the Company shall not be required to make, or procure to
be made, Safety Net Investments in accordance with said Contribution
Notice and Tower shall not be required to fulfil its undertaking under
Schedule 3 hereto with respect only to such withdrawn Contribution
Notice. If after a Waiver Notice is sent by the Banks to Tower, but no
later than 8 (eight) Business Days prior to the Safety Net Investment
Date, Tower sends a written notice to the Banks expressly setting out
and particularising
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additional actually existing Defaults or Events of Default not listed
on the Default Notice (or adds more detail to the ones detailed in the
Default Notice) and the steps being taken to remedy same (hereinafter:
the "ADDITIONAL DEFAULT NOTICE"), that have occurred and are continuing
as at the date of such Additional Default Notice (the above provisions
applicable to the Default Notice to be equally applicable to the
Additional Default Notice, mutatis mutandis), the Banks shall have 7
(seven) Business Days after the receipt of such Additional Default
Notice to decide whether to waive such additional Defaults or Events of
Default by way of an additional waiver notice (hereinafter: the
"ADDITIONAL WAIVER NOTICE") (the above provisions applicable to the
Waiver Notice to be equally applicable to the Additional Waiver Notice,
mutatis mutandis). In the event the Banks do not send an Additional
Waiver Notice to Tower within 7 (seven) Business Days after receipt of
the relevant Additional Default Notice from Tower, then the relevant
Contribution Notice shall be deemed to have been withdrawn by the Bank
and the Company shall not be required to make, or procure to be made,
Safety Net Investments in accordance with said Contribution Notice and
Tower shall not be required to fulfil its undertaking under Schedule 3
hereto with respect, only, to such withdrawn Contribution Notice. For
the removal of doubt, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this
Section, any waiver, shall not apply in the event of any change or
development occurring after the date of the relevant Default Notice or
Additional Default Notice (as the case may be), including in the event
that any "Default" included in a Default Notice or Additional Default
Notice (as the case may be) becomes an "Event of Default", in the
circumstances described in the relevant Default Notice or Additional
Default Notice (as the case may be), other than a change or development
occurring after the date of the relevant Default Notice or Additional
Default Notice (as the case may be), which does not have any adverse
effect on the interests of the Banks.
4.4. At any time after delivery of a Contribution Notice (but not later than
1 (one) day prior to the date on which the relevant rights offering
prospectus or private placement is due to become effective), the Banks
may, at their sole discretion and without any liability to the Company
or Tower arising therefrom, by notice in writing to the Company and
Tower, withdraw a Contribution Notice. Without derogating from the
foregoing, in the event that after delivery of a Contribution Notice
the Banks are of the view that, due to a legal impediment, they would
not be in a position to make Safety Net Loans available to Tower, the
Banks shall so notify the Company and Tower and the Contribution Notice
shall be withdrawn. Notwithstanding the foregoing in this Section 4.4,
the Banks shall be entitled to send a Contribution Notice once they are
of the view that they would be in a position to make Safety Net Loans.
4.5. The Banks confirm that the Facility Agreement provides that in the
event and only in the event that Contribution Notices are delivered by
the Banks and Safety Net Investments are duly made in accordance with
the provisions of clause 16.34 of the Facility Agreement, then, in
respect of the period
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commencing on the date of the confirmation of the making of such Safety
Net Investments by the Safety Net Investor Auditors or the Auditors, as
aforesaid, and until the earliest of the following 3 (three) dates: (a)
June 30, 2006 (or, in the event a Contribution Notice is made within 3
(three) months prior to June 30, 2006, the date corresponding to the
date Safety Net Investments are made pursuant to such Contribution
Notice or, if earlier, 3 (three) months after the date of such
Contribution Notice); (b) the date on which Tower shall have fulfilled
all of its obligations under clause 16.27.2 of the Facility Agreement;
and (c) the date on which the Total Outstandings shall first equal or
exceed US $500 (five hundred) million (disregarding, for this purpose
only, Safety Net Loans) and in respect of such period only: (i) all
references in clause 16.29 of the Facility Agreement to "Schedule
16.29" shall be deemed to be replaced by Schedule 16.29A to the
Facility Agreement; and (ii) "Schedule 1.1.106" shall be replaced by
"Schedule 1.1.106A". Copies of said Schedules 16.29A and 1.1.106A are
attached to this Undertaking as SCHEDULES 4 and 5, respectively.
5. Termination of the Undertaking
5.1. The Company will have the right to terminate this Undertaking in the
event of: (a) any amendment: (i) to clauses 16.27.2 and 16.34 of the
Facility Agreement (as such clauses are set out in the Seventh
Amendment thereto, a copy of clause 16.34 being attached hereto as
SCHEDULE 6) that purports to increase the Company's obligations to make
Safety Net Investments or that purports to derogate from the
obligations of the Banks to make Safety Net Loans or that would make
the Units purchased by the Safety Net Investors from Tower pursuant to
Section 3 hereof not be considered Additional Capital under the
Facility Agreement; (ii) to clause 5.1.1 of the Facility Agreement
whereby the maximum ratio of Total Outstandings applicable after any
Safety Net Loans are made shall be reduced below 1.29; (iii) to the
definition of Equity Convertible Debentures or (iv) to the Facility
Agreement (for the removal of doubt, as amended by the Seventh
Amendment thereto), reducing the Banks' Commitments (excluding, for the
removal of doubt, any reduction thereof permitted under the terms of
the Facility Agreement) or materially bringing forward the repayment
schedule (excluding, for the removal of doubt, any voluntary reduction
by Tower of the Commitments or any voluntary or mandatory prepayment)
in each case of (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv) above, without the Company's
written consent; or (b) the completion of an Outside Investment Offer
relating to at least 51% (fifty-one percent) of the shares of Tower,
all as referred to in clause 16.35.2 of the Facility Agreement. The
termination of this Undertaking will take effect immediately upon
notification by the Company unless otherwise provided in the notice.
5.2. The term of this Undertaking shall expire on the Expiry Date, provided,
however, that: (a) if the Banks give a Contribution Notice on June 30,
2006 or during the 3 (three) months prior to June 30, 2006, this
Undertaking shall remain in effect with regard to the Amount to be
Raised that is the subject of such
- 12 -
Contribution Notice; and (b) if the Banks give a Contribution Notice on
or prior to June 30, 2006 and prior to the making of Safety Net
Investments within 3 (three) months after the date of delivery of the
Contribution Notice, the provisions of clause 17.8 of the Facility
Agreement shall be applicable to Tower (other than in the case of a
solvent re-organisation or proceedings with respect to less than all of
Tower's revenues or assets), the Contribution Notice and Tower's
obligations under Schedule 3 hereto shall be suspended for the period
during which such provisions of clause 17.8 as aforesaid shall be
applicable and if such provisions of cause 17.8 as aforesaid shall be
applicable for more than 9 (nine) months, this Undertaking and the
Tower Offering Undertaking shall expire at the end of such 9 (nine)
month period; provided that: (i) this Section 5.2(b) shall not apply,
and this Undertaking or the Tower Offering Undertaking shall not
expire, in the event clause 17.8 of the Facility Agreement shall apply
to Tower, as aforesaid, as a result of any steps that are taken or
Proceedings that are commenced, or as a result of the appointment of a
liquidator, receiver, administrator, administrative receiver or similar
officer, as referred to in clause 17.8 of the Facility Agreement, that
is made, commenced, taken or appointed, as applicable, by the Company
or any of its affiliates; and (ii) if the provisions of clause 17.8 of
the Facility Agreement shall be applicable to Tower (other than in the
case of a solvent re-organisation or proceedings with respect to less
than all of Tower's revenues or assets), as a result of Proceedings
instituted by the Banks, this Undertaking and the Tower Offering
Undertaking shall expire upon the date on which such provision becomes
applicable to Tower.
5A. Entry of this Undertaking into Effect
This Undertaking will become effective upon the fulfilment of the
conditions precedent set out in section 3 of the Seventh Amendment to the
Facility Agreement and confirmation thereof by the Banks and Tower pursuant
to section 3.2 of the Seventh Amendment to the Facility Agreement, provided
that, for the purpose of this Section 5A, any condition precedent which is
waived by the Banks, shall not be considered a condition precedent set out
in said section 3 and further provided that the Seventh Amendment to the
Facility Agreement and Amendment No. 3 Letter (as defined in the Seventh
Amendment to the Facility Agreement) have received all necessary approval
of the Tower audit committee, board of directors and shareholders. Without
limiting the generality of the foregoing, the foregoing conditions
precedent shall be deemed to be fulfilled in the event that the Banks
shall, pursuant to the last sentence of section 3.2 of the Seventh
Amendment to the Facility Agreement, have notified Tower in writing that
they regard the conditions precedent as having been fulfilled.
Notwithstanding the aforegoing, the Company acknowledges that the Banks are
making Credits available to Tower after the date of signature of this
Undertaking by the Company, which may be made available even prior to the
effectiveness of this Undertaking as set forth above, in full reliance on
the representations and
- 13 -
warranties of the Company set out in Section 8 below and, accordingly, the
Company agrees that, subject to Section 8.8 below, the representations and
warranties set out in Section 8 below are in full force and effect on the
date of signature by the Company of this Undertaking.
6. Primary Obligation
The obligations of the Company under this Undertaking constitute the
irrevocable, unconditional and primary obligation of the Company and
neither such obligations nor the rights, powers and remedies conferred in
respect of the Company upon the Banks by this Undertaking or by law shall
be:
6.1. dependent upon the legality or validity of any of the other Finance
Documents, other than the Facility Agreement; or
6.2. discharged, released or otherwise affected or prejudiced by any time or
indulgence afforded to Tower or to any of the other parties under any
of the other Finance Documents or by any other act, event or omission
which (but for this clause) would or might otherwise discharge,
release, affect or prejudice any of the obligations of the Company
herein contained or any of the rights, powers or remedies conferred
upon the Banks by this Undertaking or by law, subject to Section 5.1
above.
7. No Set-Off Or Counterclaim
All payments required to be made by the Company hereunder shall be
calculated without reference to any set-off or counterclaim and shall be
made free and clear of and without any deduction for or on account of any
set-off or counterclaim and free and clear, and without deduction, of, or
withholding for, or on account of, any Tax of any nature now or
subsequently imposed by any country or any subdivision or Taxation
authority of any country or any federation or organisation of which any
country is a member.
8. Representations and Warranties
8.1. The Company makes the representations and warranties set out in
Sections 8.2 to 8.7 (inclusive) below on the date hereof and on the
date on which this Undertaking becomes effective pursuant to Section 5A
above. The Company acknowledges that each of the Banks has entered into
the Seventh Amendment to the Facility Agreement and this Undertaking in
reliance on these representations and warranties.
8.2. It is a company limited by shares, duly incorporated and validly
existing under the laws of the place of its incorporation and has the
power to own its property and assets and carry on its business as it is
now being and will be conducted. No administrator, examiner, receiver,
liquidator or similar officer has been appointed with respect to it or
any material part of its assets nor (so far as it is aware) is any
petition or proceeding for such appointment pending.
- 14 -
8.3. It has the power to enter into and perform this Undertaking and the
transactions to be implemented pursuant thereto and has taken all
necessary action to authorise the entry into and performance thereof.
8.4. This Undertaking constitutes its legal, valid, binding and enforceable
obligations.
8.5. The entry into and performance of this Undertaking and the transactions
to be implemented pursuant thereto do not conflict with:
8.5.1. any law or regulation or any official or judicial order
applicable to it in any respect, or
8.5.2. its constitutional documents or any of its resolutions (having
current effect) in any respect, or
8.5.3. any agreement or instrument to which it is a party or which is
binding upon it or on any of its assets.
8.6. All authorisations, actions, conditions, approvals, consents, licences,
exemptions, filings, registrations and other matters required by law
for or in consequence of the entry into and performance by it of and/or
the validity of this Undertaking and the transactions to be implemented
pursuant thereto have been obtained or effected or will be obtained or
effected.
8.7. It is not in breach of or in default under any agreement to which it is
a party or which is binding on it or any of its assets to an extent or
in a manner which might reasonably be expected to have a material
adverse effect on its ability to meet or perform the obligations
expressed to be assumed by it pursuant to this Undertaking.
8.8 For the avoidance of doubt, the parties to this Undertaking are aware
that the Company could be required to convene a shareholders meeting
for the approval of this Undertaking at the request of any shareholder
or shareholders who holds at least 1% of the shares of the Company
within 7 (seven) days from the date of the publication of an immediate
report describing inter alia, this Undertaking.
8A. The Company irrevocably undertakes to the Banks to deliver, in
accordance with the second sentence of this Section 8A below, a
certification by the Company, to the satisfaction of the Banks, that
section 8.8 of this Undertaking is not relevant and that said section
8.8 and the reference thereto in section 5A, are deleted from this
Undertaking and that all of the representations and the warranties made
by the Company herein (other than those made in said section 8.8) are
true and accurate and in full force and effect as of the date of said
certification and on the date on which this Undertaking becomes
effective pursuant to Section 5A above. Such certificate shall be
delivered to the Banks (with a copy to Tower) (i) within
- 15 -
9 (nine) days of the date of this Undertaking if no demand for the
convening of a shareholders meeting during the 7 (seven) day period, as
aforesaid in section 8.8, has been made, or (ii) if a demand referred
to in section 8.8 as aforesaid has been made and this Undertaking has
been duly approved by the Company's shareholders, then, within 1 (one)
business day of such approval.
9. Binding Agreement; No Transfer
This Undertaking shall be binding on and enure to the benefit of each party
hereto and its or any subsequent permitted successors, transferees or
assigns. The Company shall not assign all or any of its rights, benefits
and obligations under this Undertaking.
10. Costs and Expenses
The Company shall, from time to time, on demand of the Banks, reimburse the
Banks for all costs and expenses (including legal fees and expenses)
together with any VAT thereon incurred in or in connection with the
preservation and/or enforcement against it of any of the rights of the
Banks under this Undertaking.
11. Remedies and Waivers; Default Interest
11.1. No failure to exercise, nor any delay in exercising on the part of the
Banks, on the one hand, or the Company, on the other hand, any right or
remedy hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall any
single or partial exercise of any right or remedy prevent any further
or other exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right or remedy.
The rights and remedies herein provided are cumulative and not
exclusive of any rights or remedies provided by law.
11.2. Any amount due to be paid by the Company to one of the Project
Accounts, or otherwise pursuant to the provisions of this Undertaking,
which is not paid when due under this Undertaking shall bear interest
(after as well as before judgement and payable on demand) at the same
rate, as if such sum was an Unpaid Sum for the purposes of clause 18 of
the Facility Agreement, from the due date for such payment until the
date such amount is unconditionally and irrevocably paid and discharged
in full.
12. Notices
12.1. Notices to be given hereunder shall be in writing and may be given
personally, by facsimile or, if not available, as required by Section
12.2 below. Any notice to be given to a Bank or by a Bank must be given
during normal banking hours of such Bank to the person and at the
address designated below. If notice is sent by facsimile during normal
banking hours as aforesaid, it shall be deemed to have been served when
confirmation of receipt by the intended recipient has been received.
All
- 16 -
notices given by facsimile shall be confirmed by letter despatched in
the manner provided in Section 12.2 within 24 (twenty-four) hours of
transmission.
12.2. Any other notices to be given hereunder shall be served on an entity by
prepaid express registered letter (or nearest equivalent) to its
address given below or such other address as may from time to time be
notified for this purpose and any notice so served shall be deemed to
have been served within 5 (five) days after the time at which such
notice was posted and in proving such service, it shall be sufficient
to prove that the notice was properly addressed and posted:
12.2.1. to the Company: The Israel Corporation Ltd.
23 Arania St.
Millennium Tower
Tel-Aviv
Facsimile: 03-684-4574
Attention: Avisar Paz, CFO
with a copy to: I. Gornitzky &Co.
45 Rothschild Blvd.
Tel-Aviv, 65784
Facsimile: 03-560-6555
Attention: Zvi Ephrat, Adv.
12.2.2. to Bank Hapoalim at: Corporate Division
Zion Building
45 Rothschild Boulevard
Tel-Aviv
Facsimile: (03) 567 3728
Attention: Head of
Corporate Division
12.2.3. to Bank Leumi at: Corporate Division
32 Yehuda Halevi Street
Tel-Aviv
Facsimile: (03) 514 9017
Attention: Manager of Hi-Tech
Industries Section
12.3. A copy of any notices sent under this Section 12 shall be sent to Tower
at:
Tower Semiconductor Ltd.
P.O. Box 619
Migdal Haemek
Israel
Facsimile: (04) 654 7788
Attention: Chief Executive Officer
- 17 -
with a copy to: Yigal Arnon & Co.
1 Azrieli Center
Tel-Aviv 67021
Facsimile: (03) 608 7714
Attention: David H. Schapiro, Adv.
13. Amendments
Any addition, variation, modification or amendment to this Undertaking
shall not be effective unless any such addition, variation, modification or
amendment is in writing and signed by the authorised signatories of the
Company and the Banks. For the removal of doubt, no addition, variation,
modification or amendment hereto shall increase Tower's obligations under
the Facility Agreement or the Tower Offering Undertaking.
14. Counterparts
This Undertaking may be executed in any number of counterparts and all of
such counterparts taken together shall be deemed to constitute one and the
same instrument.
15. Governing Law And Jurisdiction
This Undertaking shall be governed by and shall be construed in accordance
with Israeli law and the courts of Tel-Aviv-Jaffa shall have exclusive
jurisdiction to hear any matters, provided that the Banks shall be entitled
to sue the Company in any jurisdiction in which it has an office or holds
assets.
16. Entire Agreement
This Undertaking constitutes the entire agreement between the parties with
respect to the subject-matter hereof and supersedes any prior agreement, or
arrangement amongst the parties.
[remainder of this page intentionally left blank]
- 18 -
17. Partial Invalidity
If any provision of any of this Undertaking is or becomes illegal, invalid
or unenforceable in any respect under the law of any jurisdiction, neither
the legality, validity or enforceability of the remaining provisions hereof
nor the legality, validity or enforceability of such provision under the
law of any other jurisdiction shall in any way be affected or impaired
thereby.
Sincerely,
The Israel Corporation Ltd.
________________________
By: ____________________
Title: _________________
Confirmed and Acknowledged:
Bank Hapoalim B.M.
By: _________________
Title: _________________
Bank Leumi Le-Israel B.M.
By: _________________
Title: _________________
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ACKNOWLEDGMENT BY TOWER
The undersigned hereby acknowledges and agrees to the execution and delivery of
the above Undertaking by the Company to the Banks and confirms and acknowledges
its obligations to the Company and the Banks under its undertaking attached to
the above Undertaking as Schedule 3.
Tower Semiconductor Ltd.
By: _________________
Title: _________________
November 11, 2003
The Israel Corporation Ltd. (the "Safety Net Obligor")
Bank Hapolaim B.M.
Bank Leumi Le-Israel B.M.
Dear Sir or Madam,
Re: Undertaking to Complete Rights Offering
We irrevocably undertake that should we fail to meet any of our
financing obligations under clause 16.27.2 of the Facility Agreement by and
among Bank Hapoalim B.M. and Bank Leumi Le-Israel B.M. (together: "the Banks")
and us, dated January 18, 2001, as amended (the "Facility Agreement") and should
the Banks send a Contribution Notice (as defined in the Facility Agreement), as
amended by the Seventh Amendment thereto and subject to the terms of the
Facility Agreement, provided that the Safety Net Undertaking has not been
terminated, we will complete a rights offering (subject to compliance with
applicable laws) (a "Rights Offering") within three months of the date of the
Contribution Notice on the following terms:
o The amount of a Rights Offering shall not be less than the amount
required under the Contribution Notice, which amount shall not exceed
the difference between what we were obliged to raise under clause
16.27.2 through the date of said Contribution Notice and the amount
actually raised (the "Amount to be Raised").
o We will offer convertible securities to all of our shareholders in
units comprised of convertible debentures ("CD" or "CDs", as
applicable) convertible into, and warrants (the "Warrants" and,
together with the CDs the "Units") exercisable for, our ordinary shares
such that the Warrants included in each unit will be exercisable for a
number of shares equal to 45% of the number of shares which may be
issued on the basis of an assumed conversion of the CDs included in
such units.
o The CDs will contain such terms and conditions so as to constitute
Equity Convertible Debentures (as defined in the Facility Agreement),
save that clause 1.118(a) of the Facility Agreement shall not apply and
no deposit shall be required to be made pursuant to clause 1.118(e) of
the Facility Agreement, and, for the removal of doubt, the amount of
which shall not be limited, and subject to such other terms as set
forth in the Facility Agreement. We shall pay all stamp tax (if due),
VAT on interest and linkage differentials relating to the CD's.
o Each CD will bear interest at the rate of 6% per year; 1% interest will
be payable once a year and the balance of such interest (5%) will
accrue until the maturity of the CDs on a compound basis, which
maturity shall be a date no earlier than December 31, 2009, any such
payment of principal and interest to be subject to the terms and
conditions of the Facility Agreement.
o The CDs will be convertible into our ordinary shares (principal and
compounded interest) at a rate equal to the Amount to be Raised plus
1
the accumulated unpaid interest at such time of conversion divided by
the lower of: (a) 50% discount of the trading price for the ordinary
shares of Tower on Nasdaq (or such other stock exchange or quotation
system on which Tower's ordinary shares are listed in the event that
they cease to be traded on Nasdaq) (Nasdaq or such alternative stock
exchange or quotation system, the "Stock Exchange") at the close of
trading on the trading day immediately prior to the date of the
prospectus relating to the Rights Offering or (b) 50% discount of the
average trading price for the ordinary shares of Tower on the Stock
Exchange during the fifteen (15) consecutive trading days preceding the
date of the prospectus relating to the Rights Offering.
o Each Warrant will be exercisable into one of our ordinary shares at
such exercise price which is equivalent to 80% of the lower of: (a) the
trading price for the ordinary shares of Tower on the Stock Exchange at
the close of trading on the trading day immediately prior to the date
of the prospectus relating to the Rights Offering or (b) the average
trading price for the ordinary shares of Tower on the Stock Exchange
during the fifteen (15) consecutive trading days preceding the date of
the prospectus relating to the of the Rights Offering.
o The Warrants shall expire five years from their date of issuance.
o In consideration of the Safety Net Obligor's commitment to execute the
Safety Net Investment, we shall pay such Safety Net Obligor a fee to be
agreed to between us and the Safety Net Obligor, provided that (a) the
terms of such fee are approved by our audit committee and board of
directors and (b) said fee shall be satisfied only by the issue of
Warrants exercisable into shares of the Company.
We understand and agree that the Safety Net Obligor will procure that it or
Safety Net Investors will invest in Tower in accordance with Section 3.2 of the
Safety Net Undertaking (as defined in the Facility Agreement) addressed to the
Banks and agree to take all actions to facilitate compliance by the Safety Net
Obligor with the Safety Net Undertaking, including but not limited to, if
necessary, increasing the authorized capital and completing a private placement
on substantially the same terms and conditions that would have applied to the
Rights Offering, if necessary. We hereby agree that the giving by the Safety Net
Obligor of its Undertaking to the Banks shall not vest any rights in us, our
shareholders or any third party nor any obligations in favour of us, our
shareholders or any third party.
We confirm that should we fail to file a registration statement with the United
States Securities and Exchange Commission ((hereinafter: the "SEC") within 12
(twelve) Business Days of the date a Contribution Notice is given by the Banks
as described in Section 3.1 above, or fail promptly to respond, to the
satisfaction of the staff of the SEC, to SEC staff comments with respect to said
registration statement, or fail promptly to take all actions required by all
applicable jurisdictions in which shareholders of Tower are resident to qualify
said rights offering in such jurisdiction, including, without limitation, Israel
and applicable states within the United States, or otherwise fail to diligently
proceed with the rights offering, and any such failure is attributed by us or
our counsel to one or more legal impediments, then we or any of, the Company or
the Banks may request that Aaron Lampert, Adv. (or failing him Cliff
2
Felig, Adv.) (hereinafter: the "Expert"), within 2 (two) weeks of the date
requested to do so by any of us, the Company and the Banks, confirm whether or
not the Rights Offering may legally proceed, notwithstanding the legal
impediment or impediments cited by us. We agree that if the Expert confirms that
the Rights Offering may legally proceed, we undertake, pursuant to this
undertaking, promptly to cure such failures, in consultation with the Expert,
and complete the Rights Offering in accordance with this undertaking. We further
undertake to bear the reasonable fees of, and reasonable costs incurred by, the
Expert in providing his confirmation as aforesaid.
We further agree that we will indemnify the Safety Net Obligor and/or its
subsidiary, Israel Corporation Technologies (ICTech) Ltd., jointly but not
severally, (the "Indemnified Party"), subject to the Safety Net Undertaking
coming into effect, from and against any claims, actions, suits, proceedings,
damages and liabilities awarded thereunder and expenses in relation to such
claims, actions, suits, or proceedings (including reasonable legal fees) based
on a final judgment by a competent court which is not subject to appeal (the
"Judgment") incurred by the Indemnified Party arising out of its giving the
Safety Net Undertaking or the making of a Safety Net Investment (collectively,
"Losses"). We shall not, however, be liable under the foregoing indemnity to the
extent that any such Losses result from the gross negligence, willful
misconduct, or bad faith of any of the Safety Net Obligor and/or Israel
Corporation Technologies (ICTech) Ltd. The foregoing indemnity shall be limited
to maximum payments aggregating no more than $100,000,000 (one hundred million
US dollars) (the "Maximum Amount"), whose terms of payment are subject to the
below conditions, and will be the exclusive monetary remedy of the Indemnified
Party.
In addition to the condition that the maximum aggregate payments shall not
exceed the Maximum Amount, payments under this indemnity shall be subject to the
following conditions:
1) (a) On account of any requirement to make a payment to the Indemnified
Party, we will pay to the Indemnified Party, within 60 (sixty) days
from the date of the Judgment (the "Period"), in cash, equal to the
Losses, up to the maximum aggregate amount of $25,000,000 (twenty five
million US dollars) (the "Base Payment").
(b) If on account of any requirement to make a payment, the Base
Payment does not satisfy our indemnification obligation hereunder with
respect thereto (the "Completing Amount"), the Completing Amount will
accrue interest from the date of the Judgment at a rate per annum equal
to three-month LIBOR plus 2.5% (such interest accruing from day to day
and calculated on the basis of the actual number of days elapsed and a
360 (three hundred and sixty) day year. Such interest and principal to
be paid by us in equal installments, on the dates that we actually pay
the Banks in accordance with the repayment schedule for Loans (other
than Safety Net Loans) (as such terms are defined in the Facility
Agreement) beginning no earlier than the next repayment date following
the date of the Judgment and ending on the Final Maturity Date (as such
term is defined in the
3
Facility Agreement) (as amended from time to time).
2) Notwithstanding anything herein, should we have adequate insurance that
will cover an amount of any of our indemnification payment obligations,
then we have the option to make any such payment in full or any lesser
amount that we choose without regard to the conditions set forth in
clause 1)(a) above, but at all times, without derogating from the
condition that the maximum aggregate payments shall not exceed the
Maximum Amount.
If any of the Safety Net Obligor or Israel Corporation Technologies (ICTech)
Ltd. becomes aware of any claim, action, suit, or proceeding which may give rise
to a liability hereunder, such person will promptly give notice thereof to us in
writing. Without our prior written consent, which shall not be unreasonably
withheld, the Indemnified Party may not agree to any settlement or compromise of
any claim, action, suit, or proceeding involving a payment for which it intends
to seek indemnification hereunder. We will make our best commercial efforts to
obtain insurance with respect to our aforegoing indemnification undertaking.
We hereby confirm that all corporate action to be taken by us (including by our
Board of Directors, Audit Committee and by our shareholders) in order to approve
the contents of this undertaking has been duly and properly obtained or will be
obtained prior to the Seventh Amendment Closing Date. Notwithstanding the
previous sentence, this undertaking, including our indemnification obligations
as set forth above, is subject to our obtaining shareholder approval in
accordance with law.
This undertaking is being made to you pursuant to clause 16.34 of the Facility
Agreement.
[remainder of page intentionally left blank]
4
Sincerely,
___________________________
Carmel Vernia, Chairman and Acting CEO
Tower Semiconductor Ltd.
Acknowledged and agreed:
___________________________
The Israel Corporation Ltd.
By: __________________
Title: __________________
Acknowledged and agreed:
___________________________
Bank Hapoalim B.M.
By: __________________
Title: __________________
Acknowledged and agreed:
___________________________
Bank Leumi Le-Israel B.M.
By: __________________
Title: __________________
[Signature Page - Undertaking to Complete Rights Offering]
Date: November 11, 2003
To: Tower Semiconductor Ltd.
P.O. Box 619
Migdal Haemek 23105
Israel
Fax: +972-4-654-7788
Attention: Chief Executive Officer
Re: AMENDMENT NO.3 TO PAYMENT SCHEDULE OF SERIES A-5 ADDITIONAL PURCHASE
OBLIGATIONS, WAIVER OF SERIES A-5 CONDITIONS, CONVERSION OF SERIES A-4
WAFER CREDITS AND OTHER PROVISIONS
Dear Sirs,
With regard to the obligation of each party to this letter (a "Party")
to exercise its Series A-5 Additional Purchase Obligations, as provided for in
its Fab 2 Investment Agreements, as amended through the date hereof, including
the MS 5 Agreement attached hereto as Exhibit A (the "Amendment") and the
letters dated February 24, 2003 and April 14, 2003 (the "Prior Letters") (the
Amendment and the Prior Letters, together, the "Former MS 5 Agreement"), all
capitalized terms not defined herein shall be as defined in the Former MS 5
Agreement, each Party to this letter agreement ("Amendment No. 3") hereby agrees
as follows, notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth in the Former MS
5 Agreement:
1. In the event that each of Bank Hapoalim B.M. and Bank
Leumi-Le-Israel B.M. (the "Banks") and Tower shall have agreed
to amend the terms of the Facility Agreement, dated January
18, 2001, as amended (the "Facility Agreement"), such that,
inter alia, Tower's obligation to raise any additional
financing pursuant to Section 16.27.2 of the Facility
Agreement will be deferred until after December 31, 2003 (it
being acknowledged that such obligation shall be increased to
approximately $152,000,000 over and above the approximately
$86,000,000 already raised pursuant to said Section 16.27.2)
(the "Waiver") and all of Tower's Milestones, as such term is
defined under the current Facility Agreement, will be waived
or adjusted in accordance with the amended Business Plan Tower
has adopted and submitted to the Banks, each Party hereto
shall advance to the Company in one aggregate lump sum the
remaining portion of each Party's respective First Installment
and the total portion of each Party's respective Second
Installment in the dollar amounts set forth with respect to
such Party in Exhibit B hereto (the "Payments"), by no later
1
than three business days following the date the Company's
shareholders approve this Amendment No. 3 (the "Payment
Date"); the date the Company's shareholders approve this
Amendment No. 3 to be evidenced by a certificate delivered to
each of the Parties and executed by Tower's CEO certifying the
receipt of shareholder approval and the procurement of the
Waiver.
2. With respect to its remaining portion of the First
Installment, each Party will be issued fully-paid and
non-assessable ordinary shares of Tower equivalent to the
aggregate of its remaining portion of the First Installment
divided by $2.983 as set forth in the Amendment.
3. With respect to the Second Installment, each Party will be
issued fully-paid and non-assessable ordinary shares of Tower
equivalent to the aggregate of the Second Installment divided
by the price per share in a public offering for which a draft
prospectus was filed with the SEC within ninety (90) days from
the date hereof (the "Public Offering"; such price per share
referred to herein as the "Public Offering Price Per Share"),
provided however, that if such public offering is not
consummated within one hundred and eighty (180) days from the
date hereof, then each Party will be issued fully-paid and
non-assessable ordinary shares of Tower equivalent to the
aggregate of the Second Installment divided by the average
trading price for the ordinary shares of Tower during the
fifteen (15) consecutive trading days preceding the Payment
Date (the "Second Installment Price Per Share"). Promptly
following the transfer of the Payments, shares with respect to
the First Installment will be issued as set forth above and,
with respect to the Second Installment (assuming the transfer
of the Payment with respect thereto), shares will be issued
equivalent to the aggregate of the Second Installment divided
by the Public Offering Price Per Share, or the Second
Installment Price Per Share, as applicable, provided however
that the number of shares issued in connection with the Second
Installment may later be increased if the price per share with
respect to the Second Installment is the Second Installment
Price Per Share as described in Section 4 below.
2
4. Provided that the price per share with respect to the Second
Installment is the Second Installment Price Per Share, then
following the completion of a Raising (as defined below) by
Tower, and provided (1) that the price per share in such
Raising is lower than the Second Installment Price Per Share,
(the "Raising Price Per Share") and (2) that an Equity Raising
shall not include (a) the Public Offering, (b) an offering of
securities to all or substantially all of Tower's
shareholders, and (c) any offering of securities in connection
with a Safety Net Investment (as defined below), each party
shall receive additional ordinary shares of Tower equivalent
to the aggregate of its Second Installment divided by the
Raising Price Per Share less the amount of shares already
issued to it in connection with the Second Installment (the
"Adjustment"). The term Raising shall mean the receipt of
proceeds of at least $28 million from the sale, in one or more
public or private offerings, of ordinary shares of the Company
or securities convertible into ordinary shares of the Company
that close prior to June 30, 2004 (an "Equity Raising").
Should the Raising be achieved through multiple Equity
Raisings, the Raising Price Per Share shall be the lowest
price per share of the various Equity Raisings, provided that
such Equity Raising shall generate proceeds of at least $10
million. Should the price per share not be determinable in the
case of a public or private offering of securities convertible
into ordinary shares as aforesaid, the parties hereto shall
agree on a financial expert to determine the price per share.
5. WAFER CREDITS.
5.1 Each Party that is a Wafer Partner agrees, notwithstanding
any conflicting provision in any other agreement in the past,
that it shall not be reimbursed or refunded for any credits in
its respective Pre-Paid Wafer Accounts (the "Credits") and
will only utilize, or be credited against actual orders for
Credits made after December 31, 2006, other than as set forth
in Section 5.2 below and except with respect to purchase
orders issued before the date hereof utilizing wafer credits.
5.2 For each quarterly period commencing on January 1, 2004
and ending December 31, 2006 (the "Credit Period"), Tower
shall provide a written report within five business (5) days
after the end of each quarter (a "Credit Report") to each
Party that is a Wafer
3
Partner setting forth the amount of Credits that could have
been utilized against the actual payment for wafers
manufactured at Fab 2 during the relevant quarter (the
"Quarterly Credit Amount"). Within five (5) business days from
the receipt of a Credit Report, each Party that is a Wafer
Partner shall have the option to convert all or a portion of
its respective Quarterly Credit Amount (the "Converted
Quarterly Credit Amount") into validly issued, fully-paid and
non-assessable ordinary shares of Tower equivalent to the
aggregate of the Converted Quarterly Credit Amount divided by
the average trading price for the ordinary shares of Tower
during the fifteen (15) consecutive trading days preceding the
last day of the relevant quarter. Any Party that is a Wafer
Partner exercising such option shall notify Tower in writing
that it is exercising such option and of the Converted
Quarterly Credit Amount; such notice shall be irrevocable. All
portions of the Quarterly Credit Amount which are not
converted as described above (the "Non-Converted Credits"),
shall accrue interest at a rate per annum equal to three-month
LIBOR plus 2.5% through December 31, 2007 (the "Credit
Interest Amount") from the end of the relevant quarter. The
Credit Interest Amount shall accrue from day to day and shall
be calculated on the basis of the actual number of days
elapsed and a 360 (three hundred and sixty) day year. The
respective quarterly Credit Interest Amount will be paid to
each Party who is a Wafer Partner within five (5) business
days after the last day of the subsequent quarter following
the issuance of the relevant Credit Report, while the
aggregate principal amount of the Non-Converted Credits shall
be repaid to such Wafer Partner in one lump sum on December
31, 2007.
5.3 Effective as of December 31, 2005, each Wafer Partner that
is a Party hereto has an option to convert all of the then
remaining Series A-4 Credits (the "Remaining Series A-4
Credits") into validly issued, fully-paid and non-assessable
ordinary shares of Tower equivalent to the amount of the
Remaining Series A-4 Credits divided by the average trading
price for the ordinary shares of the Company during the
fifteen (15) consecutive trading days preceding December 31,
2005 (the "Conversion Price"), provided that such Party
provides Tower advance written notice to convert all or a
portion of the Remaining Series A-4 Credits no earlier than
December 31, 2005 and by no later than January 31, 2006 (the
"Conversion Notice"). The Conversion Notice shall be
irrevocable. Tower hereby agrees to issue to each Wafer
Partner that provides it with a Conversion Notice the ordinary
shares to be issued in connection with its exercise of the
Remaining Series A-4 Credits promptly after its receipt of
such Conversion Notice. To the extent that the Remaining
Series A-4 Credits which are converted into ordinary shares
pursuant to this Section 5.3 above is equivalent to or greater
than an aggregate of 5% of Tower's issued and outstanding
share capital on January 31, 2006 (not including shares issued
pursuant to a Conversion Notice), Tower hereby undertakes to
4
prepare and file a registration statement, within a reasonable
time following the issuance of the ordinary shares to the
Wafer Partners in connection with the aforementioned
conversion of the Remaining Series A-4 Credits, for the
distribution of rights to all of Tower's shareholders other
than the Wafer Partners but including Israel Corporation
Technologies (IC Tech) Ltd. ("IC Tech"), to purchase
additional shares in Tower at a price per share equivalent to
the Conversion Price. Tower shall use its reasonable best
efforts to cause the registration statement to be declared
effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission and the
Israel Securities Authority as soon as reasonably practicable
after filing thereof with the Securities and Exchange
Commission and the Israel Securities Authority.
5.4 For the removal of doubt, the amount of Credits that may
be utilized or credited as set forth in Section 5.1 above and
the amount of Credits that could have been utilized during the
Credit Period as described in Section 5.2 above shall be
subject to the conditions that Credits issued in connection
with the execution of the Series A-3 Additional Purchase
Obligations and the Series A-4 Credits may be credited or
utilized against purchases at a rate of 7.5% until June 30,
2005, and, thereafter, 15% with respect to all Credits.
6. EXTENSION OF LOCK-UP PERIOD. Subject to the following
sentence, all of the parties to the CSA hereby agree to amend
the definition of Initial Restricted Period set forth in the
CSA to read as follows: "From the date of this Agreement and
until the end of five years from the Closing." Notwithstanding
the previous sentence, 30% of the amount of all shares in
Tower that each party to the CSA holds at the end of three
years from the Closing (the "Third Anniversary Date")
(including the 1.2 million shares that may be transferred
during this period pursuant to Section 3 of the CSA, all
securities purchased by the parties hereto in connection with
Tower's rights offering of September 2002, shares issued in
connection with the Payments (if issued following the Third
Anniversary Date), and all ordinary shares issued to the Wafer
Partners upon the conversion of their Credits in accordance
with Section 4 above), shall be exempt from the transfer
restrictions in effect during the Initial Restricted Period as
redefined herein (all capitalized terms in this section as
defined in the CSA, unless redefined herein). The Subsequent
Restricted Period shall commence five years from the Closing
and shall end seven years from the Closing.
5
7. REGISTRATION RIGHTS. No later than 120 (one hundred and
twenty) days from the date Safety Net Investments are made by
any of the Parties, Tower shall prepare and file a
registration statement on Form F-3 covering a resale offering
by such Parties of securities purchased in the framework of a
Safety Net Investment and shall use its reasonable efforts to
cause the registration statement to be declared effective by
the SEC. It is agreed that Section 2.7 of the Registration
Rights Agreement, dated January 18, 2001 shall apply to the
above mutatis mutandis.
Each Party hereby agrees not to exercise any of the rights
granted to it under Sections 2 and 3 of the Registration
Rights Agreement, prior to the earlier of (i) December 31,
2005 and (ii) such date that Tower has fulfilled all of its
obligations to raise any additional financing pursuant to
Section 16.27.2 of the Facility Agreement.
Each Party agrees that notwithstanding Section 13 of the
Registration Rights Agreement, they shall not sell, sell any
option, or otherwise transfer or dispose of any of Tower's
ordinary shares or other securities for a period of 180 days
from the date the prospectus in connection with the Public
Offering is declared effective, without the prior written
consent of Tower and any underwriters of the Public Offering,
other than pursuant to a granting of an option to a service
provider of such Party to purchase Tower's ordinary shares
which are held by a Party, provided that the terms of such
grant are that the service provider shall not exercise or
sell, or otherwise transfer or dispose of such option during
the aforementioned 180 day period Each Party additionally
agrees to enter into an agreement with the underwriters to
such effect and acknowledge that the underwriters in
connection with such registration statement are intended third
party beneficiaries of this provision. It is further agreed
that in order to enforce the foregoing covenant, Tower may
impose stop-transfer instructions with respect to the
securities held by each Party until the end of such 180 day
period.
8. The advancement of the Payments shall be subject to the
satisfaction of the condition set forth in paragraph 1 above
and the approval of Tower's shareholders of this Amendment No.
3 and the Investment Center not having informed the Company
that it is not continuing its funding of the Fab 2 project.
9. All provisions of the Former MS 5 Agreement not amended or
modified hereby shall remain unchanged.
6
10. In addition to the above, each of The Israel Corporation, IC
Tech and the Wafer Partners which are parties hereto
acknowledge and consent to the following proposed terms of an
amendment to the Facility Agreement summarily outlined in
Section 1 above, in this Section 10 below and to the
undertaking of Tower set forth in Exhibit C hereto (Exhibit C
being incorporated into this Section 10 by reference).
I. Should Tower fail to meet its financing obligations under
Section 16.27.2 of the Facility Agreement, the Banks will have
the option (the "Option") to require that The Israel
Corporation (or IC Tech) invest in Tower an amount equal to
50/93 of the difference actually raised towards such a
financing obligation and what was to be raised (up to an
aggregate amount of $50 million) (the "Safety Net
Investment"). Following the receipt by Tower of the Safety Net
Investment, the Banks will increase the total amount which may
be drawn under the credit facility by up to $43 million (based
on a ratio of $43 made available for every $50 of Safety Net
Investments made), which will be repayable no later than the
earlier of (i) December 31, 2007 and (ii) three years from the
date the loan is drawn.
The parties hereby agree that the giving by TIC of the
undertakings to the Banks described in this Section 10(I)
shall not vest any rights in Tower, its shareholders or any
third party vis-a-vis TIC nor create any obligations in favour
of Tower, any of its shareholders or any third party.
II. Following certain triggering events such as the
commencement of bankruptcy or receivership proceedings against
Tower which are ordered by a court of competent jurisdiction
or the prior determination of an arbitrator, mutually
appointed by the Banks and Tower, that a bankruptcy or
receivership order would be issued by a court against Tower
were a petition to be filed with a court of competent
jurisdiction or, an order providing for creditor protection is
issued, the parties shall cooperate with a firm offer made by
a potential investor (the "Outside Offeror") to purchase
shares of Tower at a price in the offer (the "Outside Offer").
If the Outside Offer is accompanied by an opinion of a
reputable investment banking firm that the Outside Offer is
fair to Tower, then Tower shall thereafter procure a rights
offering to invest up to 60% of the amount of the Outside
Offer on the same terms.
7
If a condition of the Outside Offer is to purchase at least a
majority of Tower's shares (the "Minimum Threshold Amount"),
the rights offering will be limited to allow for this, unless
Israel Corporation Technologies (ICTech) Ltd. and the Wafer
Partners (other than QuickLogic) (the "Investing Parties")
agree to exercise all of their rights in a rights offering and
to purchase shares in a subsequent private placement so as to
ensure that the full amount of the Outside Offer is invested
in Tower. If such commitment is not obtained, the rights
offering shall be limited to no more than 49% of the Outside
Offer (the "Investor Portion"); provided, however, that each
of the Investing Parties that exercised its rights in the
rights offering shall be entitled to purchase any amounts of
the Investor Portion unsubscribed for by the other Investing
Parties in an amount which is pro rata to such
over-subscribing Investing Party's then holdings in Tower.
Each Party acknowledges that the Banks are willing to enter
into an amendment to the Facility Agreement (known as the
"Seventh Amendment") and to advance further sums to Tower
(notwithstanding that the Banks are not obliged to do so as of
the date hereof under the Facility Agreement) upon the
execution of the Seventh Amendment (i.e., prior to the closing
and effectiveness of said Seventh Amendment) in full reliance
upon the Parties consenting to the terms summarily outlined in
Sections 1, 10(I) and 10(II) above as well as, the
restrictions on the utilization of Credits described in
Sections 5.1 and 5.2 above and each Party agreeing to advance
its Payment by no later than three business days following the
date the Company's shareholders approve this Amendment No. 3.
Each Party hereby consents to, and irrevocably undertakes and
agrees to vote or cause shares beneficially owned by it to be
voted, at any general meeting of Tower in favour of the
approval of this Amendment No. 3, the Seventh Amendment, which
shall include, inter alia, the aforementioned terms summarily
outlined above and described in Exhibit C hereto, and such
other documents or transactions that need to be approved in
connection therewith. Each Party hereby consents to the
provision of an undertaking by The Israel Corporation or IC
Tech to provide the Safety Net Investment following the
request of the Banks, in the sole discretion of the Banks,
upon the terms summarily outlined above and described in
Exhibit C hereto. Each Party hereby consents to the giving of
undertakings with respect to an Outside Offer upon the terms
summarily outlined above. Without derogating from the
foregoing, each Party undertakes to perform all actions
reasonably required to ensure the implementation of the Option
(if exercised), the Safety Net Investments and an Outside
Offer.
[end of page intentionally left blank]
8
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Amendment No. 3 as
of the date first above written.
_____________________________ __________________________________
TOWER SEMICONDUCTOR LTD. ISRAL CORPORATION TECHNOLOGIES
(ICTECH) LTD.
By: _______________________ By: _________________________
_____________________________ __________________________________
SANDISK CORPORATION ALLIANCE SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
By: _______________________ By: _________________________
_____________________________
MACRONIX INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD.
By: _________________________
For the purposes of Section 10 above:
THE ISRAEL CORPORATION LTD.
By: _________________________
9
EXHIBIT A
MS5 AGREEMENT
Date: __________, 2003
To: Tower Semiconductor Ltd.
P.O. Box 619
Migdal Haemek 23105
Israel
Fax: +972-4-654-7788
Attention: Co-Chief Executive Officer
cc: Yigal Arnon & Co.
One Azrieli Center
Tel-Aviv 67021
Israel
Fax: +972-3-608-7714
Attention: David H. Schapiro, Adv.
Re: AMENDMENT TO PAYMENT SCHEDULE OF SERIES A-5 ADDITIONAL PURCHASE
OBLIGATIONS, WAIVER OF SERIES A-5 CONDITIONS, CONVERSION OF SERIES A-4
WAFER CREDITS AND OTHER PROVISIONS (THE "AMENDMENT")
Dear Sirs,
With regard to the obligation of each party to this letter (a "Party") to
exercise the Series A-5 Additional Purchase Obligations, as provided for in its
Fab 2 Investment Agreements, as amended through the date hereof, all capitalized
terms not defined herein shall be as defined therein, each Party hereby agrees
that subject to Section 7 of this Amendment, effective upon the receipt by Tower
Semiconductor Ltd. (the "Company" or "Tower") of the signatures of each of
SanDisk Corporation, Alliance Semiconductor Corporation, Macronix International
Co., Ltd. and Israel Corporation Technologies (ICTech) Ltd., its agreements
shall be amended as follows:
1. EXERCISE OF SERIES A-5 ADDITIONAL PURCHASE OBLIGATION.
1.1. FIRST INSTALLMENT. Each Party hereby notifies Tower that in accordance with
the terms set forth hereunder, and subject to and effective upon Tower obtaining
all required approvals as specified in Section 7 hereof, it shall irrevocably
exercise sixty percent (60%) of the Series A-5 Additional Purchase Obligation
(the "First Installment"), which is the amount identified as the First
Installment with respect to such Party as set forth in Exhibit A hereto, without
regard to whether the Series A-5 Mandatory Exercise Event occurs or whether any
of the conditions to a Mandatory Exercise are satisfied. The First Installment
shall be paid no later than five (5) business days following satisfaction of the
condition specified in the first sentence above as evidenced by a certificate
delivered to each of the parties and executed by Tower's CEO(s) certifying the
satisfaction of such condition.
1.2. SECOND INSTALLMENT. Provided the conditions of Section 1.1 are met,
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each Party hereby further notifies the Company that in accordance with the terms
set forth hereunder, and subject to and conditioned upon the completion of the
Minimum Financing (as defined below), it shall irrevocably exercise forty
percent (40%) of the Series A-5 Additional Purchase Obligation (the "Second
Installment"; the First Installment and the Second Installment shall
collectively be referred to as the "Series A-5 APO Installments"), which is the
amount identified as the Second Installment with respect to such Party as set
forth in Exhibit A hereto, without regard to whether the Series A-5 Mandatory
Exercise Event occurs or whether any of the conditions to a Mandatory Exercise
are satisfied. The term Minimum Financing shall mean the Raising (as defined
below) by the Company of the dollar amount equal to (a) $22,105,730, provided
that if either QuickLogic Corp. or The Challenge Fund-Etgar II, LP (each, a
"Non-Participating Party") does not become a party to this Amendment, each of
Bank Hapoalim B.M. and Bank Leumi-Le-Israel Limited agree to amend the terms of
the Facility Agreement to which Tower is a party (the "Facility Agreement") such
that the payment of the Series A-5 Additional Purchase Obligation by such
Non-Participating Party shall no longer be required pursuant to the Facility
Agreement, or (b) $22,105,730 plus the dollar amount represented by the Series
A-5 Additional Purchase Obligation of a Non-Participating Party. The term
Raising shall mean the receipt of proceeds from (i) the sale, in a public or
private offering, of ordinary shares of the Company or debt convertible into
ordinary shares of the Company; or (ii) any other form of fund raising which
satisfies the requirements for additional financing pursuant to section 16.27.2
of the Facility Agreement, as amended, to which the Company is a party. The
Second Installment shall be paid upon satisfaction of the condition specified in
the first sentence above as evidenced by a certificate delivered to each of the
parties and executed by Tower's CEO(s) certifying the satisfaction of such
condition; provided, further, that the Second Installment shall not be due
before the later of (i) August 1, 2003, and (ii) five (5) business days
following the date upon which the Company has completed the Minimum Financing.
Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, the obligation to advance the Second
Installment shall terminate, and there shall be no further obligation or
liability to pay the Second Installment, if the Minimum Financing shall not have
been completed by December 31, 2003.
For the avoidance of all doubt and notwithstanding the provisions set forth in
Sections 5 and 6 of the Additional Purchase Obligation Agreement between SanDisk
Corp. and Tower dated July 4, 2000 or the Additional Purchase Obligation
Agreement between Israel Corporation Technologies (ICTech) Ltd. and Tower dated
December 12, 2000 or the Additional Purchase Obligation Agreement between The
Challenge Fund-Etgar II, LP and Tower dated February 11, 2001 and as
incorporated by reference in all of the other Fab 2 Investment Agreements, as
applicable to each Party, each Party's undertaking to pay the First Installment
and the Second Installment is, upon satisfaction of all of the conditions
specified in this Amendment and subject to the last sentence of the first
paragraph of this Section 1.2, completely irrevocable.
2. SHARE ISSUANCES. Immediately following the advancement of the First
Installment, each Party will be issued fully-paid and non-assessable ordinary
shares of Tower equivalent to the aggregate of the First Installment divided by
the average trading price for the ordinary shares of the Company during the
thirty (30) consecutive trading days preceding the date that this Amendment is
approved by the Board of Directors of the Company. Immediately following the
advancement of the
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Second Installment, each Party will be issued fully-paid and non-assessable
ordinary shares of Tower equivalent to the Second Installment divided by the
price per ordinary share of the Company paid in connection with the Minimum
Financing (the "Minimum Financing Price"); provided, however, that if the
Minimum Financing Price cannot reasonably be calculated from the documents
evidencing the Minimum Financing, then the Minimum Financing Price shall be the
average trading price for the ordinary shares of the Company during the thirty
(30) consecutive trading days preceding the date the Second Installment is paid.
3. CONVERSION OF PORTION OF PRE-PAID Credit Account. Tower hereby grants to each
Party who is either SanDisk Corp. ("SNDK"), Alliance Semiconductor Corp.
("ALSC"), Macronix International Co., Ltd. ("MXIC") or QuickLogic Corp. ("QUIK")
(SNDK, ALSC, MXIC and QUIK shall each be referred to as a "Wafer Partner" and
collectively shall be referred as the "Wafer Partners") an option to convert a
number of credits equal to the number of credits in each of its respective
Pre-Paid Wafer Accounts that were issued in connection with its advancement of
the Series A-4 Additional Purchase Obligation payment in October 2002 and that
are held in its Pre-Paid Wafer Account on December 31, 2005 (the "Series A-4
Credits") into fully-paid and non-assessable ordinary shares of Tower equivalent
to the amount of the Series A-4 Credits divided by the average trading price for
the ordinary shares of the Company during the thirty (30) consecutive trading
days preceding December 31, 2005 (the "Conversion Price"), provided that such
Party provides Tower advance written notice to convert all or a portion of the
Series A-4 Credits no earlier than December 31, 2005 and by no later than
January 31, 2006 (the "Conversion Notice"). Tower hereby agrees to issue to each
Wafer Partner that provides it with a Conversion Notice the ordinary shares to
be issued in connection with its exercise of the Series A-4 Credits promptly
after its receipt of such Conversion Notice.
4. RIGHTS OFFERING. To the extent that any of the Wafer Partners shall convert
their "Series A-4 Credits" into fully-paid and non-assessable ordinary shares
pursuant to paragraph 3, and provided that such amount of converted Series A-4
Credits are equivalent to or greater than an aggregate of 5% of Tower's then
outstanding share capital, Tower hereby undertakes to prepare and file a
registration statement, within a reasonable time following the issuance of the
ordinary shares to the Wafer Partners in connection with their conversion of the
Series A-4 Credits, for the distribution of rights to all of Tower's
shareholders other than Wafer Partners but including each of the Parties who are
either Israel Corporation Technologies (ICTech) Ltd. ("ICTech") or The Challenge
Fund-Etgar II, LP ("CF") (ICTech and CF shall each be referred to as an "Equity
Partner"), to purchase additional shares in Tower at the Conversion Price to
maintain their percentage of ordinary shares held in Tower immediately prior to
the conversion of the Series A-4 Credits. Tower shall use its reasonable best
efforts to cause the registration statement to be declared effective by the
Securities and Exchange Commission and the Israel Securities Authority as soon
as reasonably practicable after filing thereof with the Securities and Exchange
Commission and the Israel Securities Authority.
5. TERMINATION OF WAFER PARTNER DIFFERENTIAL CONDITION. Upon satisfaction of the
condition set forth in the first sentence of Section 1.1, the parties shall
irrevocably agree to fully and indefinitely waive Tower's obligation to raise an
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additional $50 million from additional wafer partners in connection with the
provisions set forth in the Fab 2 Investment Agreements and related letters with
respect to the Wafer Partner Differential.
6. RESTRICTION ON TRANSFER OF EQUITY SECURITIES UNDER THE CONSOLIDATED
SHAREHOLDERS AGREEMENT; REGISTRATION RIGHTS. All of the parties to the
Consolidated Shareholders Agreement dated January 18, 2001 by and between
SanDisk, Alliance, Macronix and Israel Corporation Ltd. (the "CSA"), hereby
agree that all of the ordinary shares in Tower to be issued to such parties with
respect to the Series A-5 Additional Purchase Obligations will be subject to the
restrictions on transfer of Equity Securities during the Initial Restricted
Period and the Subsequent Restricted Period (all capitalized terms in this
section as defined in the CSA). All shares issued or contemplated to be issued
to the parties pursuant to Sections 2 and 3 of this Amendment shall be deemed to
be Purchaser Group Registrable Securities as defined in and as provided for in
the Registration Rights Agreement made as of January 18, 2001, by and among
Tower Semiconductor Ltd., SanDisk Corporation, Alliance Semiconductor Corp.,
Macronix International Co., Ltd, QuickLogic Corporation and The Israel
Corporation Ltd.
7. APPROVALS. This Amendment and the parties obligations hereunder are subject
to and shall only become effective upon the approval of the Company's audit
committee, its board of directors (which approval shall include the unanimous
vote of approval of its independent directors), its shareholders, the Office of
the Chief Scientist, the Investment Center and, to the extent applicable, the
Israel Land Administration. In addition, this Amendment and the parties
obligations hereunder is subject to and shall only become effective upon the
Company receiving the consent of each of Bank Hapoalim B.M. and Bank
Leumi-Le-Israel Limited to amend the terms of the Facility Agreement to (a)
postpone the date for Tower to next raise an aggregate of $26 million pursuant
to section 16.27.2 of the Facility Agreement, and (b) recognize any of the
payment of the First Installment in satisfaction of Tower's obligation to raise
funds under section 16.27.2 of the Facility Agreement.
8. FAB 2 INVESTMENT AGREEMENTS. Except as expressly set forth in this Amendment
and effective upon payment of the First Installment in full, the Company hereby
irrevocably waives, forever excuses and releases the Wafer Partners and their
respective officers, directors and employees, from their obligation to exercise
the Series A-5 Additional Purchase Obligation as provided for in the Fab 2
Investment Agreements, including without limitation, the Additional Purchase
Obligation Agreement. This Amendment supersedes all prior agreements,
understandings and arrangements, oral or written, between the parties hereto
with respect to the subject matter hereof. Notwithstanding the preceding
sentence, the provisions of the Parties' Fab 2 Investment Agreements shall
remain unchanged to the extent they are not amended by the terms of this
Amendment.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Amendment as of the
date first above written.
________________________________ ___________________________________
TOWER SEMICONDUCTOR LTD. ISRAEL CORPORATION TECHNOLOGIES
(ICTECH) LTD.
By: _________________________
By: __________________________
Title: ______________________
Title: Co-CEO
________________________________ ___________________________________
SANDISK CORPORATION ALLIANCE SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
By: ____________________________ By: _________________________
Title: ________________________ Title: _____________________
________________________________ ___________________________________
MACRONIX INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD. QUICKLOGIC CORP.
By: ___________________________ By: _________________________
Title: ________________________ Title: ______________________
________________________________ ___________________________________
THE CHALLENGE FUND-ETGAR II, LP
By: _________________________
Title: ________________________
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- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FIRST SECOND
WAFER PARTNER OR EQUITY PARTNER INSTALLMENT INSTALLMENT
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SanDisk Corp. $6,600,420 $4,400,280
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alliance Semiconductor Corp. $6,600,420 $4,400,280
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Macronix International Co., Ltd. $6,600,420 $4,400,280
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
QuickLogic Corp. $2,200,140 $1,466,760
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Israel Corporation Technologies (ICTech) Ltd. $4,400,004 $2,933,336
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Challenge Fund-Etgar II, LP $440,000.40 $293,333.60
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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EXHIBIT B
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WAFER PARTNER OR EQUITY REMAINDER OF SECOND TOTAL
PARTNER FIRST INSTALLMENT INSTALLMENT PAYMENT
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SanDisk Corp. $2,318,670 $4,400,280 $6,718,950
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alliance Semiconductor Corp. $2,318,670 $4,400,280 $6,718,950
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Macronix International Co., Ltd. $2,318,670 $4,400,280 $6,718,950
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Israel Corporation Technologies
(ICTech) Ltd. $1,545,254 $2,933,336 $4,478,590
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GRAND TOTAL: $24,635,440
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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NEWS RELEASE
TOWER SEMICONDUCTOR RECEIVES FINAL INSTALLMENT
FROM STRATEGIC PARTNERS AND CLOSES BANK AGREEMENT
FINAL PAYMENTS FROM PARTNERS TOTAL $25.1 MILLION
CLOSES AMENDMENT TO FAB 2 CREDIT FACILITY
MIGDAL HAEMEK, Israel - December 16, 2003 - Tower Semiconductor (NASDAQ: TSEM,
TASE: TSEM) announced today the receipt from its strategic partners of the fifth
and final Fab 2 milestone payment in the amount of $25.1 million. In addition,
Tower announced today that it has closed the previously announced amendment to
its credit facility agreement for the continued financing of Fab 2.
According to the new amendment to the credit facility agreement, the repayment
of over $200 million of loans will be deferred and begin in 2007. In addition, a
"safety net" of up to an additional $93 million of funding was secured for Tower
by Israel Corporation and Tower's banks.
For $8.7 million of the fifth milestone payment received from its strategic
partners Tower issued today 2,916,951 ordinary shares at a price per share of
$2.983, pursuant to a February 2003 amendment to the investment agreements.
These shares were issued as follows: SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ: SNDK) -
777,295 shares; Alliance Semiconductor (NASDAQ: ALSC) - 777,295 shares; Macronix
(NASDAQ: MXICY) - 777,295 shares; Israel Corporation- Technologies (ICTech) Ltd.
- - 518,020 shares and The Challenge Fund-Etgar II - 67,046 shares.
The number of ordinary shares to be issued for the additional $16.4 million of
the fifth milestone investment received today from the strategic partners will
be determined in accordance with the terms of a November 2003 amendment to the
investment agreements. The price per share for this portion of the investment
will equal the price per share in certain possible future financings, if
consummated, or if these financings are not completed, the average trading price
during the 15 days preceding the date of actual payment, and subject to certain
adjustments
The number of Tower ordinary shares currently issued and outstanding as of
December 16, 2003 is 51,696,097.
ABOUT TOWER SEMICONDUCTOR LTD.
Tower Semiconductor Ltd. is a pure-play independent wafer foundry established in
1993. The company manufactures integrated circuits with geometries ranging from
1.0 to 0.18 microns; it also provides complementary technical services and
design support. In addition to digital CMOS process technology, Tower offers
advanced non-volatile memory solutions, mixed-signal and CMOS image-sensor
technologies. To provide world-class customer service, the company maintains two
manufacturing facilities: Fab 1 has process technologies from 1.0 to 0.35
microns and can produce up to 16,000 150mm wafers per month. Fab 2 features
0.18-micron and below process technologies, including foundry-standard
technology. When complete, Fab 2 is expected to offer full production capacity
of 33,000 200mm wafers per month. The Tower Web site is located at
www.towersemi.com.
SAFE HARBOR
This press release includes forward-looking statements, which are subject to
risks and uncertainties. Actual results may vary from those projected or implied
by such forward-looking statements. Potential risks and uncertainties include,
without limitation, risks and uncertainties associated with (i) obtaining the
approval of the Israeli Investment Center to extend the five-year investment
period under the Company's Fab 2 approved enterprise program and of amendments
to the Company's modified business plan, (ii) market acceptance and
competitiveness of the products to be manufactured by the Company for customers
using these technologies, as well as obtaining additional business from new and
existing customers, (iii) the Company's ability to obtain additional financing
for the Fab 2 project from equity and/or wafer partners, the Israeli Investment
Center, the Company's banks, and/or other sources, as required under the Fab 2
business plan and pursuant to the Company's agreements with its wafer and equity
partners, banks and the Israeli Investment Center, (iv) ramp-up of production at
Fab 2, (v) completion of the development and/or transfer of advanced process
technologies to be utilized in Fab 1 and in Fab 2, (vi) initial production
difficulties the Company may experience in connection with the functionality of
the equipment installed in Fab 2 during its early manufacturing period and
(viii) conditions in the market for foundry manufacturing services and for
semiconductor products generally. A more complete discussion of risks and
uncertainties that may affect the accuracy of forward-looking statements
included in this press release or which may otherwise affect the Company's
business is included under the heading "Risk Factors" in its most recent Annual
Report on Form 20-F, as was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
and the Israel Securities Authority.
# # #
Investor Relations Contact
Sheldon Lutch
Fusion IR & Communications
+1 (212) 268 1816
sheldon@fusionir.com
PR Agency Contact
Bruce Hokanson
Loomis Group
+1 (360) 574 4000
hokanson@loomisgroup.com
Corporate Contact
Doron Simon
Tower Semiconductor USA
+1 (408) 330 6888
pr@towersemi.com