COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES (Details 2)	1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended					1 Months Ended		12 Months Ended				1 Months Ended			11 Months Ended	1 Months Ended
	Oct. 28, 2011 Subsidiary	Dec. 31, 2011 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2010 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2009 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 Minimum	Dec. 31, 2011 Maximum	Jul. 31, 2009 Distributor Litigation USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2009 Distributor Litigation defendant D	Dec. 31, 2011 Distributor Litigation USD ($)	Mar. 28, 2011 Distributor Litigation USD ($)	Nov. 23, 2009 Distributor Litigation USD ($)	Jun. 03, 2009 Distributor Litigation USD ($)	Jul. 31, 2009 French Labor Litigation EUR (€) plaintiff	Jul. 31, 2008 French Labor Litigation plaintiff	Oct. 31, 2006 French Labor Litigation plaintiff	Nov. 30, 2011 French Labor Litigation USD ($) plaintiff	May 31, 2011 Azure Litigation patent	Jul. 31, 2011 Infineon Litigation patent	Apr. 30, 2011 Infineon Litigation patent
Contingencies
Number of Asia-based distributors as defendants in lawsuit filed by the entity								3
Amount sought to be recovered from Asia-based distributors												$ 8,500,000
Period after specified event, the entity's suspension of shipments to NEHK breached the parties' International Distributor Agreement (in days)								1
Maximum damages sought by plaintiffs							50,000,000
Minimum damages sought by each employee													45,000
Amount to be deposited in Court-Administered Account as per court order by NEL and NEHK										2,900,000
Total default judgments plus accrued interest awarded by court in favor of company against NEL									11,900,000
Default judgment amount awarded									8,600,000		2,700,000
Default judgment plus accrued interest on settlement against TLG									3,300,000
Number of former employees who filed claims against the company													56		47
Number of patents which the entity is seeking to declare as invalid and not infringed																	501
Number of plaintiffs who later dropped out of the case																$ 5
Number of remaining plaintiffs																51
Number of former employees who appealed the lower court's ruling														40
Number of Infineon patents claimed to be infringed																			11
Number of Atmel patents that Infineon is seeking to declare either invalid or not infringed																			3
Number of Infineon patents Atmel is seeking to declare either invalid or not infringed																		11
Number of Atmel patents counterclaimed that Infineon infringed on																		6
Number of additional Infineon patents claimed to be infringed by the company																		4
Product Warranties
Warranty period of company's products, range (period of time)					30 days	2 years
Activity related to the product warranty liability
Balance at beginning of period		4,019,000	4,225,000	5,579,000
Accrual for warranties during the period		7,383,000	3,779,000	3,190,000
Actual costs incurred		(5,656,000)	(3,985,000)	(4,544,000)
Balance at end of period		5,746,000	4,019,000	4,225,000
Number of company's French subsidiaries where inspection conducted by European Union Commission (the "Commission")	1
Guarantees
Maximum potential amount of future payments required under guarantee agreements		$ 1,900,000