Segment and Geographic Data (Details) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Oct. 01, 2016 USD ($)	Jul. 02, 2016 USD ($)	Apr. 02, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Oct. 03, 2015 USD ($)	Jul. 04, 2015 USD ($)	Apr. 04, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) Segment	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number of reporting segments | Segment									5
Segment Operating Income Description									The Company evaluates business segment performance on operating income, exclusive of certain items ("segment operating income"). Only dedicated, direct selling, general, and administrative expenses of the segments are included in the calculation of segment operating income. The Company's calculation of segment operating income excludes such selling, general, and administrative costs as global operations, sales and marketing, information systems, finance and administration groups, as well as restructuring and severance costs, goodwill and long-lived asset impairment charges, and other items. Management believes that evaluating segment performance excluding such items is meaningful because it provides insight with respect to intrinsic operating results of the Company. These items represent reconciling items between segment operating income and consolidated operating income. Business segment assets are the owned or allocated assets used by each business.
Product sales									$ 2,323,172	$ 2,297,165	$ 2,488,757
Royalty revenues									259	3,323	4,525
Total revenue	$ 570,819	$ 591,955	$ 590,051	$ 570,606	$ 555,928	$ 560,654	$ 590,470	$ 593,436	2,323,431	2,300,488	2,493,282
Gross profit	132,445	153,901	146,128	137,309	125,556	130,144	141,482	145,038	569,783	542,220	611,292
Depreciation expense									144,521	154,340	160,804
Capital expenditures									134,635	147,142	156,974
Total Assets	3,077,801				3,152,986				3,077,801	3,152,986	3,274,151
Operating margin reconciliation [Abstract]
Impairment of Intangible Assets	0	(1,559)	0	0	0	(57,600)	0	0	(1,559)	(57,600)	0
Impairment of goodwill	0	0	0	0	0	(5,380)	0	0	0	(5,380)	0
Restructuring and severance costs	(7,060)	(1,197)	(4,467)	(6,475)	(9,821)	(2,324)	(5,660)	(1,410)	(19,199)	(19,215)	(20,897)
U.S. pension settlement charges	(79,321)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	(79,321)	0	(15,588)
Segment Operating Income									441,418	404,331	466,429
Consolidated Operating Income	(45,468)	$ 57,229	$ 49,408	$ 40,548	30,226	$ (24,155)	$ 44,170	$ 47,558	101,717	97,799	189,111
Unallocated Other Income (Expense)									(7,501)	(23,059)	(21,968)
Income before taxes									94,216	74,740	167,143
MOSFETS Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Product sales									406,336	426,672	470,377
Royalty revenues									0	11	160
Total revenue									406,336	426,683	470,537
Gross profit									58,155	58,626	59,614
Depreciation expense									34,531	47,172	53,939
Capital expenditures									22,430	29,289	33,672
Total Assets	389,482				477,984				389,482	477,984	499,550
Operating margin reconciliation [Abstract]
Segment Operating Income									22,254	21,366	21,095
Diodes Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Product sales									553,920	533,931	579,288
Royalty revenues									0	0	0
Total revenue									553,920	533,931	579,288
Gross profit									134,937	119,762	132,021
Depreciation expense									35,335	35,526	39,592
Capital expenditures									29,860	38,971	41,713
Total Assets	714,898				718,548				714,898	718,548	732,502
Operating margin reconciliation [Abstract]
Segment Operating Income									113,995	95,887	106,068
Optoelectronic Components Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Product sales									272,126	279,553	258,248
Royalty revenues									0	0	0
Total revenue									272,126	279,553	258,248
Gross profit									87,022	88,625	91,165
Depreciation expense									15,549	14,118	13,266
Capital expenditures									18,276	21,853	23,008
Total Assets	312,423				325,600				312,423	325,600	422,257
Operating margin reconciliation [Abstract]
Impairment of goodwill										0
Segment Operating Income									67,548	68,410	73,463
Resistors And Inductors Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Product sales									753,578	704,109	755,251
Royalty revenues									259	3,312	4,365
Total revenue									753,837	707,421	759,616
Gross profit									222,786	208,384	241,090
Depreciation expense									32,240	30,576	32,380
Capital expenditures									47,006	38,169	42,950
Total Assets	905,795				839,249				905,795	839,249	812,664
Operating margin reconciliation [Abstract]
Impairment of goodwill										0
Segment Operating Income									191,283	173,805	203,343
Capacitors Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Product sales									337,212	352,900	425,593
Royalty revenues									0	0	0
Total revenue									337,212	352,900	425,593
Gross profit									66,883	66,823	87,402
Depreciation expense									17,817	18,168	20,524
Capital expenditures									14,410	14,763	12,694
Total Assets	495,225				543,507				495,225	543,507	605,281
Operating margin reconciliation [Abstract]
Impairment of goodwill										(5,380)
Segment Operating Income									46,338	44,863	62,460
Corporate Other [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Product sales									0	0	0
Royalty revenues									0	0	0
Total revenue									0	0	0
Gross profit									0	0	0
Depreciation expense									9,049	8,780	1,103
Capital expenditures									2,653	4,097	2,937
Total Assets	$ 259,978				$ 248,098				259,978	248,098	201,897
Operating margin reconciliation [Abstract]
Segment Operating Income									0	0	0
Operating Segments [Member]
Operating margin reconciliation [Abstract]
Segment Operating Income									441,418	404,331	466,429
Segment Reconciling Items [Member]
Operating margin reconciliation [Abstract]
Impairment of goodwill									0	(5,380)	0
Restructuring and severance costs									(19,199)	(19,215)	(20,897)
U.S. pension settlement charges									(79,321)	0	(15,588)
Segment Reconciling Items [Member] | Segment Reconciling Items [Member]
Operating margin reconciliation [Abstract]
Segment Operating Income									$ (239,622)	$ (224,337)	$ (240,833)