Represents the percentage of payment terms due upon installation.

No definition available.

Name:	acls_PercentageOfPaymentUponInstallation
Namespace Prefix:	acls_
Data Type:	dtr-types:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the percentage of payment terms due upon shipment of tool.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	acls_PercentageOfPaymentUponShipmentOfTool
Namespace Prefix:	acls_
Data Type:	dtr-types:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the period for payment upon delivery of parts.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	acls_PeriodOfPaymentUponDeliveryOfParts
Namespace Prefix:	acls_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the period for payment upon delivery of parts.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	acls_PeriodOfUnsatisfiedExtendedWarrantyPerformanceObligations
Namespace Prefix:	acls_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of obligation to transfer good or service to customer for which consideration has been received or is receivable.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 606
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=123360276&loc=SL49130531-203044

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-Name Accounting Standards Codification
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-Section 50
-Paragraph 8
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-Section 45
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-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=123360276&loc=SL49130532-203044

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of obligation to transfer good or service to customer for which consideration has been received or is receivable, classified as current.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 606
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=123360276&loc=SL49130531-203044

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-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=123351226&loc=SL49130549-203045

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of obligation to transfer good or service to customer for which consideration has been received or is receivable, classified as noncurrent.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 606
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=123360276&loc=SL49130532-203044

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-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=123351226&loc=SL49130549-203045

+ Details

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

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_InitialApplicationPeriodCumulativeEffectTransitionAxis=us-gaap_DifferenceBetweenRevenueGuidanceInEffectBeforeAndAfterTopic606Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_RangeAxis=srt_MaximumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_ProductOrServiceAxis=acls_NewSystemsRevenueMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_ProductOrServiceAxis=acls_AfterMarketMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_RangeAxis=srt_MinimumMember
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Revenue (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Revenue (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Disaggregation of Revenue
Contract liabilities	$ 68,436	$ 23,058	$ 29,251	$ 22,584
Deferred revenue	60,454	21,221
Long-term deferred revenue	$ 7,982	$ 1,837
ASC 606 Adjustments \| Maximum
Disaggregation of Revenue
Unsatisfied extended warranty performance obligations, period	24 months
Systems
Disaggregation of Revenue
Payment upon shipment of tool, as a percent	90.00%
Payment upon installation, as a percent	10.00%
Aftermarket \| Minimum
Disaggregation of Revenue
Payment upon delivery of parts, period	30 days
Aftermarket \| Maximum
Disaggregation of Revenue
Payment upon delivery of parts, period	60 days