IM Flash Agreements (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified			1 Months Ended				3 Months Ended	1 Months Ended
	Mar. 01, 2012	Sep. 01, 2011	Apr. 06, 2012 Acquisition [Member] IM Flash Assets Acquired by the Parent [Member]	Apr. 06, 2012 Acquisition [Member] IM Flash Singapore LLP [Member]	Apr. 06, 2012 New Contract [Member]	Apr. 06, 2012 Cancellation of Contract [Member]	May 31, 2012 Cancellation of Contract [Member] Scenario, Forecast [Member]	Apr. 06, 2012 Issuance of Debt [Member] Senior Unsecured Promissory Note with Intel [Member] decimal
Consolidation, Less than Wholly Owned Subsidiary, Parent Ownership Interest, Changes, Net [Abstract]
Minority Interest Decrease From Purchase Of Interest, Ownership Percentage (in hundredths)				18.00%
Distributions to Intel for the acquisition of its interest in IMFS and the assets of IMFT located at our Virginia wafer fabrication facility			$ 600
Intel's deposit to be applied to future purcahses of NAND Flash					300
Percentage of a facility leased to IMFT terminated (in hundredths)						50.00%
Other Operating Income Expense Net [Abstract]
Loss recognized from terminating IMFT's lease to use a portion of our Virginia fabrication facility							17
Long-term Debt, by Current and Noncurrent [Abstract]
Long-term Debt, Gross	$ 2,315	$ 2,001						$ 65
Number of approximately equal quarterly installment payments								8
Variable rate on loan from Intel at Libor less points but not to be less than zero (in hundredths)								(0.50%)
Minimum interest rate applied to loan								0.00%