Related-Party Transactions (Details) (USD $)	9 Months Ended			1 Months Ended		1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	May 31, 2013	May 31, 2012	Aug. 31, 2012	Apr. 30, 2013 Majority owned subsidiary item	May 31, 2013 Majority owned subsidiary	Mar. 31, 2011 China SemiLEDs item	May 31, 2013 China SemiLEDs	May 31, 2012 China SemiLEDs	May 31, 2013 China SemiLEDs	May 31, 2012 China SemiLEDs	Aug. 31, 2012 China SemiLEDs
Related-Party Transactions
Sales of goods								$ 98,000	$ 11,000	$ 124,000
Rendering of services								10,000		260,000
Purchase of goods									301,000
Income recognized on patents assignment	38,000	38,000					12,000	12,000	38,000	38,000
Number of patents assigned to related party						13
Consideration received from sale of equipment											244,000
Aggregate principal amount											200,000
Charge to bad debt expense											1,405,000
Allowance for doubtful accounts	1,364,000		577,000				1,388,000		1,388,000		1,405,000
Accounts and notes receivable from related parties, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $1,388 and $1,405 as of May 31, 2013 and August 31, 2012, respectively	83,000		157,000				7,000		7,000		118,000
Other current liabilities											65,000
Term of loan agreement entered into by subsidiary with its shareholder				1 year
Loan agreement entered into by subsidiary with its shareholder					200,000
Loan agreement entered into by subsidiary with its shareholder				$ 200,000
Number of shareholders from whom loan was taken				1
Fixed interest rate bears by loan taken by subsidiary (as a percent)					3.00%