Segment and Geographic Data (Details) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Sep. 29, 2018 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2018 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2017 USD ($)	Jul. 01, 2017 USD ($)	Apr. 01, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($) Segment	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 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.
Segment Operating Income									$ 755,888	$ 581,740	$ 446,310
Total revenue	$ 775,892	$ 780,972	$ 761,030	$ 716,795	$ 673,462	$ 677,941	$ 643,164	$ 604,801	3,034,689	2,599,368	2,317,328
Gross profit	219,690	$ 236,296	$ 227,238	$ 205,300	177,376	$ 190,147	$ 173,837	$ 161,749	888,524	703,109	573,822
Depreciation expense									150,056	148,883	144,521
Capital expenditures									229,899	170,432	134,635
Total Assets	3,106,198				3,462,089				3,106,198	3,462,089	3,080,701
EMS companies [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue									207,135	183,801	175,946
OEMs [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue									1,085,292	931,291	861,322
Distributors [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue									1,742,262	1,484,276	1,280,060
Industrial [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue									1,139,880	934,631	796,031
Automotive [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue									861,436	727,220	640,767
Telecommunications [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue									200,379	190,682	193,456
Computing [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue									228,831	198,850	172,481
Consumer Products [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue									168,884	145,243	150,741
Power Supplies [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue									144,433	160,038	132,555
Military and Aerospace [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue									162,921	132,898	128,523
Medical [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue									127,925	109,806	102,774
Customers [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue									3,034,689	2,599,368	2,317,328
Asia [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue									1,171,815	1,060,560	939,144
Asia [Member] | Customers [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue									1,193,827	1,091,107	948,195
Europe [Member] | Customers [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue									1,081,073	902,357	810,543
Americas [Member] | Customers [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue									759,789	605,904	558,590
MOSFETS Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment Operating Income									106,955	74,174	22,536
Total revenue									547,643	467,476	405,949
Gross profit									145,923	109,603	58,431
Depreciation expense									32,104	34,731	34,531
Capital expenditures									49,557	33,475	22,430
Total Assets	444,356				412,598				444,356	412,598	389,482
Diodes Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment Operating Income									175,752	145,645	115,873
Total revenue									712,936	619,958	552,766
Gross profit									196,702	165,176	136,580
Depreciation expense									38,197	37,396	35,335
Capital expenditures									57,756	38,681	29,860
Total Assets	804,784				792,610				804,784	792,610	714,898
Optoelectronic Components Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment Operating Income									82,681	80,499	68,246
Total revenue									289,727	284,429	269,162
Gross profit									100,219	98,000	87,516
Depreciation expense									16,612	16,871	15,549
Capital expenditures									19,935	16,115	18,276
Total Assets	342,656				332,228				342,656	332,228	312,423
Resistors And Inductors Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment Operating Income									303,571	222,878	193,241
Total revenue									1,018,286	843,529	753,524
Gross profit									337,268	251,905	224,352
Depreciation expense									37,708	34,083	32,240
Capital expenditures									80,862	67,007	47,006
Total Assets	874,835				994,639				874,835	994,639	907,995
Capacitors Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment Operating Income									86,929	58,544	46,414
Total revenue									466,097	383,976	335,927
Gross profit									108,412	78,425	66,943
Depreciation expense									17,745	17,736	17,817
Capital expenditures									12,200	11,135	14,410
Total Assets	487,540				568,113				487,540	568,113	495,925
Corporate Other [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment Operating Income									0	0	0
Total revenue									0	0	0
Gross profit									0	0	0
Depreciation expense									7,690	8,066	9,049
Capital expenditures									9,589	4,019	2,653
Total Assets	$ 152,027				$ 361,901				152,027	361,901	259,978
Unallocated Amount to Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment Operating Income									$ (270,768)	$ (246,462)	$ (228,494)