Segment Information (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
Jul. 31, 2011	Aug. 01, 2010	Jul. 31, 2011	Aug. 01, 2010	Jan. 30, 2011
Revenue by Operating Segment and Geographic Region
Revenue	$ 1,016,517	$ 811,208	$ 1,978,556	$ 1,813,021
Depreciation and amortization expense	52,160	46,573	99,923	93,720
Operating income (loss)	174,030	(175,207)	328,892	(27,814)
Percentage of revenue from significant customers (in hundredths)	0.11	0.10	0.11	0.23
Number of customers with significant revenue	1	1	1	2
Percentage of accounts receivable from significant customers (in hundredths)	0.13		0.13		0.11
Number of customers with significant accounts receivable balance			1	1
Percentage threshold for disclosing revenue and accounts receivable from customers (in hundredths)			0.10		0.10
GPU [Member]
Revenue by Operating Segment and Geographic Region
Revenue	638,544	550,413	1,276,133	1,331,266
Depreciation and amortization expense	30,663	30,743	59,691	65,602
Operating income (loss)	139,708	(221,711)	259,990	(106,367)
PSB [Member]
Revenue by Operating Segment and Geographic Region
Revenue	210,289	215,091	412,130	404,821
Depreciation and amortization expense	5,869	7,201	11,987	12,597
Operating income (loss)	69,863	85,226	139,748	159,091
CPB [Member]
Revenue by Operating Segment and Geographic Region
Revenue	167,684	45,704	290,293	76,934
Depreciation and amortization expense	15,628	8,629	28,245	15,521
Operating income (loss)	(35,541)	(38,722)	(70,846)	(80,538)
All Other [Member]
Revenue by Operating Segment and Geographic Region
Revenue	0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization expense	0	0	0	0
Operating income (loss)	0	0	0	0
China [Member]
Revenue by Operating Segment and Geographic Region
Revenue	232,732	271,362	522,216	648,681
Taiwan [Member]
Revenue by Operating Segment and Geographic Region
Revenue	281,609	189,027	564,546	467,152
Other Asia Pacific [Member]
Revenue by Operating Segment and Geographic Region
Revenue	205,524	155,164	338,111	282,799
United States [Member]
Revenue by Operating Segment and Geographic Region
Revenue	153,171	61,143	262,489	148,159
Other Americas [Member]
Revenue by Operating Segment and Geographic Region
Revenue	68,224	72,781	143,354	137,682
Europe [Member]
Revenue by Operating Segment and Geographic Region
Revenue	$ 75,257	$ 61,731	$ 147,840	$ 128,548

Total number of customers with individual accounts receivable balances representing 10 percent or more of total accounts receivable.

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Total number of significant external customers who individually generate revenue that accounts for 10 percent or more of total revenues.

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Aggregate percentage of accounts receivable from significant customers that individually accounts for 10 percent or more of total accounts receivable.

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Aggregate percentage of revenue generated from significant external customers that individually account for 10 percent or more of total revenues.

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Percentage threshold for disclosing revenue and accounts receivable from customers

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The current period expense charged against earnings on long-lived, physical assets not used in production, and which are not intended for resale, to allocate or recognize the cost of such assets over their useful lives; or to record the reduction in book value of an intangible asset over the benefit period of such asset; or to reflect consumption during the period of an asset that is not used in production.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 95
-Paragraph 28

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher AICPA
-Name Accounting Principles Board Opinion (APB)
-Number 12
-Paragraph 5

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The net result for the period of deducting operating expenses from operating revenues.

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Aggregate revenue recognized during the period (derived from goods sold, services rendered, insurance premiums, or other activities that constitute an entity's earning process). For financial services companies, also includes investment and interest income, and sales and trading gains.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 03
-Paragraph 1
-Article 5

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