Stock-Based Compensation and Employee Benefit Plans - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($)		3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Nov. 11, 2011	Sep. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2010
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Term of Option				10 years
Employee's compensation plan				The Company matches employee contributions to the plan at a rate of 50%, up to the first 3% of an employee's compensation.
Employee contributions				20.00%
Company contribution to the plan				$ 882,000	$ 854,000	$ 877,000
Minimum [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Employees pre-tax salary				1.00%
Maximum [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Employees pre-tax salary				80.00%
Two Thousand Plan [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Common Stock reserved for issuance				4,000,000
Stock options, grants in period			150,355
Stock options, cancelled in period			(129,028)
Vicor Plan [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Non-qualified stock options granted to non-employees				85.00%
Non-qualified stock options				1,696,222	1,848,067
Stock options, grants in period				83,817
Stock options, cancelled in period				(18,737)
Vicor options actually vest				86.00%
Annual forfeiture rate				5.00%	4.25%	8.00%
Vicor options actually vest forfeiture					88.00%	78.00%
Share exercisable			306,173	730,388	565,861	306,173
Weighted average exercise prices			$ 6.90	$ 7.74	$ 7.24	$ 6.90
Total Intrinsic value				$ 1,392,000	$ 928,000	$ 751,000
Options Exercised				1,572,000	805,000	788,000
Fair value of stock options that vested				365,000	$ 1,194,000	$ 1,096,000
Total unrecognized compensation cost				$ 870,000
Compensation cost recognized over a weighted-average period				1 year 6 months
Expected recognized expenses, Year One				$ 490,000
Expected recognized expenses, Year Two				245,000
Expected recognized expenses, Year Three				103,000
Expected recognized expenses, Year Four				28,000
Expected recognized expenses, Year Five				$ 4,000
Weighted-average fair value				$ 4.94	$ 6.76	$ 5.50
2001 Picor Plan [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Common Stock reserved for issuance				20,000,000
Non-qualified stock options					0
2007 VI Chip Plan [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Common Stock reserved for issuance				12,000,000
Non-qualified stock options				0			2,984,250
Stock options, grants in period	0
Stock-based compensation expense reversed		$ 768,000
2007 VI Chip Plan [Member] | Cost of Revenues [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Decrease in costs and expenses due to reversal of share-based compensation expense		86,000
2007 VI Chip Plan [Member] | Selling, General and Administrative [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Decrease in costs and expenses due to reversal of share-based compensation expense		516,000
2007 VI Chip Plan [Member] | Research and Development [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Decrease in costs and expenses due to reversal of share-based compensation expense		$ 166,000
Picor Plan [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Non-qualified stock options				9,530,987	9,725,067
Stock options, grants in period				603,000
Stock options, cancelled in period				(113,560)
Maturity period of US Treasury Bond				7 years
Annual forfeiture rate				2.50%	2.50%	2.75%
Picor options actually vest forfeiture				92.00%
Picor options actually vest					93.00%	92.00%
Share exercisable			6,643,377	7,915,219	8,053,490	6,643,377
Weighted average exercise prices			$ 0.67	$ 0.62	$ 0.64	$ 0.67
Total Intrinsic value				$ 24,000	$ 72,000
Options Exercised				17,000	14,000	$ 0
Fair value of stock options that vested				155,000	$ 39,000	$ 0
Total unrecognized compensation cost				$ 285,000
Compensation cost recognized over a weighted-average period				2 years 9 months 18 days
Expected recognized expenses, Year One				$ 116,000
Expected recognized expenses, Year Two				78,000
Expected recognized expenses, Year Three				45,000
Expected recognized expenses, Year Four				29,000
Expected recognized expenses, Year Five				$ 17,000
Weighted-average fair value				$ 0.26	$ 0.48	$ 0.19
Vi Chip Plan [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Non-qualified stock options				9,933,750	10,097,500
Stock options, grants in period				5,000
Stock options, cancelled in period				(168,750)
Maturity period of US Treasury Bond				7 years
Annual forfeiture rate				9.00%	8.50%	7.75%
Chip options actually vest					78.00%	77.00%
Chip options actually vest forfeiture				76.00%
Share exercisable			7,377,950	7,074,650	7,042,600	7,377,950
Weighted average exercise prices			$ 1.00	$ 1.00	$ 1.00	$ 1.00
Total Intrinsic value					$ 0
Options Exercised				$ 0	$ 1,000	$ 0
Total unrecognized compensation cost				$ 51,000
Compensation cost recognized over a weighted-average period				2 years 1 month 6 days
Expected recognized expenses, Year One				$ 39,000
Expected recognized expenses, Year Two				$ 12,000
Weighted-average fair value				$ 0.01	$ 0.01	$ 0.02
Stock Bonus Plan [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Common stock purchase by non-employees				109,964