Segment Information - Financial Information for Business Segments - Assets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total assets	$ 1,487,877	$ 1,095,257
Operating Segments
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total assets	1,191,729	675,033
Operating Segments \| Brooks Semiconductor Solutions Group
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total assets	281,909	264,452
Operating Segments \| Brooks Life Sciences
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total assets	$ 909,820	$ 410,581

Sum of the carrying amounts as of the balance sheet date of all assets that are recognized. Assets are probable future economic benefits obtained or controlled by an entity as a result of past transactions or events.

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03(11))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 280
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 22
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=115929826&loc=d3e8736-108599

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03(a)(12))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910

Name:	us-gaap_Assets
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant