Inventories, net - Additional Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Inventories, net additional information
Decrease in inventory reserve	$ 1.9
Charges to cost of sales due to lower of cost or market value	3.8	$ 3.7	$ 2.8
Inventory on consignment at customer locations	5.5	4.9
Inventory valuation reserve
Inventories, net additional information
Inventory reserves	$ 6.5	$ 8.3

Represents the amount charged to cost of sales due to reflect the lower of cost or market value.

No definition available.

Name:	acls_ChargesRelatedToReflectLowerOfCostOrMarketValue
Namespace Prefix:	acls_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Decrease in inventory reserves which was driven by write-down of excess inventory related to legacy products.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	acls_DecreaseInInventoryReserves
Namespace Prefix:	acls_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

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

- Definition

Amount of valuation reserve for inventory.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 330
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (SAB TOPIC 5.BB)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27011343&loc=d3e100047-122729

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.6(a))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120391452&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

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

- Definition

Gross amount of inventory owned by the entity but in the hands of a customer, typically a reseller.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02(6)(a))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120391452&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

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

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ValuationAllowancesAndReservesTypeAxis=us-gaap_InventoryValuationReserveMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: