Income Taxes - Reconciliation of the Provision for Taxes (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
Apr. 28, 2019	Jan. 26, 2020	Jan. 27, 2019	Jan. 28, 2018
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Federal income tax at statutory rate		$ 9,328	$ 14,725	$ 19,591
State income taxes, net of federal benefit		68	(55)	(159)
Foreign taxes differential		(966)	2,910	(8,698)
Tax credits generated		(2,026)	(3,344)	(3,278)
Changes in valuation allowance	$ (15,800)	(2,722)	(23,029)	(41,911)
Gain on intra-entity asset transfer		6,802	0	0
Changes in uncertain tax positions		8,636	2,219	1,538
Equity compensation		(6,008)	786	(8,040)
Permanent differences		0	0	264
GILTI and Subpart F income		538	1,164	299
Impact of US Tax Reform		0	1,904	65,442
Other		(822)	3,075	(2,195)
Provision for income taxes		$ 12,828	355	22,853
Increase to general business credits			5,000
Reduction to foreign tax credits			$ 6,900
Expense due to the estimated impact of the transition tax, net of foreign tax credits generated				$ 66,500

Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, Nontaxable Gain on Sale

No definition available.

Name:	smtc_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationNontaxableGainonSale
Namespace Prefix:	smtc_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Effective Income Tax Reconciliation, Revaluation of Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	smtc_EffectiveIncomeTaxReconciliationRevaluationofDeferredTaxAssetsandLiabilities
Namespace Prefix:	smtc_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Effective Income Tax Reconciliation, Tax Cuts And Jobs Act, Tax Credit, Foreign, Amount

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	smtc_EffectiveIncomeTaxReconciliationTaxCutsAndJobsActTaxCreditForeignAmount
Namespace Prefix:	smtc_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Effective Income Tax Reconciliation, Tax Cuts And Jobs Act, Tax Credit, General Business, Amount

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	smtc_EffectiveIncomeTaxReconciliationTaxCutsAndJobsActTaxCreditGeneralBusinessAmount
Namespace Prefix:	smtc_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Effective Income Tax Reconciliation, Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, Aggregate Impact

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	smtc_EffectiveIncomeTaxReconciliationTaxCutsandJobsActAggregateImpact
Namespace Prefix:	smtc_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Effective Income Tax Reconciliation, Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, Transition Tax

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	smtc_EffectiveIncomeTaxReconciliationTaxCutsandJobsActTransitionTax
Namespace Prefix:	smtc_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of current income tax expense (benefit) and deferred income tax expense (benefit) pertaining to continuing operations.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 280
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 22
-Subparagraph (h)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=115929826&loc=d3e8736-108599

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 235
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08(h))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26873400&loc=d3e23780-122690

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109238882&loc=d3e38679-109324

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 13
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84230637&loc=d3e32698-109319

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 12
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84230637&loc=d3e32687-109319

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 20
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=116821951&loc=d3e32123-109318

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationChangeInDeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 13
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84230637&loc=d3e32698-109319

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 12
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84230637&loc=d3e32687-109319

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 235
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08(h)(1))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26873400&loc=d3e23780-122690

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationForeignIncomeTaxRateDifferential
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The amount of income tax expense or benefit for the period computed by applying the domestic federal statutory tax rates to pretax income from continuing operations.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 13
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84230637&loc=d3e32698-109319

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 12
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84230637&loc=d3e32687-109319

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 235
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08(h)(2))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26873400&loc=d3e23780-122690

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationIncomeTaxExpenseBenefitAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationNondeductibleExpenseOther
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of reported income tax expense (benefit) in excess of (less than) expected income tax expense (benefit) computed by applying domestic federal statutory income tax rate to pretax income (loss) from continuing operation, attributable to nondeductible expense for award under share-based payment arrangement. Includes, but is not limited to, expense determined to be nondeductible upon grant or after for award under share-based payment arrangement.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationNondeductibleExpenseShareBasedCompensationCost
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of the difference between reported income tax expense (benefit) and expected income tax expense (benefit) computed by applying the domestic federal statutory income tax rates to pretax income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to tax exempt income, equity in earnings (loss) of an unconsolidated subsidiary, minority noncontrolling interest income (loss), tax holiday, disposition of a business, disposition of an asset, repatriation of foreign earnings, repatriation of foreign earnings jobs creation act of 2004, increase (decrease) in enacted tax rate, prior year income taxes, increase (decrease) in deferred tax asset valuation allowance, and other adjustments.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationOtherReconcilingItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 12
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84230637&loc=d3e32687-109319

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 235
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08(h)(2))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26873400&loc=d3e23780-122690

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 13
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84230637&loc=d3e32698-109319

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationStateAndLocalIncomeTaxes
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationTaxContingencies
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationTaxCredits
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration