Commitments and Contingencies (Details 2) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2012 Claim
Commercial Litigation - Cogent Inc. Delaware Court of Chancery
Loss contingencies
Number of lawsuits filed	3
Number of Cogent, Inc. shares held by subsidiary shareholders that have asserted appraisal rights	5.8
Commercial Litigation - Avery Dennison
Loss contingencies
Number of Avery patents for which 3M seeks a declaratory judgment	2
Total number of disputed terms ruled in favor of the company	16
Total number of disputed terms	19
Commercial Litigation - Meda AB
Loss contingencies
The estimated minimum amount the lawsuit seeks to recover	200