Segment Information - Financial Information for Business Segments - Assets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total assets	$ 1,479,331	$ 1,515,999
Reportable Segments
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total assets	1,225,731	1,168,795
Reportable Segments \| Brooks Semiconductor Solutions Group
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total assets	275,754	259,641
Reportable Segments \| Brooks Life Sciences
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total assets	$ 949,977	$ 909,154

Sum of the carrying amounts as of the balance sheet date of all assets that are recognized. Assets are probable future economic benefits obtained or controlled by an entity as a result of past transactions or events.

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03(11))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 280
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 22
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=115929826&loc=d3e8736-108599

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03(a)(12))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=119400593&loc=d3e572229-122910

Name:	us-gaap_Assets
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant