v2.4.0.8

Credit facility (Details) (USD $) | 3 Months Ended | 6 Months Ended |
--- | --- | --- | ---
Sep. 30, 2014 | Sep. 30, 2013 | Sep. 30, 2014 | Sep. 30, 2013 | Jun. 27, 2013
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Interest expense | $ 14,019,000 | $ 12,354,000 | $ 27,697,000 | $ 24,210,000 |
Credit Agreement Maturity June 27, 2018 [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Initiation date |  |  | Jun. 27, 2013 |  |
Credit agreement |  |  |  |  | 2,000,000,000.0
Maturity Date |  |  | Jun. 27, 2018 |  |
Increase option amount |  |  |  |  | 300,000,000
Line of Credit Facility, Fair Value of Amount Outstanding | 965,600,000.0 |  | 965,600,000.0 |  |
Debt discount | 1,000,000 |  | 1,000,000 |  |
Interest expense | 5,100,000 | 4,000,000 | 10,100,000 | 7,500,000 |
Short-term Debt, Weighted Average Interest Rate | 1.65% |  | 1.65% |  |
Credit Agreement Maturity June 27, 2018 [Member] | Line of Credit [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Period for leverage ratio to determine interest rate spread |  |  | preceding four fiscal quarter period |  |
Interest rate spread on overdue principal in event of default (percentage) |  |  |  |  | 2.00%
Interest rate spread on overdue amounts in event of default (percentage) |  |  |  |  | 2.00%
Credit Agreement Maturity June 27, 2018 [Member] | Line of Credit [Member] | Debt Instrument Interest Rate Option1 [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Description of variable rate basis |  |  | the highest of JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.'s prime rate, the federal funds rate plus a margin equal to 0.50% and the adjusted LIBOR rate for a 1-month interest period plus a margin equal to 1.00% |  |
Credit Agreement Maturity June 27, 2018 [Member] | Line of Credit [Member] | Debt Instrument Interest Rate Option1 [Member] | Minimum [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Spread on variable rate (percentage) |  |  | 0.25% |  |
Credit Agreement Maturity June 27, 2018 [Member] | Line of Credit [Member] | Debt Instrument Interest Rate Option1 [Member] | Maximum [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Spread on variable rate (percentage) |  |  | 1.25% |  |
Credit Agreement Maturity June 27, 2018 [Member] | Line of Credit [Member] | Debt Instrument Interest Rate Option 2 [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Description of variable rate basis |  |  | adjusted LIBOR rate (based on one, two, three, or six-month interest periods) |  |
Credit Agreement Maturity June 27, 2018 [Member] | Line of Credit [Member] | Debt Instrument Interest Rate Option 2 [Member] | Minimum [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Spread on variable rate (percentage) |  |  | 1.25% |  |
Credit Agreement Maturity June 27, 2018 [Member] | Line of Credit [Member] | Debt Instrument Interest Rate Option 2 [Member] | Maximum [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Spread on variable rate (percentage) |  |  | 2.25% |  |
Credit Agreement Maturity June 27, 2018 [Member] | Term loan [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Credit agreement |  |  |  |  | 350,000,000
Line of Credit Facility, Fair Value of Amount Outstanding | 341,200,000 |  | 341,200,000 |  |
Credit Agreement Maturity June 27, 2018 [Member] | Revolving credit facility [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Credit agreement |  |  |  |  | 1,650,000,000.00
Line of Credit Facility, Fair Value of Amount Outstanding | 624,400,000 |  | 624,400,000 |  |
Credit Agreement Maturity June 27, 2018 [Member] | Foreign Line of Credit [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Credit agreement |  |  |  |  | 125,000,000
Credit Agreement Maturity June 27, 2018 [Member] | Standby Letters of Credit [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Credit agreement |  |  |  |  | 35,000,000
Credit Agreement Maturity June 27, 2018 [Member] | Line of Credit Facility Swingline Loan Sublimit [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Credit agreement |  |  |  |  | $ 25,000,000

X
- Definition Debt Instrument Interest Rate Spread On Overdue Amounts In Event Of Default + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | mchp_DebtInstrumentInterestRateSpreadOnOverdueAmountsInEventOfDefault
Namespace Prefix: | mchp_
Data Type: | num:percentItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Debt Instrument Interest Rate Spread On Overdue Principal In Event Of Default + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | mchp_DebtInstrumentInterestRateSpreadOnOverduePrincipalInEventOfDefault
Namespace Prefix: | mchp_
Data Type: | num:percentItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Line of Credit Facility Increase Option - An increase option in the credit agreement which provides, subject to certain requirements, the Company to arrange with existing lenders and/or new lenders to provide up to an aggregate of $250 million in additional commitments, whether for revolving loans or term loans. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | mchp_LineOfCreditFacilityIncreaseOption
Namespace Prefix: | mchp_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Period For Leverage Ratio To Determine Interest Rate Spread + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | mchp_PeriodForLeverageRatioToDetermineInterestRateSpread
Namespace Prefix: | mchp_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Percentage points added to the reference rate to compute the variable rate on the debt instrument. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | us-gaap_DebtInstrumentBasisSpreadOnVariableRate1
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | num:percentItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition The reference rate for the variable rate of the debt instrument, such as LIBOR or the US Treasury rate and the maturity of the reference rate used, such as three months or six months LIBOR. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | us-gaap_DebtInstrumentDescriptionOfVariableRateBasis
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition The amount of debt discount that was originally recognized at the issuance of the instrument that has yet to be amortized. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 835 -SubTopic 30 -Section 45 -Paragraph 1A -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6451184&loc=d3e28541-108399 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 835 -SubTopic 30 -Section 55 -Paragraph 8 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=34725769&loc=d3e28878-108400 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_DebtInstrumentUnamortizedDiscount
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Amount of the cost of borrowed funds accounted for as interest expense. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 835 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6450988&loc=d3e26243-108391 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 942 -SubTopic 225 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.9-04.9) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879574&loc=d3e536633-122882 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 04 -Paragraph 9 -Article 9 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_InterestExpense
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Date the credit facility terminates, in CCYY-MM-DD format. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 210 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.19(b),22(b)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 02 -Paragraph 19, 22 -Article 5 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityExpirationDate1
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:dateItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Fair value of the amount outstanding under the credit facility. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 825 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 10 -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35750535&loc=d3e13433-108611 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 825 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 12 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35750535&loc=d3e13476-108611 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityFairValueOfAmountOutstanding
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Date the credit facility first became available, in CCYY-MM-DD format. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 210 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.19(b),22(b)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 02 -Paragraph 19, 22 -Article 5 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityInitiationDate1
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:dateItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityLineItems
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition 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. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 210 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.19(b),22(b)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 02 -Paragraph 19, 22 -Article 5 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityMaximumBorrowingCapacity
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Weighted average interest rate of short-term debt outstanding. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 210 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.19(b)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 02 -Paragraph 19 -Subparagraph b -Article 5 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_ShortTermDebtWeightedAverageInterestRate
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | num:percentItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | instant