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Income Taxes (Details) (USD $)
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Income Taxes [Abstract]      
Non-U.S. income included in income (loss) before tax $ 12,800,000us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesForeign $ 16,700,000us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesForeign $ 16,300,000us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesForeign
Current [Abstract]      
Federal 0us-gaap_CurrentFederalTaxExpenseBenefit 0us-gaap_CurrentFederalTaxExpenseBenefit 0us-gaap_CurrentFederalTaxExpenseBenefit
State 2,000us-gaap_CurrentStateAndLocalTaxExpenseBenefit 13,000us-gaap_CurrentStateAndLocalTaxExpenseBenefit (113,000)us-gaap_CurrentStateAndLocalTaxExpenseBenefit
Foreign 213,000us-gaap_CurrentForeignTaxExpenseBenefit 175,000us-gaap_CurrentForeignTaxExpenseBenefit 966,000us-gaap_CurrentForeignTaxExpenseBenefit
Total current 215,000us-gaap_CurrentIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit 188,000us-gaap_CurrentIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit 853,000us-gaap_CurrentIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
Deferred [Abstract]      
Federal 0us-gaap_DeferredFederalIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit 0us-gaap_DeferredFederalIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit 0us-gaap_DeferredFederalIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
State 0us-gaap_DeferredStateAndLocalIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit 0us-gaap_DeferredStateAndLocalIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit 0us-gaap_DeferredStateAndLocalIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
Total deferred 0us-gaap_DeferredIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit 0us-gaap_DeferredIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit 0us-gaap_DeferredIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
Total net provision for income taxes 215,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit 188,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit 853,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
Reconciliation of effective income tax rates and U.S. statutory federal income tax rate [Abstract]      
Statutory federal income tax rate (in hundredths) 35.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate 35.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate 35.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate
State income taxes, net of federal tax benefits (in hundredths) (0.20%)us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationStateAndLocalIncomeTaxes (0.10%)us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationStateAndLocalIncomeTaxes (1.00%)us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationStateAndLocalIncomeTaxes
Change in valuation allowance (in hundredths) (695.80%)us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationChangeInDeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance (111.80%)us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationChangeInDeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance 23.30%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationChangeInDeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance
Stock compensation (in hundredths) (26.30%)us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationNondeductibleExpenseShareBasedCompensationCost (1.40%)us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationNondeductibleExpenseShareBasedCompensationCost 1.50%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationNondeductibleExpenseShareBasedCompensationCost
Foreign rate differences (in hundredths) 758.60%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationForeignIncomeTaxRateDifferential 85.30%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationForeignIncomeTaxRateDifferential (72.50%)us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationForeignIncomeTaxRateDifferential
Dividend from PRC investee (in hundredths) (169.80%)us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationDeductionsDividends (19.60%)us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationDeductionsDividends 30.10%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationDeductionsDividends
Net loss from privately-held PRC investments (in hundredths) 45.60%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationEquityInEarningsLossesOfUnconsolidatedSubsidiary 2.50%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationEquityInEarningsLossesOfUnconsolidatedSubsidiary (2.60%)us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationEquityInEarningsLossesOfUnconsolidatedSubsidiary
Other (in hundredths) 14.40%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationOtherAdjustments 7.30%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationOtherAdjustments (1.60%)us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationOtherAdjustments
Effective tax rate (in hundredths) (38.50%)us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateContinuingOperations (2.80%)us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateContinuingOperations 12.20%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateContinuingOperations
Deferred tax assets [Abstract]      
Net operating loss 55,654,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsOperatingLossCarryforwards 51,818,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsOperatingLossCarryforwards  
Accruals and reserves not yet deductible 4,517,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsTaxDeferredExpenseReservesAndAccruals 4,985,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsTaxDeferredExpenseReservesAndAccruals  
Credits 1,488,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsTaxCreditCarryforwards 1,488,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsTaxCreditCarryforwards  
Deferred tax assets, gross 61,659,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsGross 58,291,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsGross  
Deferred tax liabilities [Abstract]      
Valuation of investment portfolio 0us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesInvestments (288,000)us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesInvestments  
Total deferred tax liabilities 0us-gaap_DeferredIncomeTaxLiabilities (288,000)us-gaap_DeferredIncomeTaxLiabilities  
Net deferred tax assets 61,659,000axti_DeferredTaxAssetsAndLiabilitiesNetBeforeValuationAllowance 58,003,000axti_DeferredTaxAssetsAndLiabilitiesNetBeforeValuationAllowance  
Valuation allowance (61,659,000)us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance (58,003,000)us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance  
Net deferred tax assets 0us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsLiabilitiesNet 0us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsLiabilitiesNet  
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]      
(Increase) and decrease in valuation allowance 4,000,000us-gaap_ValuationAllowanceDeferredTaxAssetChangeInAmount 7,000,000us-gaap_ValuationAllowanceDeferredTaxAssetChangeInAmount  
Change in cumulative ownership percentage (in hundredths) 50.00%axti_ChangeInCumulativeOwnershipPercentage    
Period with in which cumulative ownership change 3 years    
Unrecognized tax benefits interest and penalties 0axti_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitIncomeTaxPenaltiesAndInterestExpense    
Unrecognized tax benefits accrued interest and penalties 0us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAndInterestAccrued    
Unrecognized tax liabilities of undistributed earnings of foreign subsidiaries 67,600,000axti_UnrecognizedTaxLiabilitiesUndistributedEarningsForeignSubsidiaries    
Restricted cash and investments 18,300,000us-gaap_RestrictedCashAndInvestments    
Cash and investments not available for use 13,900,000axti_CashAndInvestmentsNotAvailableForUse    
Reconciliation of beginning and ending amount of the gross unrecognized tax benefits [Roll Forward]      
Gross unrecognized tax benefits balance at December 31, 2013 16,403,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits    
Additions based on tax positions related to the current year 0us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncreasesResultingFromCurrentPeriodTaxPositions    
Additions for tax positions of prior years 0us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncreasesResultingFromPriorPeriodTaxPositions    
Gross unrecognized tax benefits balance at December 31, 2014 16,403,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits 16,403,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits  
Unrecognized tax benefit would favorably impact the effective tax rate in future periods if recognized 16,400,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsThatWouldImpactEffectiveTaxRate    
Minimum [Member]      
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]      
Operating loss carryforwards, expiration period Dec. 31, 2017    
Maximum [Member]      
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]      
Operating loss carryforwards, expiration period Dec. 31, 2022    
Federal [Member]      
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]      
Operating loss carryforwards 165,700,000us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_DomesticCountryMember		    
Tax credit carryforwards 1,500,000us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAmount
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_DomesticCountryMember		    
Tax credit carryforward, expiration period Dec. 31, 2019    
State [Member]      
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]      
Operating loss carryforwards $ 5,600,000us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_StateAndLocalJurisdictionMember