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Unrecognized tax benefits (Details) (USD $)
 12 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
Mar. 31, 2014
Mar. 31, 2013
Reconciliation of Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Excluding Amounts Pertaining to Examined Tax Returns [Roll Forward]      
Beginning balance $ 149,878,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits $ 152,845,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits $ 70,490,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits
Increases related to acquisitions 8,381,000mchp_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncreasesRelatedToAcquisitions 341,000mchp_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncreasesRelatedToAcquisitions 45,624,000mchp_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncreasesRelatedToAcquisitions
Decreases related to settlements with tax authorities 20,197,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsDecreasesResultingFromSettlementsWithTaxingAuthorities (15,016,000)us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsDecreasesResultingFromSettlementsWithTaxingAuthorities 0us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsDecreasesResultingFromSettlementsWithTaxingAuthorities
Decreases related to statute of limitation expirations 9,031,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsReductionsResultingFromLapseOfApplicableStatuteOfLimitations 4,069,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsReductionsResultingFromLapseOfApplicableStatuteOfLimitations (5,751,000)us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsReductionsResultingFromLapseOfApplicableStatuteOfLimitations
Increases related to current year tax positions 23,179,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncreasesResultingFromCurrentPeriodTaxPositions 14,669,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncreasesResultingFromCurrentPeriodTaxPositions 42,328,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncreasesResultingFromCurrentPeriodTaxPositions
Increases related to prior year tax positions 18,444,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncreasesResultingFromPriorPeriodTaxPositions 1,108,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncreasesResultingFromPriorPeriodTaxPositions 154,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncreasesResultingFromPriorPeriodTaxPositions
Ending balance 170,654,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits 149,878,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits 152,845,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Income Tax Penalties and Interest Accrued [Abstract]      
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Interest on Income Taxes Accrued 700,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsInterestOnIncomeTaxesAccrued 300,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsInterestOnIncomeTaxesAccrued  
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Income Tax Penalties Accrued 27,600,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAccrued 29,700,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAccrued  
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Income Tax Penalties and Interest Expense (1,800,000)us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAndInterestExpense 200,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAndInterestExpense 800,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAndInterestExpense
Increase in unrecognized tax benefits related to prior year tax positions balance sheet reclassification $ 15,700,000mchp_Increaseinunrecognizedtaxbenefitsrelatedtoprioryeartaxpositionsbalancesheetreclassification