Equity (Details) (USD $)	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Aug. 31, 2010	Sep. 30, 2011 Y	Sep. 30, 2010	Sep. 30, 2011 Y week segment	Sep. 30, 2010
Equity-based compensation plans
Equity-based compensation expense (in dollars)		$ 2,951,000	$ 2,356,000	$ 9,472,000	$ 6,222,000
Restricted stock awards including restricted stock units, Shares
Nonvested at the beginning of the period (in shares)				616,000
Granted (in shares)				279,000
Vested (in shares)				(173,000)
Forfeited (including cancelled awards) (in shares)				(87,000)
Nonvested at the end of the period (in shares)		635,000		635,000
Weighted-Average Grant-Date Fair Value
Nonvested at the beginning of the period (in dollars per share)				$ 19.06
Granted (in dollars per share)				$ 51.11
Vested (in dollars per share)				$ 14.33
Forfeited (including cancelled awards) (in dollars per share)		$ 26.83		$ 26.83
Nonvested at the end of the period (in dollars per share)		$ 33.36		$ 33.36
Stock option awards, Shares
Outstanding at the beginning of the period (in shares)				2,569,000
Granted (in shares)				368,000
Exercised (in shares)				(638,000)
Forfeited (including cancelled options) (in shares)				(141,000)
Outstanding at the end of the period (in shares)		2,158,000		2,158,000
Options exercisable at the end of the period (in shares)		1,006,000		1,006,000
Weighted Average Exercise price
Outstanding at the beginning of the period (in dollars per share)				$ 19.71
Granted (in dollars per share)		$ 50.65		$ 50.65
Exercised (in dollars per share)		$ 15.63		$ 15.63
Forfeited (including cancelled options) (in dollars per share)				$ 29.17
Outstanding at the end of the period (in dollars per share)		$ 25.56		$ 25.56
Options exercisable at the end of the period (in dollars per share)		$ 17.92		$ 17.92
Aggregate Intrinsic Value
Outstanding at the end of the period (in dollars)		19,273,000		19,273,000
Options exercisable at the end of the period (in dollars)		12,482,000		12,482,000
Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life
Outstanding at the end of the period (in years)		6.1		6.1
Options exercisable at the end of the period (in years)				4.6
Treasury Stock
Authorized amount of common stock repurchase (in dollars)	200,000,000
Number of shares repurchased (in shares)		3,994,940		4,160,228
Amount of shares repurchased including transaction costs (in dollars)		154,300,000		162,077,000	31,602,000
Average cost of per share repurchased (in dollars per share)		$ 38.63		$ 38.96
CIGS Solar Systems Business
Equity-based compensation plans
Equity-based compensation expense (in dollars)		100,000	300,000	700,000	800,000
Metrology
Equity-based compensation plans
Equity-based compensation expense (in dollars)			4,900,000		5,600,000
Nonvested Stock
Equity-based compensation plans
Unrecognized equity-based compensation costs (in dollars)		17,000,000		17,000,000
Period over which unrecognized equity-based compensation costs will be recognized (in years)				3.2
Stock option awards
Equity-based compensation plans
Unrecognized equity-based compensation costs (in dollars)		$ 14,800,000		$ 14,800,000
Period over which unrecognized equity-based compensation costs will be recognized (in years)				2.0