Document and Entity Information (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012	Mar. 08, 2013	Jun. 29, 2012
Entity Information [Line Items]
Entity Registrant Name	MATTSON TECHNOLOGY INC
Entity Central Index Key	0000928421
Document Type	10-K
Document Period End Date	Dec. 31, 2012
Amendment Flag	false
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Is Entity a Well-known Seasoned Issuer?	No
Is Entity a Voluntary Filer?	No
Is Entity's Reporting Status Current?	Yes
Entity Filer Category	Accelerated Filer
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		58,729,618
Document Fiscal Period Focus	FY
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2012
Entity Public Float			$ 98,514,187