Percentage of vesting of share-based compensation awards per month after one year from the grant date.

No definition available.

Name:	axti_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardAwardVestingRightsPercentageEachMonthAfterYearOne
Namespace Prefix:	axti_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Term of pertinent provisions of equity-based compensation awards that have actual or potential impact upon the company's financial statements.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	axti_TermsOfAward
Namespace Prefix:	axti_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Refers to vesting period of restricted stock, restricted stock units, and performance awards if vesting is based on a performance measure.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	axti_VestingPeriodIfVestingIsBasedOnPerformanceMeasure
Namespace Prefix:	axti_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Period which an employee's right to exercise an award is no longer contingent on satisfaction of either a service condition, market condition or a performance condition, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardAwardVestingPeriod1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The maximum number of shares (or other type of equity) originally approved (usually by shareholders and board of directors), net of any subsequent amendments and adjustments, for awards under the equity-based compensation plan. As stock or unit options and equity instruments other than options are awarded to participants, the shares or units remain authorized and become reserved for issuance under outstanding awards (not necessarily vested).

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardNumberOfSharesAuthorized
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The difference between the maximum number of shares (or other type of equity) authorized for issuance under the plan (including the effects of amendments and adjustments), and the sum of: 1) the number of shares (or other type of equity) already issued upon exercise of options or other equity-based awards under the plan; and 2) shares (or other type of equity) reserved for issuance on granting of outstanding awards, net of cancellations and forfeitures, if applicable.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6415400&loc=d3e5070-113901

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardNumberOfSharesAvailableForGrant
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Percentage of vesting of share-based compensation awards.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_SharebasedCompensationArrangementBySharebasedPaymentAwardAwardVestingRightsPercentage
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Expected term of share-based compensation awards, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (f)(2)(i)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6415400&loc=d3e5070-113901

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SAB Topic 14.D.2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27013229&loc=d3e301413-122809

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_SharebasedCompensationArrangementBySharebasedPaymentAwardFairValueAssumptionsExpectedTerm1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_PlanNameAxis=axti_StockOptionPlanMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis=us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis=us-gaap_RestrictedStockMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_PlanNameAxis=axti_EquityIncentivePlanMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_VestingAxis=axti_TimeBasedVestingMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_VestingAxis=axti_PerformanceBasedVestingMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_PlanNameAxis=axti_EquityIncentive2015PlanMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_TitleOfIndividualAxis=axti_ConsultantMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Employee Benefit Plans and Stock-based Compensation (Details) - shares	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	May 31, 2015	May 31, 2013
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Expected term	4 years	3 years 10 months 24 days	4 years 1 month 6 days
1997 Stock Option Plan
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Number of shares authorized for issuance (in shares)	5,423,583
Terms of award	10 years
Number of shares available for grant (in shares)	1,928,994
1997 Stock Option Plan \| Options [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Vesting period, minimum	4 years
Vesting percentage as the end of first year (as a percent)	25.00%
Vesting percentage per month after first year (as a percent)	2.10%
1997 Stock Option Plan \| Restricted Stock Awards [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Vesting period if vesting is based on a performance measure	5 years
2007 Equity Incentive Plan
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Number of shares authorized for issuance (in shares)	1,300,000				2,000,000
Terms of award	10 years
2007 Equity Incentive Plan \| Options [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Vesting period, minimum	3 years
2007 Equity Incentive Plan \| Restricted Stock Awards [Member] \| Time based vesting [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Vesting period, minimum	3 years
2007 Equity Incentive Plan \| Restricted Stock Awards [Member] \| Performance Based Vesting [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Vesting period, minimum	12 months
2015 Equity Incentive Plan
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Number of shares authorized for issuance (in shares)				2,000,000
Number of shares available for grant (in shares)				1,804,869
Expected term	10 years
2015 Equity Incentive Plan \| Options [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Vesting period, minimum	4 years
Number of shares available for grant (in shares)	2,785,000
2015 Equity Incentive Plan \| Options [Member] \| Consultant [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Vesting period, minimum	1 year
2015 Equity Incentive Plan \| Restricted Stock Awards [Member] \| Time based vesting [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Vesting period, minimum		3 years
2015 Equity Incentive Plan \| Restricted Stock Awards [Member] \| Performance Based Vesting [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Vesting period, minimum	12 months