Number of customers who represented significant share in the entity during the reporting period.

No definition available.

Name:	axti_NumberOfCustomersRepresentingSignificantShare
Namespace Prefix:	axti_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- 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.

+ References

Reference 1: 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=28364263&loc=d3e13537-108611

Reference 2: 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 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=28364263&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_ConcentrationRiskPercentage1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Segment Information and Foreign Operations (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015 Segment	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014 Customer
Segment Information [Abstract]
Number of operating segments	1us-gaap_NumberOfOperatingSegments
Net revenues reported for products shipped to customers in corresponding geographic region [Abstract]
Revenue	$ 20,064us-gaap_Revenues	$ 19,345us-gaap_Revenues
Long-lived assets by geographic region [Abstract]
Long-lived assets	33,223us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentNet		33,862us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentNet
Revenue [Member]
Revenue, Major Customer [Line Items]
Number of customers representing significant share	0	0
Accounts Receivable [Member]
Revenue, Major Customer [Line Items]
Number of customers representing significant share	0		2
Major Customer One [Member] \| Accounts Receivable [Member]
Revenue, Major Customer [Line Items]
Percentage share generated by major customers (in hundredths)			11.00%
Major Customer Two [Member] \| Accounts Receivable [Member]
Revenue, Major Customer [Line Items]
Percentage share generated by major customers (in hundredths)			10.00%
Top Five Major Customers [Member] \| Revenue [Member]
Revenue, Major Customer [Line Items]
Number of customers representing significant share	5	5
Percentage share generated by major customers (in hundredths)	35.00%	39.00%
Europe (primarily Germany) [Member] \| Reportable Geographical Components [Member]
Net revenues reported for products shipped to customers in corresponding geographic region [Abstract]
Revenue	4,943	6,583
China [Member] \| Reportable Geographical Components [Member]
Net revenues reported for products shipped to customers in corresponding geographic region [Abstract]
Revenue	3,297	4,165
Long-lived assets by geographic region [Abstract]
Long-lived assets	32,820		33,726
Asia Pacific (excluding China, Japan and Taiwan) [Member] \| Reportable Geographical Components [Member]
Net revenues reported for products shipped to customers in corresponding geographic region [Abstract]
Revenue	2,759	2,389
Taiwan [Member] \| Reportable Geographical Components [Member]
Net revenues reported for products shipped to customers in corresponding geographic region [Abstract]
Revenue	3,109	2,115
Japan [Member] \| Reportable Geographical Components [Member]
Net revenues reported for products shipped to customers in corresponding geographic region [Abstract]
Revenue	2,484	2,313
North America (primarily the United States) [Member] \| Reportable Geographical Components [Member]
Net revenues reported for products shipped to customers in corresponding geographic region [Abstract]
Revenue	3,472	1,780
Long-lived assets by geographic region [Abstract]
Long-lived assets	$ 403		136