OPERATING AND GEOGRAPHICAL SEGMENTS (Details 3)	Jun. 30, 2011 Net revenues	Jun. 30, 2010 Net revenues	Jun. 30, 2011 Accounts receivable Distributors	Dec. 31, 2010 Accounts receivable Distributors
Concentration risk
Percentage of concentration risk (as a percent)	10.00%	10.00%
Number of distributors with concentration risk			2	2
Percentage of concentration risk of distributor one (as a percent)			11.00%	14.00%
Percentage of concentration risk of distributor two (as a percent)			17.00%	12.00%

Represents the number of distributors with concentration risk, for the entity that discloses a concentration risk in relation to quantitative amount, which serves as the "benchmark" (or denominator) in the equation.

Name:	atml_ConcentrationRiskNumberOfDistributors
Namespace Prefix:	atml
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

For an entity that discloses a concentration risk in relation to quantitative amount, which serves as the "benchmark" (or denominator) in the equation, this concept represents the concentration percentage derived from the division of distributor one.

+ Details

Name:	atml_ConcentrationRiskPercentageDistributorOne
Namespace Prefix:	atml
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

+ Details

Name:	atml_ConcentrationRiskPercentageDistributorTwo
Namespace Prefix:	atml
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 275
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 20
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6927468&loc=d3e6404-108592

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 825
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 21
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6947722&loc=d3e13537-108611

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 825
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 20
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6947722&loc=d3e13531-108611

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 275
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 18
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6927468&loc=d3e6351-108592

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskPercentage
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant