Commitments, Contingencies and Guarantees-Commitment Tbl (Details 3) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2012
Contractual Obligations
Facility and other operating leases	$ 18,558
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments, Net	18,558
Contractual Obligation	5,311,232
1% Convertible senior notes principal and interest [Member]
Contractual Obligations
Convertible senior notes principal and interest	937,341	[1]
1.5% Convertible senior notes principal and interest [Member]
Contractual Obligations
Convertible senior notes principal and interest	1,075,000	[2]
Operating Lease Expense [Member]
Contractual Obligations
Facility and other operating leases	18,558	[3]
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments, Net	18,558	[3]
Toshiba Corporation [Member]
Contractual Obligations
Research and development commitments	102,209	[3]
Capital Equipment Purchase Commitments [Member]
Contractual Obligations
Unrecorded Unconditional Purchase Obligation	89,812
Operating Expense Commitments [Member]
Contractual Obligations
Unrecorded Unconditional Purchase Obligation	58,384
Noncancelable Production Purchase Commitments [Member]
Contractual Obligations
Unrecorded Unconditional Purchase Obligation	327,964	[3],[4]
1 Year or Less [Member]
Contractual Obligations
Contractual Obligation	753,792
1 Year or Less [Member] | 1% Convertible senior notes principal and interest [Member]
Contractual Obligations
Convertible senior notes principal and interest	4,640	[1]
1 Year or Less [Member] | 1.5% Convertible senior notes principal and interest [Member]
Contractual Obligations
Convertible senior notes principal and interest	0	[2]
1 Year or Less [Member] | Operating Lease Expense [Member]
Contractual Obligations
Facility and other operating leases	2,319	[3]
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments, Net	2,319	[3]
1 Year or Less [Member] | Toshiba Corporation [Member]
Contractual Obligations
Research and development commitments	36,535	[3]
1 Year or Less [Member] | Capital Equipment Purchase Commitments [Member]
Contractual Obligations
Unrecorded Unconditional Purchase Obligation	85,058
1 Year or Less [Member] | Operating Expense Commitments [Member]
Contractual Obligations
Unrecorded Unconditional Purchase Obligation	51,975
1 Year or Less [Member] | Noncancelable Production Purchase Commitments [Member]
Contractual Obligations
Unrecorded Unconditional Purchase Obligation	327,873	[3],[4]
2 - 3 Years (Fiscal 2013 and 2014) [Member]
Contractual Obligations
Contractual Obligation	2,539,875
2 - 3 Years (Fiscal 2013 and 2014) [Member] | 1% Convertible senior notes principal and interest [Member]
Contractual Obligations
Convertible senior notes principal and interest	932,701	[1]
2 - 3 Years (Fiscal 2013 and 2014) [Member] | 1.5% Convertible senior notes principal and interest [Member]
Contractual Obligations
Convertible senior notes principal and interest	30,000	[2]
2 - 3 Years (Fiscal 2013 and 2014) [Member] | Operating Lease Expense [Member]
Contractual Obligations
Facility and other operating leases	10,513	[3]
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments, Net	10,513	[3]
2 - 3 Years (Fiscal 2013 and 2014) [Member] | Toshiba Corporation [Member]
Contractual Obligations
Research and development commitments	50,674	[3]
2 - 3 Years (Fiscal 2013 and 2014) [Member] | Capital Equipment Purchase Commitments [Member]
Contractual Obligations
Unrecorded Unconditional Purchase Obligation	4,754
2 - 3 Years (Fiscal 2013 and 2014) [Member] | Operating Expense Commitments [Member]
Contractual Obligations
Unrecorded Unconditional Purchase Obligation	6,409
2 - 3 Years (Fiscal 2013 and 2014) [Member] | Noncancelable Production Purchase Commitments [Member]
Contractual Obligations
Unrecorded Unconditional Purchase Obligation	91	[3],[4]
4 - 5 Years (Fiscal 2015 and 2016) [Member]
Contractual Obligations
Contractual Obligation	776,471
4 - 5 Years (Fiscal 2015 and 2016) [Member] | 1% Convertible senior notes principal and interest [Member]
Contractual Obligations
Convertible senior notes principal and interest	0	[1]
4 - 5 Years (Fiscal 2015 and 2016) [Member] | 1.5% Convertible senior notes principal and interest [Member]
Contractual Obligations
Convertible senior notes principal and interest	30,000	[2]
4 - 5 Years (Fiscal 2015 and 2016) [Member] | Operating Lease Expense [Member]
Contractual Obligations
Facility and other operating leases	4,821	[3]
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments, Net	4,821	[3]
4 - 5 Years (Fiscal 2015 and 2016) [Member] | Toshiba Corporation [Member]
Contractual Obligations
Research and development commitments	15,000	[3]
4 - 5 Years (Fiscal 2015 and 2016) [Member] | Capital Equipment Purchase Commitments [Member]
Contractual Obligations
Unrecorded Unconditional Purchase Obligation	0
4 - 5 Years (Fiscal 2015 and 2016) [Member] | Operating Expense Commitments [Member]
Contractual Obligations
Unrecorded Unconditional Purchase Obligation	0
4 - 5 Years (Fiscal 2015 and 2016) [Member] | Noncancelable Production Purchase Commitments [Member]
Contractual Obligations
Unrecorded Unconditional Purchase Obligation	0	[3],[4]
More than 5 Years (Beyond Fiscal 2016) [Member]
Contractual Obligations
Contractual Obligation	1,241,094
More than 5 Years (Beyond Fiscal 2016) [Member] | 1% Convertible senior notes principal and interest [Member]
Contractual Obligations
Convertible senior notes principal and interest	0	[1]
More than 5 Years (Beyond Fiscal 2016) [Member] | 1.5% Convertible senior notes principal and interest [Member]
Contractual Obligations
Convertible senior notes principal and interest	1,015,000	[2]
More than 5 Years (Beyond Fiscal 2016) [Member] | Operating Lease Expense [Member]
Contractual Obligations
Facility and other operating leases	905	[3]
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments, Net	905	[3]
More than 5 Years (Beyond Fiscal 2016) [Member] | Toshiba Corporation [Member]
Contractual Obligations
Research and development commitments	0	[3]
More than 5 Years (Beyond Fiscal 2016) [Member] | Capital Equipment Purchase Commitments [Member]
Contractual Obligations
Unrecorded Unconditional Purchase Obligation	0
More than 5 Years (Beyond Fiscal 2016) [Member] | Operating Expense Commitments [Member]
Contractual Obligations
Unrecorded Unconditional Purchase Obligation	0
More than 5 Years (Beyond Fiscal 2016) [Member] | Noncancelable Production Purchase Commitments [Member]
Contractual Obligations
Unrecorded Unconditional Purchase Obligation	0	[3],[4]
Flash Partners Ltd [Member]
Contractual Obligations
Reimbursement for certain Flash Venture fixed costs	706,114	[3],[5]
Flash Partners Ltd [Member] | 1 Year or Less [Member]
Contractual Obligations
Reimbursement for certain Flash Venture fixed costs	68,303	[3],[5]
Flash Partners Ltd [Member] | 2 - 3 Years (Fiscal 2013 and 2014) [Member]
Contractual Obligations
Reimbursement for certain Flash Venture fixed costs	414,004	[3],[5]
Flash Partners Ltd [Member] | 4 - 5 Years (Fiscal 2015 and 2016) [Member]
Contractual Obligations
Reimbursement for certain Flash Venture fixed costs	159,270	[3],[5]
Flash Partners Ltd [Member] | More than 5 Years (Beyond Fiscal 2016) [Member]
Contractual Obligations
Reimbursement for certain Flash Venture fixed costs	64,537	[3],[5]
Flash Alliance Ltd [Member]
Contractual Obligations
Reimbursement for certain Flash Venture fixed costs	1,437,469	[3],[5]
Flash Alliance Ltd [Member] | 1 Year or Less [Member]
Contractual Obligations
Reimbursement for certain Flash Venture fixed costs	141,100	[3],[5]
Flash Alliance Ltd [Member] | 2 - 3 Years (Fiscal 2013 and 2014) [Member]
Contractual Obligations
Reimbursement for certain Flash Venture fixed costs	808,808	[3],[5]
Flash Alliance Ltd [Member] | 4 - 5 Years (Fiscal 2015 and 2016) [Member]
Contractual Obligations
Reimbursement for certain Flash Venture fixed costs	355,903	[3],[5]
Flash Alliance Ltd [Member] | More than 5 Years (Beyond Fiscal 2016) [Member]
Contractual Obligations
Reimbursement for certain Flash Venture fixed costs	131,658	[3],[5]
Flash Forward Ltd [Member]
Contractual Obligations
Reimbursement for certain Flash Venture fixed costs	558,381	[3],[5]
Flash Forward Ltd [Member] | 1 Year or Less [Member]
Contractual Obligations
Reimbursement for certain Flash Venture fixed costs	35,989	[3],[5]
Flash Forward Ltd [Member] | 2 - 3 Years (Fiscal 2013 and 2014) [Member]
Contractual Obligations
Reimbursement for certain Flash Venture fixed costs	281,921	[3],[5]
Flash Forward Ltd [Member] | 4 - 5 Years (Fiscal 2015 and 2016) [Member]
Contractual Obligations
Reimbursement for certain Flash Venture fixed costs	211,477	[3],[5]
Flash Forward Ltd [Member] | More than 5 Years (Beyond Fiscal 2016) [Member]
Contractual Obligations
Reimbursement for certain Flash Venture fixed costs	$ 28,994	[3],[5]

[1] In May 2006, the Company issued and sold $1.15 billion in aggregate principal amount of 1% Notes due 2013. The Company will pay cash interest on the outstanding notes at an annual rate of 1.0%, payable semi-annually on May 15 and November 15 of each year until May 15, 2013. In fiscal year 2011, the Company redeemed $221.9 million of the outstanding notes.

[2] In August 2010, the Company issued and sold $1.0 billion in aggregate principal amount of 1.5% Notes due 2017. The Company will pay cash interest on the outstanding notes at an annual rate of 1.5%, payable semi-annually on August 15 and February 15 of each year until August 15, 2017.

[3] Includes amounts denominated in a currency other than the U.S. dollar, which are subject to fluctuation in exchange rates prior to payment and have been translated using the exchange rate at September 30, 2012.

[4] Includes Flash Ventures, related party vendors and other silicon source vendor purchase commitments.

[5] Includes reimbursement for depreciation and lease payments on owned and committed equipment, funding commitments for loans and equity investments and reimbursement for other committed expenses. Funding commitments assume no additional operating lease guarantees; new operating lease guarantees can reduce funding commitments.