Amortization period of debt issuance costs for Term Loan.

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Debt Instrument, Amortization Year Five and After

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Debt Instrument, Amortization Year Four

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Debt Instrument, Amortization Year Three

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Debt Instrument, Amortization Year Two

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Debt Instrument, Annual Amortization

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Debt Instrument, Sum of LIBOR Interest Period

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Debt Instrument, Sum of LIBOR Interest Period Advance Determination

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Amount of debt issuance costs (for example, but not limited to, legal, accounting, broker, and regulatory fees) for Term Loan.

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Interest Coverage ratio

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Minimum Prepayment Percentage of Excess Cash Flow

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Minimum Prepayment Percentage of Net Cash Proceeds of Issuances or Incurrences of Debt Obligations

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Minimum Prepayment Percentage of Net Proceeeds of Asset Sales Over Threshold Amount

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Net Proceeds of Asset Sales Threshold to Trigger Prepayment

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- Definition

Senior Leverage Ratio

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- Definition

Total amount borrowed as of the balance sheet date, including the current and noncurrent portions, of collateralized debt obligations (with maturities initially due after one year or beyond the operating cycle, if longer). Such obligations include mortgage loans, chattel loans, and any other borrowings secured by assets of the borrower.

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Percentage points added to the reference rate to compute the variable rate on the debt instrument.

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- Definition

States whether the entity was in compliance with the debt covenants throughout the reporting period, and describes facts and circumstances of any compliance failure.

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-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

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Face (par) amount of debt instrument at time of issuance.

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The effective interest rate at the end of the reporting period.

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Contractual interest rate for funds borrowed, under the debt agreement.

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Period of time between issuance and maturity of debt instrument, in PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

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Amount of unused borrowing capacity under the long-term financing arrangement that is available to the entity as of the balance sheet date.

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Amount of debt issuance costs (for example, but not limited to, legal, accounting, broker, and regulatory fees).

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Represents the portion of interest incurred in the period on debt arrangements that was charged against earnings, excluding amortization of debt discount (premium) and financing costs.

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Maximum borrowing capacity under the credit facility without consideration of any current restrictions on the amount that could be borrowed or the amounts currently outstanding under the facility.

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Carrying amount of long-term debt, net of unamortized discount or premium, including current and noncurrent amounts. Includes, but not limited to, notes payable, bonds payable, debentures, mortgage loans and commercial paper. Excludes capital lease obligations.

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Amount of long-term debt, after unamortized discount or premium, scheduled to be repaid within one year or the normal operating cycle, if longer. Includes, but not limited to, notes payable, bonds payable, debentures, mortgage loans and commercial paper. Excludes capital lease obligations.

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LONG-TERM DEBT OBLIGATIONS - Term Loan and Revolving Credit Facility - Narrative (Details) (USD $)	0 Months Ended	12 Months Ended		0 Months Ended
	Jun. 25, 2012	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Oct. 17, 2013	Jul. 28, 2014	Dec. 31, 2012
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Original aggregate principal amount of term loan	$ 85,000,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount
Original revolving credit facility	15,000,000
Total debt		127,950,000	144,450,000
Interest rate at period end		3.04%
Debt Instrument, Covenant Compliance		As of December 31, 2014, the Company was in compliance with the covenants.
Debt issuance cost related to term loan	4,500,000affx_DebtIssuanceCost-TermLoan
Amortization period for debt issuance cost term loan	5 years
Interest expense incurred		1,600,000	7,900,000
Outstanding principal balance of term loan as of balance sheet date		4,000,000us-gaap_LongTermDebtCurrent	12,750,000us-gaap_LongTermDebtCurrent
Long-term Debt		22,950,000us-gaap_LongTermDebt
Debt Instrument, Unused Borrowing Capacity, Amount					50,000,000
4.00% Convertible Senior Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate		4.00%				4.00%
Refinanced Term Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Original aggregate principal amount of term loan				38,000,000
Debt issuance cost	800,000
Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Term				5 years
Original aggregate principal amount of term loan				10,000,000
Total debt		0	10,000,000
Long-term Debt				10,000,000
Senior Secured Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Minimum prepayment percentage of excess cash flow	50.00%
Minimum prepayment percentage of net cash proceeds of issuances or incurrences of debt obligations	100.00%
Minimum prepayment percentage of net proceeds of asset sales over threshold amount	100.00%
Net proceeds of asset sales threshold to trigger prepayment	2,500,000
Term Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Amortization Year Two		10.00%
Debt Instrument, Term	5 years
Total debt		22,950,000	29,450,000
Debt issuance cost	2,500,000
Annual amortization		10.00%
Amortization fifth year		60.00%
Long-term Debt				38,000,000
Debt Instrument, Amortization Year Three		10.00%
Debt Instrument, Amortization Year Four		10.00%
Term Loan and Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Original aggregate principal amount of term loan	$ 100,000,000.0
Federal Funds Rate [Member] \| Senior Secured Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate					0.50%
London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member] \| Debt Instrument, Redemption, Period One [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Sum of LIBOR interest period advance determination					1 month
London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member] \| Debt Instrument, Redemption, Period Two [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Sum of LIBOR interest period advance determination					2 months
London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member] \| Debt Instrument, Redemption, Period Three [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Sum of LIBOR interest period advance determination					3 months
London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member] \| Debt Instrument, Redemption, Period Four [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Sum of LIBOR interest period advance determination					6 months
London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member] \| Senior Secured Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate					1.00%
Sum of LIBOR interest period					1 month
Minimum [Member] \| Senior Secured Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest coverage ratio					3.5
Senior Leverage Ratio					1.20
Minimum [Member] \| Base Rate [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate					1.50%
Minimum [Member] \| London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate					2.50%
Maximum [Member] \| Senior Secured Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior Leverage Ratio					1.75
Maximum [Member] \| Base Rate [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate					1.75%
Maximum [Member] \| London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate					2.75%