Significant Accounting Policies - Warranty Costs (Details)	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2018
Significant Accounting Policies
Warranty period	1 year

Represents the warranty period from the date of final acceptance on the products purchased by customers.

No definition available.

Name:	veco_ProductWarrantyPeriod
Namespace Prefix:	veco_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration