Income Taxes (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Income Taxes [Abstract]
Net operating losses or credits utilization period	1 year
Change in cumulative ownership percentage (in hundredths)	50.00%
Period with in which cumulative ownership change	3 years
Gross unrecognized tax benefits	$ 16,400,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits
Unrecognized tax benefits interest and penalties	0
Unrecognized tax benefits accrued interest and penalties	0
Federal income tax benefit or expense	$ 0us-gaap_CurrentFederalTaxExpenseBenefit	$ 0us-gaap_CurrentFederalTaxExpenseBenefit

Refers to change in cumulative ownership percentage during the period.

No definition available.

Name:	axti_ChangeInCumulativeOwnershipPercentage
Namespace Prefix:	axti_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents net operating losses or credits utilization period in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	axti_NetOperatingLossesOrCreditsUtilizationPeriod
Namespace Prefix:	axti_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents period with in which cumulative ownership change.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	axti_PeriodWithInWhichCumulativeOwnershipChange
Namespace Prefix:	axti_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of undistributed earnings of foreign subsidiaries for deferred tax liabilities not recognized as of the report date.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	axti_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitIncomeTaxPenaltiesAndInterestExpense
Namespace Prefix:	axti_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of current federal tax expense (benefit) pertaining to income (loss) from continuing operations.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 740

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SAB TOPIC 6.I.7)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=34349781&loc=d3e330036-122817

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Glossary Current Tax Expense (or Benefit)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6509736

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 740

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 9

-Subparagraph (a)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32639-109319

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 235

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08.(h))

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26873400&loc=d3e23780-122690

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 08

-Paragraph h

-Article 4

Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB)

-Number Topic 6

-Section I

-Paragraph Question 1-7

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CurrentFederalTaxExpenseBenefit
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeTaxDisclosureAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of unrecognized tax benefits pertaining to uncertain tax positions taken in tax returns.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Glossary Unrecognized Tax Benefit

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6527854

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 740

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 15A

-Subparagraph (a)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=SL6600010-109319

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount accrued for interest on an underpayment of income taxes and penalties related to a tax position claimed or expected to be claimed in the tax return.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 740

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 15

-Subparagraph (c)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32718-109319

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAndInterestAccrued
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant