Atmel (ATML) 10-Q 8 Aug 14 2014 Q2 Quarterly report Financial data

Document_and_Entity_Informatio

Document and Entity Information	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014	Jul. 31, 2014
Document and Entity Information [Abstract]	'	'
Entity Registrant Name	'ATMEL CORP	'
Entity Central Index Key	'0000872448	'
Document Type	'10-Q	'
Document Period End Date	30-Jun-14	'
Entity Voluntary Filers	'No	'
Amendment Flag	'false	'
Current Fiscal Year End Date	'--12-31	'
Entity Current Reporting Status	'Yes	'
Entity Filer Category	'Large Accelerated Filer	'
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding	'	418,533,619
Entity Well Known Seasoned Issuer	'Yes	'
Document Fiscal Focus	'2014	'
Document Fiscal Period Focus	'Q2	'

Condensed_Consolidated_Stateme

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (USD $)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013
Income Statement [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Net revenue	$355,534	$347,816	$692,895	$676,959
Cost of revenue	194,296	199,891	391,667	397,729
Research and development	70,082	67,362	139,834	135,670
Selling, general and administrative	64,783	58,912	128,862	122,489
Acquisition-related charges	1,497	1,759	3,125	4,014
Restructuring (credits) charges	-1,583	582	-1,807	43,396
Recovery of receivables from foundry suppliers	0	-83	0	-522
Gain on sale of assets	0	0	0	-4,430
Settlement charges	0	0	0	21,600
Total operating expenses	329,075	328,423	661,681	719,946
Income (loss) from operations	26,459	19,393	31,214	-42,987
Interest and other expense, net	-1,202	-738	-1,125	-386
Income (loss) before income taxes	25,257	18,655	30,089	-43,373
(Provision for) benefit from income taxes	-6,021	-5,679	-8,687	8,682
Net income (loss)	$19,236	$12,976	$21,402	($34,691)
Net income (loss) per share	$0.05	$0.03	$0.05	($0.08)
Weighted-average shares used in basic net income (loss) per share calculations	421,090	428,239	423,233	428,617
Net income (loss) per share	$0.05	$0.03	$0.05	($0.08)
Weighted-average shares used in diluted net income (loss) per share calculations	422,834	430,536	424,876	428,617

Condensed_Consolidated_Stateme1

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013
Statement of Comprehensive Income [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Net income (loss)	$19,236	$12,976	$21,402	($34,691)
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax:	'	'	'	'
Foreign currency translation adjustments	799	730	1,133	-6,952
Actuarial losses related to defined benefit pension plans	-19	-16	-38	-31
Unrealized gain (losses) on investment arising during period	0	243	0	-96
Reclassification adjustment from sale of investment	0	0	328	0
Total other comprehensive income (loss)	780	957	1,423	-7,079
Total comprehensive income (loss)	$20,016	$13,933	$22,825	($41,770)

Condensed_Consolidated_Balance

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (USD $)	Jun. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Current assets	'	'
Cash and cash equivalents	$263,971	$276,881
Short-term investments	0	2,181
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $1,861 and $1,926, respectively	198,984	206,757
Inventories	245,048	274,967
Prepaids and other current assets	97,582	92,234
Total current assets	805,585	853,020
Fixed assets, net of accumulated depreciation of $1,317,186 and $1,300,722, respectively	189,731	184,983
Goodwill	109,980	108,240
Intangible assets, net of accumulated amortization of $51,228 and $47,747, respectively	25,069	28,116
Other assets	161,629	178,167
Total assets	1,291,994	1,352,526
Current liabilities	'	'
Trade accounts payable	99,371	95,872
Accrued and other liabilities	128,334	155,406
Deferred income on shipments to distributors	46,622	42,594
Total current liabilities	274,327	293,872
Other long-term liabilities	113,202	120,727
Total liabilities	387,529	414,599
Commitments and contingencies (Note 8)	'	'
Stockholders’ equity	'	'
Preferred stock; par value $0.001; Authorized: 5,000 shares; no shares issued and outstanding	0	0
Common stock; par value $0.001; Authorized: 1,600,000 shares; Shares issued and outstanding: 418,490 at June 30, 2014 and 425,390 at December 31, 2013	418	425
Additional paid-in capital	782,628	838,908
Accumulated other comprehensive income	14,220	12,797
Retained earnings	107,199	85,797
Total stockholders’ equity	904,465	937,927
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	$1,291,994	$1,352,526

Consolidated_Balance_Sheets_Pa

Consolidated Balance Sheets (Parenthetical) (USD $)	Jun. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified
Statement of Financial Position [Abstract]	'	'
Accumulated Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization, Property, Plant, and Equipment	$1,317,186	$1,300,722
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Accumulated Amortization	51,228	47,747
Accounts receivable, allowance for doubtful accounts (in dollars)	$1,861	$1,926
Preferred stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$0.00	$0.00
Preferred stock, Authorized shares	5,000	5,000
Preferred stock, Shares issued	0	0
Preferred stock, Shares outstanding	0	0
Common stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$0.00	$0.00
Common stock, Authorized shares	1,600,000	1,600,000
Common stock, Shares issued	418,490	425,390
Common stock, Shares outstanding	418,490	425,390

Condensed_Consolidated_Stateme2

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (USD $)	6 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	'	'
Net income (loss)	$21,402	($34,691)
Depreciation and amortization	27,401	38,747
Recovery of receivables from foundry supplier	0	-522
Write-off of equipment deposit	1,593	5,985
Write-off of equipment deposit	1,730	0
Realized gain on sales of marketable securities	-385	0
Gain from foundry arrangements	0	-3,034
Accretion of interest on long-term debt	660	526
Share-based compensation expense	30,895	22,242
Excess tax benefit on share-based compensation	-1,014	-1,284
Non-cash acquisition-related and other charges, net	89	-206
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions	'	'
Accounts receivable	7,844	-17,547
Inventories	29,907	24,743
Current and other assets	15,964	-27,408
Trade accounts payable	3,653	-23,548
Accrued and other liabilities	-38,134	20,123
Income taxes payable	-6,900	-19,591
Deferred income on shipments to distributors	4,028	12,124
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	98,733	-3,341
Cash flows from investing activities	'	'
Acquisitions of fixed assets	-25,880	-13,471
Proceeds from the sale of business	0	5,092
Sales of marketable securities	3,071	0
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired	0	-25,852
Acquisitions of intangible assets	-1,995	-2,760
Net cash used in investing activities	-24,804	-36,991
Cash flows from financing activities	'	'
Repurchases of common stock	-83,499	-29,173
Proceeds from issuance of common stock	7,096	7,825
Tax payments related to shares withheld for vested restricted stock units	-10,767	-8,305
Excess tax benefit on share-based compensation	1,014	1,284
Net cash used in financing activities	-86,156	-28,369
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	-683	-668
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents	-12,910	-69,369
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the period	276,881	293,370
Cash and cash equivalents at end of the period	$263,971	$224,001

SUMMARY_OF_SIGNIFICANT_ACCOUNT

SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014
Accounting Policies [Abstract]	'
SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES	'
	SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
	Basis of Presentation
	These unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements reflect all normal recurring adjustments which are, in the opinion of management, necessary to state fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Atmel Corporation (the “Company” or “Atmel”) and its subsidiaries as of June 30, 2014 and the results of operations and comprehensive income (loss) for the three and six months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013 and cash flows for the six months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013. All intercompany balances have been eliminated. Because all of the annual disclosures required by U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") are not included, as permitted by the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), these interim condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013. The December 31, 2013 year-end balance sheet data was derived from the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements, which are included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013. The condensed consolidated statements of operations for the periods presented are not necessarily indicative of results to be expected for any future period, or for the entire year.
	The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Significant estimates in these financial statements include provisions for excess and obsolete inventory, sales reserves and allowances, share-based compensation expense, allowances for doubtful accounts receivable, estimates for useful lives associated with long-lived assets, recoverability of goodwill and intangible assets, restructuring charges, liabilities for uncertain tax positions and deferred tax asset valuation allowances. Actual results could differ materially from those estimates.
	Inventories
	Inventories are stated at the lower of cost (on a first-in, first-out basis) or market. Market is based on estimated net realizable value. Determining market value of inventories involves numerous judgments, including estimating average selling prices and sales volumes for future periods. The Company establishes provisions for lower of cost or market and excess and obsolescence write-downs, which are charged to cost of revenue. The Company makes a determination regarding excess and obsolete inventory on a quarterly basis. This determination requires an estimate of the future demand for the Company’s products and involves an analysis of historical and forecasted sales levels by product, competitiveness of product offerings, market conditions, product lifecycles, as well as other factors. Excess and obsolete inventory write-downs are recorded when the inventory on hand exceeds management’s estimate of future demand for each product and are charged to cost of revenue.
	The Company’s inventories include parts that have a potential for rapid technological obsolescence and are sold in a highly competitive industry. The Company writes down inventory that is considered excess or obsolete. When the Company recognizes a loss on such inventory, it establishes a new, lower-cost basis for that inventory, and subsequent changes in facts and circumstances will not result in the restoration or increase in that newly established cost basis. If inventory with a lower-cost basis is subsequently sold, it will result in higher gross margin for the products making up that inventory.
	Inventories are comprised of the following:
		June 30,		December 31,
		2014		2013
		(in thousands)
	Raw materials and purchased parts	$	10,916	$	9,547
	Work-in-progress	170,273		200,434
	Finished goods	63,859		64,986
		$	245,048	$	274,967
	Grant Recognition
	Subsidy grants from government organizations are amortized as a reduction of expenses over the period the related obligations are fulfilled. Recognition of future subsidy benefits will depend on the Company's achievement of certain technical milestones, capital investment, spending goals, employment goals and other requirements.
	From time to time, the Company receives economic incentive grants and allowances from European governments, agencies and research organizations targeted at preserving employment at specific locations. The subsidy grant agreements typically contain economic incentive, headcount, capital and research and development expenditures and other conditions that must be met to receive and retain grant benefits. Noncompliance with the conditions of the grants could result in the forfeiture of all or a portion of any future amounts to be received, as well as the repayment of all or a portion of amounts previously received. In addition, the Company may need to record charges to reverse grant benefits recorded in prior periods as a result of changes to its plans for headcount, project spending, or capital investment at any of these specific locations. If the Company is unable to comply with any of the conditions in the grant agreements, the Company may face adverse actions from the government agencies providing the grants. If the Company were required to repay grant benefits, its results of operations and financial position could be materially adversely affected by the amount of such repayments.
	Change in Accounting Estimate
	During the first quarter of 2014, the Company revised its accounting estimate for the expected useful life of manufacturing equipment from five years to seven years. In reviewing the useful life of the Company's remaining manufacturing equipment during the fourth quarter of 2013, the Company determined that the adoption of its manufacturing light strategy, the consolidation of its back-end subcontracting activities during the prior several years and the transition of its business to common test platforms had resulted in an extension of the economic life of those assets. Management believes that this change better reflects the expected economic benefits from the use of its manufacturing equipment over time based on an analysis of historical experience and general industry practices. The revised useful life of the manufacturing equipment decreased the Company's depreciation by approximately $4.6 million and $9.2 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2014, respectively. This change had the effect of increasing net income by $3.8 million and $4.4 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2014, respectively. As the inventory turns, the quarterly benefit of the depreciation change will be recognized over the remainder of the year.
	Recent Accounting Pronouncements
	On May 28, 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued Accounting Standard Update "ASU" No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, which requires an entity to recognize the amount of revenue to which it expects to be entitled for the transfer of promised goods or services to customers. The ASU will replace most existing revenue recognition guidance in U.S. GAAP when it becomes effective. The new standard is effective for the Company on January 1, 2017. Early application is not permitted. The standard permits the use of either the retrospective or cumulative effect transition method. The Company is evaluating the effect that ASU 2014-09 will have on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures. The Company has not yet selected a transition method nor has it determined the effect of the standard on its ongoing financial reporting.

BUSINESS_COMBINATIONS

BUSINESS COMBINATIONS	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014
Business Combinations [Abstract]	'
BUSINESS COMBINATIONS	'
	BUSINESS COMBINATIONS
	Integrated Device Technology's Smart Metering Business
	On March 7, 2013, the Company completed the acquisition from Integrated Device Technology (“IDT”) of its smart metering business for a cash purchase price of $10.3 million. This business is included in the Company's Microcontroller segment. The acquisition was intended to enable the Company to offer complementary products and to enhance the Company's existing smart energy product portfolio. Prior to the acquisition, the assets of IDT's smart metering business consisted primarily of approximately 20 employees, inventory, intellectual property assets, customers and distributors and related revenue streams. The acquisition, therefore, qualified as a business for accounting purposes and was accounted for under the acquisition method of accounting.
	The total purchase price paid by the Company exceeded the estimated fair value of the intangible assets of the acquired business, which were $3.5 million, and net tangible assets which were $1.4 million. Based on the foregoing, as part of the purchase price allocation, the Company allocated $5.4 million of the purchase price to goodwill.
	Ozmo, Inc.
	In the three months ended March 31, 2013, the Company paid $15.6 million of the total $64.4 million purchase for its Ozmo, Inc. acquisition, which was completed in December 2012.

INVESTMENTS

INVESTMENTS	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014
Investments, Debt and Equity Securities [Abstract]	'
INVESTMENTS	'
	INVESTMENTS
	Investments at December 31, 2013 primarily included corporate equity securities and an auction-rate security. In the three months ended March 31, 2014, the Company sold its investment in a corporate equity security which resulted in a realized gain of $0.4 million recorded under interest and other income, net in the condensed consolidated statements of operations.
	All marketable securities are deemed by management to be available-for-sale and are reported at fair value, with the exception of the auction-rate security as described below. Net unrealized gains and losses that are deemed to be temporary are reported within stockholders’ equity on the Company’s condensed consolidated balance sheets as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income. Unrealized losses that are deemed to be other-than-temporary are recorded in the condensed consolidated statements of operations in the period such determination is made. Gross realized gains or losses are recorded based on the specific identification method. For each of the three and six months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013, the Company did not have realized gains or losses on short-term investments other than the $0.4 million gain discussed above. The Company’s investments are further detailed in the table below:
		June 30, 2014				December 31, 2013
		Adjusted Cost		Fair Value		Adjusted Cost			Fair Value
		(in thousands)
	Corporate equity securities	$	—	$	—	$	2,687		$	2,181
	Auction-rate security	983		1,066		983			1,066
		983		$	1,066	3,670			$	3,247
	Unrealized gains	83				83
	Unrealized losses	—				(506		)
	Net unrealized (losses) gains	83				(423		)
	Fair value	$	1,066			$	3,247
	Amount included in short-term investments			$	—				$	2,181
	Amount included in other assets			1,066					1,066
				$	1,066				$	3,247
	For the three months ended June 30, 2014, auctions for the Company's sole auction-rate security continued to fail and as a result this security continues to be illiquid. The Company concluded that the $1.1 million auction-rate security is unlikely to be liquidated within the next twelve months and classified this security as a long-term investment, which is included in other assets on the condensed consolidated balance sheets. This auction-rate security had a contractual maturity greater than 10 years and totaled $1.0 million (at adjusted cost) as of June 30, 2014.
	The Company has classified all investments with original maturity dates of 90 days or more as short-term as it has the ability and intent to liquidate them within the year, with the exception of the Company’s remaining auction-rate security, which has been classified as long-term investment and included in other assets on the condensed consolidated balance sheets.

FAIR_VALUE_OF_ASSETS_AND_LIABI

FAIR VALUE OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]	'
FAIR VALUE OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES	'
	FAIR VALUE OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
	Fair value is defined as “the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date (exit price)”. The accounting standard establishes a consistent framework for measuring fair value and expands disclosure requirements regarding fair value measurements. This accounting standard, among other things, requires the Company to maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs when measuring fair value.
	The tables below present the balances of investments measured at fair value on a recurring basis:
		June 30, 2014
		Total		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3
		(in thousands)
	Assets
	Cash
	Money market funds	$	1,255	$	1,255	$	—	$	—
	Other assets
	Auction-rate security	1,066		—		—		1,066
	Investment funds - Deferred compensation plan assets
	Institutional money market funds	2,053		2,053		—		—
	Fixed income	847		847		—		—
	Marketable equity securities	3,407		3,407		—		—
	Total institutional funds - Deferred compensation plan	6,307		6,307		—		—
	Total other assets	7,373		6,307		—		1,066
	Total	$	8,628	$	7,562	$	—	$	1,066
		December 31, 2013
		Total		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3
		(in thousands)
	Assets
	Cash
	Money market funds	$	1,245	$	1,245	$	—	$	—
	Short-term investments
	Corporate equity securities	2,181		2,181		—		—
	Other assets
	Auction-rate security	1,066		—		—		1,066
	Investment funds - Deferred compensation plan assets
	Institutional money market funds	2,225		2,225		—		—
	Fixed income	338		338		—		—
	Marketable equity securities	3,279		3,279		—		—
	Total institutional funds - Deferred compensation plan	5,842		5,842		—		—
	Total other assets	6,908		5,842		—		1,066
	Total	$	10,334	$	9,268	$	—	$	1,066
	The Company’s investments, with the exception of its auction-rate security, are classified within Level 1 of the fair value hierarchy because they are valued using quoted market prices, or broker or dealer quotations. The types of instruments valued based on quoted market prices in active markets include most U.S. government and agency securities and money market securities. Such instruments are generally classified within Level 1 of the fair value hierarchy.
	Auction-rate securities are classified within Level 3 because significant assumptions for such securities are not observable in the market. The total amount of assets measured using Level 3 valuation methodologies represented less than 1% of the Company's total assets as of June 30, 2014.
	There were no changes in Level 3 assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis for the three and six months ended June 30, 2014 and the year ended December 31, 2013. There were no transfers between Level 1 and 2 hierarchies for the three and six months ended June 30, 2014 and the year ended December 31, 2013.

BORROWING_ARRANGEMENTS

BORROWING ARRANGEMENTS	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]	'
BORROWING ARRANGEMENTS	'
	BORROWING ARRANGEMENTS
	Senior Secured Revolving Credit Facility
	On December 6, 2013, the Company entered into a five-year $300.0 million, senior secured revolving credit facility (the “Facility”), the terms of which are set forth in a Credit Agreement (the “Credit Agreement”) among the Company, a group of lenders led by Morgan Stanley Senior Funding, Inc., as administrative agent, and Union Bank N.A., BNP Paribas and SunTrust Bank as co-syndication agents. The Company may increase the aggregate availability under the Facility through a customary “accordion” feature in an amount not to exceed $250.0 million. The Company recorded debt issuance costs of $2.1 million in December 2013, which are being amortized over the expected five-year term of the Facility.
	Borrowings under the Facility will be available for general corporate purposes, including working capital, stock repurchases, acquisitions and other purposes. Amounts outstanding under the Facility are due on the earlier of December 6, 2018 or 180 days prior to the maturity date of any Permitted Convertible Notes (as defined in the Credit Agreement) if, in the latter case, the Company does not otherwise have available sufficient unrestricted cash and other investments to redeem the Permitted Convertible Notes.
	The Company may prepay loans under the Credit Agreement at any time, in whole or in part, upon payment of accrued interest and break funding payments, if applicable. The Company may terminate or reduce the Facility at any time without penalty. The obligations under the Facility are guaranteed by certain domestic subsidiaries of the Company, are secured by a pledge of substantially all of the assets of the Company and the guarantors, and contains affirmative, negative and financial covenants. Affirmative covenants include, among other things, the delivery of financial statements and other information. Negative covenants include, among other things, limitations on asset sales, mergers and acquisitions, indebtedness, liens, investments and transactions with affiliates. The financial covenants require the Company to maintain compliance with a maximum total leverage ratio, a maximum senior secured leverage ratio and a minimum fixed charge coverage ratio. The Credit Agreement includes customary events of default that include, among other things, non-payment defaults, inaccuracy of representations and warranties, covenant defaults, cross default to material indebtedness, bankruptcy and insolvency defaults, material judgment defaults, ERISA defaults and a change of control default. The occurrence of an event of default could result in an acceleration of obligations under the Credit Agreement. As of June 30, 2014, there were no outstanding borrowings under the Facility. See Note 16 of Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for information regarding the subsequent events related to the Facility.

STOCKHOLDERS_EQUITY

STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]	'
STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY	'
	STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
	Share-Based Compensation
	The following table summarizes share-based compensation, net of the amount capitalized in inventory, included in operating results:
		Three Months Ended							Six Months Ended
		June 30,				June 30,			June 30,			June 30,
		2014				2013			2014			2013
		(in thousands)
	Cost of revenue	$	1,971			$	1,609		$	3,287		$	3,453
	Research and development	4,383				3,016			9,112			7,624
	Selling, general and administrative	8,924				2,855			18,496			11,165
	Total share-based compensation expense, before income taxes	15,278				7,480			30,895			22,242
	Tax benefit	(3,320		)		(563		)	(6,244		)	(3,169		)
	Total share-based compensation expense, net of income taxes	$	11,958			$	6,917		$	24,651		$	19,073
	Restricted Stock Units, Employee Stock Purchase Plan and Stock Options
	In May 2005, Atmel’s stockholders initially approved Atmel’s 2005 Stock Plan (as amended, the “2005 Stock Plan”). On May 9, 2013, Atmel's stockholders approved an amendment to the 2005 Stock Plan to increase the number of shares allocated to the 2005 Stock Plan by 25.0 million shares. As of June 30, 2014, 158.0 million shares had been cumulatively authorized for issuance under the 2005 Stock Plan, and 25.8 million shares remained available for issuance without giving effect to any adjustment that may be required by the terms of the 2005 Stock Plan in respect of shares underlying restricted stock or restricted stock units. Under the 2005 Stock Plan, Atmel may issue common stock directly, grant options to purchase common stock or grant restricted stock units payable in common stock to employees, consultants and directors of Atmel. Restricted stock units generally vest on a quarterly basis over a service period of up to four years from the grant date, although restricted stock unit grants to newly-hired employees generally have a one-year cliff vest equal to one-quarter of the total grant. Options, which generally vest over four years, are granted at fair market value on the date of the grant and generally expire ten years from that date.
	Activity under Atmel’s 2005 Stock Plan is set forth below:
					Outstanding Options				Weighted-
								Exercise	Average
		Available			Number of			Price	Exercise Price
		for Grant			Options			per Share	per Share
		(in thousands, except for per share data)
	Balances, December 31, 2013	21,245			3,635			$2.13-$10.01	$	4.5
	Restricted stock units issued	(201	)
	Plan adjustment for restricted stock units issued	(115	)
	Restricted stock units cancelled	211
	Plan adjustment for restricted stock units cancelled	134
	Performance-based restricted stock units cancelled	47
	Plan adjustment for performance-based restricted stock units cancelled	29
	Options cancelled/expired/forfeited	2			(2	)		$4.92-$7.25	$	6.02
	Options exercised	—			(322	)		$2.65-$7.38	$	4.3
	Balances, March 31, 2014	21,352			3,311			$2.13-$10.01	$	4.52
	Restricted stock units issued	(330	)
	Plan adjustment for restricted stock units issued	(188	)
	Restricted stock units cancelled	532
	Plan adjustment for restricted stock units cancelled	327
	Performance-based restricted stock units cancelled	2,559
	Plan adjustment for performance-based restricted stock units cancelled	1,561
	Options cancelled/expired/forfeited	1			(1	)		$5.75-$5.75	$	5.75
	Options exercised	—			(85	)		$3.18-$6.28	$	4
	Balances, June 30, 2014	25,814			3,225			$2.13-$10.01	$	4.53
	Restricted stock units are granted from the pool of options available for grant. Every share underlying restricted stock, restricted stock units (including performance-based restricted stock units), or stock purchase rights issued on or after May 9, 2013 is counted against the numerical limit for options available for grant as 1.57 shares, as reflected in the table above in the line items for "Plan adjustments", except that restricted stock units (including performance-based restricted stock units), or stock purchase rights issued prior to May 9, 2013 but on or after May 18, 2011, is counted against the numerical limit for options available for grant as 1.61 shares, and restricted stock units (including performance-based restricted stock units), or stock purchase rights issued prior to May 18, 2011 and on or after May 14, 2008, is counted against the numerical limit for options available for grant as 1.78 shares. If shares issued pursuant to any restricted stock, restricted stock unit, and stock purchase right agreements are cancelled, forfeited or repurchased by the Company, the number of shares returned to the 2005 Stock Plan will be multiplied by the same ratios above under which such shares were issued and will again become available for issuance.
	As of June 30, 2014, there were 25.8 million shares available for issuance under the 2005 Stock Plan, or 16.4 million shares after giving effect to the applicable ratios under the 2005 Stock Plan for issuances of restricted stock units, as described above.
	Restricted Stock Units
	Activity related to restricted stock units is set forth below:
		Number of			Weighted-Average Grant Date
		Units			Fair Value
		(in thousands, except for per share data)
	Balances, December 31, 2013	21,137			$	8.84
	Restricted stock units issued	201			8.12
	Restricted stock units vested	(1,629	)		7.91
	Restricted stock units cancelled	(211	)		8.02
	Performance-based restricted stock units cancelled	(47	)		13.83
	Balances, March 31, 2014	19,451			$	9.08
	Restricted stock units issued	330			8.2
	Restricted stock units vested	(2,051	)		7.81
	Restricted stock units cancelled	(532	)		7.84
	Performance-based restricted stock units cancelled	(2,559	)		13.47
	Balances, June 30, 2014	14,639			$	8.52
	As of June 30, 2014, total unearned share-based compensation related to unvested restricted stock units previously granted (including performance-based restricted stock units) was approximately $90.1 million, excluding forfeitures, and is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 2.05 years.
	Until restricted stock units are vested, they do not have the voting rights of common stock and the shares underlying such restricted stock units are not considered issued and outstanding. Upon vesting of restricted stock units, shares withheld by the Company to pay taxes are retired.
	Performance-Based Restricted Stock Units
	On December 17, 2013, the Company adopted the Atmel 2014 Long-Term Performance-Based Incentive Plan (the “2014 Plan”), which provides for the grant of performance-based restricted stock units to Company participants. The Company issued 1.0 million shares under the 2014 Plan for the year ended December 31, 2013. The Company records performance-based restricted stock units issued under the 2014 Plan based on achievement of the “target” performance metrics, which will result in a participant being credited with 100% of the performance-based shares awarded to that participant under the 2014 Plan. Achievement at the “maximum” performance metrics will result in a participant being credited with 300% of the performance-based shares awarded to that participant under the 2014 Plan.
	Performance metrics for the 2014 Plan are based principally on corporate level and business unit non-GAAP gross margin metrics, calculated at the end of each 2014 calendar quarter (other than the Company’s XSense business unit for which the performance metric will be based on 2014 cumulative calendar year revenue). Vesting of performance-based restricted stock units under the 2014 Plan is expected to commence, assuming achievement of the underlying performance metrics, in the first calendar quarter of 2015. Performance metrics and awards are not cumulative or duplicative (the final award will be based, subject to adjustment, on the highest non-GAAP gross margin achieved during the performance period). Performance-based shares may be credited to participants at the end of any calendar quarter if a non-GAAP gross margin performance metric has been achieved at that quarter end. Additional performance-based shares may be credited for performance that falls between “threshold” and “target” or “target” and “maximum” metrics. In the event that a performance metric is achieved and the applicable non-GAAP gross margin performance metric, in the next succeeding 2014 calendar quarter, falls more than 2% below the previously achieved performance metric, the number of performance-based shares credited to a participant will be adjusted, based on average performance over the affected quarterly periods, to reflect that reduced performance. For participants who are included within the 2014 Plan at any time after January 1, 2014, awards will be pro-rated to reflect the actual time a participant has been an employee of, or a service provider to, the Company. The Company recorded total share-based compensation expense related to performance-based restricted stock units of $0.9 million and $2.0 million under the 2014 Plan in the three and six months ended June 30, 2014, respectively.
The performance period under the Company's 2011 Long-Term Performance-Based Incentive Plan (the “2011 Plan"), adopted in May 2011, ended on December 31, 2013. The total performance-based restricted stock units forfeited under the 2011 Plan were 3.3 million.
Employee Stock Purchase Plan
Under the 2010 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (“2010 ESPP”), qualified employees are entitled to purchase shares of Atmel’s common stock at the lower of 85% of the fair market value of the common stock at the date of commencement of the six-month offering period or 85% of the fair market value on the last day of the offering period. Purchases are limited to 10% of an employee’s eligible compensation subject to a maximum annual employee contribution limit of $25,000 of the market value of the shares (determined at the time the share is granted) per calendar year. There were 0.8 million and 1.0 million shares purchased under the 2010 ESPP for the six months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013 at an average price per share of $6.43 and $5.00, respectively. Of the 25.0 million shares authorized for issuance under the 2010 ESPP, 19.8 million shares were available for issuance at June 30, 2014.
The fair value of each purchase under the 2010 ESPP is estimated on the date of the beginning of the offering period using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. The following assumptions were utilized to determine the fair value of the 2010 ESPP shares:
	Three and Six Months Ended
	June 30,			June 30,
	2014			2013
Risk-free interest rate	0.07	%		0.13	%
Expected life (years)	0.5			0.5
Expected volatility	32	%		50	%
Expected dividend yield	—			—
The weighted-average fair value per share under the 2010 ESPP for purchase periods beginning in the six months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013 were $1.64 and $1.29, respectively. Cash proceeds from the issuance of shares under the Company’s ESPP were $5.4 million and $5.1 million for the six months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013, respectively.
Common Stock Repurchase Program
Atmel’s Board of Directors has, since 2010, authorized an aggregate of $1.0 billion of funding for the Company’s common stock repurchase program. The repurchase program does not have an expiration date, and the number of shares repurchased and the timing of repurchases are based on the level of the Company’s cash balances, general business and market conditions, regulatory requirements, and other factors, including alternative investment opportunities. As of June 30, 2014, $256.0 million remained available for repurchasing common stock under this program.
During the three and six months ended June 30, 2014, Atmel repurchased 3.6 million and 10.5 million shares, respectively, of its common stock in the open market at an average repurchase price of $8.00 and $7.98 per share, respectively, excluding commission, and subsequently retired those shares (except for a limited number of shares re-issued to support restricted stock unit grants outside of the U.S.). Common stock and additional paid-in capital were reduced by $28.5 million and $83.5 million, excluding commission, for the three and six months ended June 30, 2014, respectively, and $13.7 million and $29.2 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2013, respectively, as a result of the stock repurchases.

ACCUMULATED_OTHER_COMPREHENSIV

ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014
Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Attributable to Parent [Abstract]	'
ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME	'
	ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
	Comprehensive income is defined as a change in equity of a company during a period, from transactions and other events and circumstances excluding transactions resulting from investments by owners and distributions to owners. The primary difference between net income and comprehensive income for the Company arises from foreign currency translation adjustments, actuarial loss related to defined benefit pension plans and net unrealized loss on investments. The following table summarizes the changes in accumulated balances of other comprehensive income, net of tax:
		Foreign currency translation adjustments		Defined benefit pension plans			Change in unrealized loss on investments			Total
		(in thousands)
	Balance as of December 31, 2013	$	14,952	$	(2,153	)	$	(2	)	$	12,797
	Other comprehensive income before reclassifications	1,133		—			—			1,133
	Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income	—		(38		)	328			290
	Net increase in other comprehensive income	1,133		(38		)	328			1,423
	Balance as of June 30, 2014	$	16,085	$	(2,191	)	$	326		$	14,220
	Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income were mainly related to losses on available-for-sale securities. These reclassifications impacted "interest and other expense, net" on the condensed consolidated statements of operations.

COMMITMENTS_AND_CONTINGENCIES

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]	'
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES	'
	COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
	Commitments
	Indemnification
	As is customary in the Company’s industry, the Company’s standard contracts provide remedies to its customers, such as defense, settlement, or payment of judgment for intellectual property claims related to the use of the Company’s products. From time to time, the Company will indemnify customers against combinations of loss, expense, or liability arising from various trigger events related to the sale and the use of the Company’s products and services, usually up to a specified maximum amount. In addition, as permitted under state laws in the United States, the Company has entered into indemnification agreements with its officers and directors and certain employees, and the Company’s bylaws permit the indemnification of the Company’s agents. The estimated fair value of the liability is not material.
	Purchase Commitments
	As of June 30, 2014, the Company, or its affiliates, had certain non-cancellable commitments which were not included on the condensed consolidated balance sheets. These include the outstanding capital purchase commitments of approximately $2.8 million and wafer purchase commitments of approximately $61.0 million.
	Contingencies
	Legal Proceedings
	The Company is party to various legal proceedings. Management currently believes that the ultimate outcome of these proceedings, individually and in the aggregate, will not have a material adverse effect on its financial position, results of operations and statements of cash flows. If an unfavorable ruling were to occur in any of the legal proceedings described below or other legal proceedings that were not deemed material as of June 30, 2014, there exists the possibility of a material adverse effect on the Company's financial position, results of operations and cash flows. The Company has accrued for losses related to litigation that it considers probable and for which the loss can be reasonably estimated. In the event that a probable loss cannot be reasonably estimated, it has not accrued for such losses. Management makes a determination as to when a potential loss is reasonably possible based on relevant accounting literature and then includes appropriate disclosure of the contingency. As the Company continues to monitor litigation matters, whether deemed material as of June 30, 2014 or not, its determination could change, and the Company may decide, at some future date, to establish an appropriate reserve.
	French Insolvency-Related Litigation - LFoundry and Atmel Rousset. In June 2010, the Company's French subsidiary, Atmel Rousset S.A.S. (“Atmel Rousset”), sold its wafer manufacturing facility in Rousset, France to LFoundry GmbH (“LF”). In connection with this transaction, Atmel Rousset also executed, among other agreements, a take-or-pay supply agreement (the “Supply Agreement”) requiring Atmel Rousset or its affiliates to purchase wafers from LF’s subsidiary, LFoundry Rousset S.A.S. (“LFR”), which operates the facility; Atmel Rousset’s commitment under that Supply Agreement was fully satisfied in mid-2013. On June 26, 2013, LFR filed an insolvency declaration with the Commercial Court of Paris (the “Paris Court”). Two months later, on August 22, 2013, Atmel Rousset received a petition through which LFR, by its judicially-appointed receivers and administrator (collectively, “Administrator”), sought to extend the bankruptcy proceedings to include Atmel Rousset. On February 12, 2014, the Paris Court rejected the Administrator’s petition in its entirety. The period within which the Administrator was legally entitled to appeal this matter has expired, and the matter is concluded.
	French Insolvency-Related Litigation - LFoundry and Atmel Corporation, et al. On June 26, 2013, LFR filed an insolvency declaration with the Paris Civil Court, as described above under “Legal Proceedings - French Insolvency-Related Litigation - LFoundry and Atmel Rousset.” On September 6, 2013, LFR’s judicially-appointed receivers submitted a further petition to the Paris Court seeking to hold the Company and its subsidiary Atmel B.V. jointly and severally liable to LFR for damages in the approximate amount of 135.0 million Euros. LFR alleges that the Company and Atmel B.V. defrauded LFR (x) in connection with Atmel Rousset’s 2010 sale of its manufacturing facility to LF, the German parent of LFR, and (y) through their business conduct with LFR after the sale. The Company and Atmel B.V. consider LFR’s claims specious, defamatory and devoid of merits, based on the following facts among others: (a) neither was a party to the sale transaction or the supply agreement executed in conjunction with the transaction; (b) the sale transaction, when consummated in 2010, fully complied with all applicable French laws; (c) the assets transferred by Atmel Rousset to LFR had a net value at the time of sale in excess of 80 million Euros, as confirmed, prior to the sale, by an independent auditor appointed by the Paris Court; (d) LFR assumed no debt in connection with the transaction; (e) LF was, at the time of the transaction, a financially stable and experienced foundry operator; (f) Atmel Rousset’s Workers’ Council (representing all Atmel Rousset employees prior to the sale), after receiving detailed information about LF and the transaction, and the analysis of its own independent financial expert, unanimously approved the transaction; (g) Atmel Rousset (or its affiliates) fully satisfied the commitment to purchase wafers from LFR, as acknowledged by LFR, by mid-2013; (h) in the three years after the sale, LFR received from Atmel Rousset (or present and past affiliates) payments for wafers and other services aggregating more than $400.0 million; and (i) any failure by LFR to diversify its revenue stream or reduce its dependence on Atmel Rousset over the course of three years resulted solely from ineffectual LFR management. The Company and Atmel B.V. intend to defend themselves vigorously in this matter, and included in their responsive submission a counterclaim against the receivers for abuse of process. On December 26, 2013, LFR suspended operations and commenced a judicially-supervised liquidation. The Company understands that on July 17, 2014, LFR’s judicially-appointed liquidator signed a request that the Court dismiss LFR’s petition without prejudice.
	Southern District of New York Action by LFR and LFR Employees. On March 4, 2014, LFR and Jean-Yves Guerrini, on behalf of himself and a putative class of LFR employees, filed an action in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York against the Company, Atmel Rousset and LF, LFR’s German parent. The complaint, which seeks significant damages, alleges claims for violation of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (“RICO”), RICO conspiracy, fraud, tortious interference with contract, trespass to chattels, and to void Atmel Rousset’s 2010 sale of its wafer manufacturing facility to LF, The asserted claims are predicated on the same factual allegations as the matter described above in “French Insolvency-Related Litigation - LFoundry and Atmel Corporation et al.,” are similarly devoid of merit, and, the Company will contend, are inappropriate for review in a U.S. court. The Company and Atmel Rousset will defend vigorously against these claims, and intend to assert counterclaims and seek other relief, as appropriate.
	Other Contingencies
	From time to time, the Company is notified of claims that its products may infringe patents, or other intellectual property, issued to or owned by other parties. The Company periodically receives demands for indemnification from its customers with respect to intellectual property matters. The Company also periodically receives claims relating to the quality of its products, including claims for additional labor costs, costs for replacing defective parts, reimbursement to customers for damages incurred in correcting defective products, costs for product recalls or other damages. Receipt of these claims and requests occurs in the ordinary course of the Company's business, and the Company responds based on the specific circumstances of each event. The Company undertakes an accrual for losses relating to those types of claims when it considers those losses “probable” and when a reasonable estimate of loss can be determined.
	Product Warranties
	The Company accrues for warranty costs based on historical trends of product failure rates and the expected material and labor costs to provide warranty services. The Company’s products are generally covered by a warranty typically ranging from 30 days to three years.
	The following table summarizes the activity related to the product warranty liability:
		Three Months Ended						Six Months Ended
		June 30,			June 30,			June 30,			June 30,
		2014			2013			2014			2013
		(in thousands)
	Balance at beginning of period	$	3,749		$	4,629		$	3,686		$	4,832
	Accrual for warranties during the period, net	899			301			1,845			788
	Actual costs incurred	(896		)	(859		)	(1,779		)	(1,549		)
	Balance at end of period	$	3,752		$	4,071		$	3,752		$	4,071
	Product warranty liability is included in accrued and other liabilities on the condensed consolidated balance sheets.
	Guarantees
	In the ordinary course of business, the Company may provide standby letters of credit or other guarantee instruments to certain parties as required for certain transactions initiated by either the Company or its subsidiaries. The Company has not recorded any liability in connection with these guarantee arrangements. Based on historical experience and information currently available, the Company believes it will not be required to make any payments under these guarantee arrangements.

INCOME_TAXES

INCOME TAXES	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]	'
INCOME TAXES	'
	INCOME TAXES
	The Company estimates its annual effective tax rate at the end of each quarter. In making these estimates, the Company considers, among other things, annual pre-tax income, the geographic mix of pre-tax income and the application and interpretations of tax laws, treaties and judicial developments, in collaboration with its tax advisors, and possible outcomes of audits.
	The following table presents the (provision for) benefit from income taxes and the effective tax rates:
		Three Months Ended						Six Months Ended
		June 30,			June 30,			June 30,			June 30,
		2014			2013			2014			2013
		(in thousands, except for percentages)
	Income (loss) before income taxes	$	25,257		$	18,655		$	30,089		$	(43,373	)
	(Provision for) benefit from income taxes	$	(6,021	)	$	(5,679	)	$	(8,687	)	$	8,682
	Effective tax rate	23.83		%	30.44		%	28.87		%	20.02		%
	For the three and six months ended June 30, 2014, the Company recorded an income tax provision of $6.0 million and $8.7 million, respectively. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2014, the significant components of the tax provision were from operations in jurisdictions with operating profits. The Company’s effective tax rate for the six months ended June 30, 2014 was lower than the statutory federal income tax rate of 35%, primarily due to income recognized in lower tax jurisdictions.
	For the three and six months ended June 30, 2013, the Company recorded an income tax provision of $5.7 million and an income tax benefit of $8.7 million, respectively. For the three months ended June 30, 2013, the significant components of the tax provision were from operations in jurisdictions with operating profits. For the six months ended June 30, 2013, the tax benefit included discrete benefits from restructuring cost incurred in various jurisdictions, settlement charges and the federal research and development tax credit which was reinstated on January 2, 2013 for two years, partially offset by a discrete charge from gain recognized on the sale of the serial flash product line. The Company's effective tax rate for the six months ended June 30, 2013 was lower than the statutory federal income tax rate of 35%, primarily due to income recognized in lower tax jurisdictions.
	The Company files U.S., state, and foreign income tax returns in jurisdictions with varying statutes of limitations. The 2003 through 2013 tax years generally remain subject to examination by federal and most state tax authorities. For significant foreign jurisdictions, the 2003 through 2013 tax years generally remain subject to examination by their respective tax authorities.
	Currently, the Company has tax audits in progress in various foreign jurisdictions. To the extent the final tax liabilities are different from the amounts originally accrued, the increases or decreases are recorded as income tax expense or benefit in the consolidated statements of operations. While the Company believes that the resolution of these audits will not have a material adverse impact on the Company's results of operations, the outcome is subject to uncertainty.
	At June 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013, the Company had $88.7 million and $87.5 million of unrecognized tax benefits, respectively, which, if recognized, would affect the effective tax rate. The increase in unrecognized tax benefits during the six months ended June 30, 2014 was primarily due to various foreign tax matters.
	Increases or decreases in unrecognizable tax benefits could occur over the next 12 months due to tax law changes, unrecognized tax benefits established in the normal course of business, or the conclusion of ongoing tax audits in various jurisdictions around the world. The Company believes that before June 30, 2015, it is reasonably possible that either certain audits will conclude or the statutes of limitations relating to certain income tax examination periods will expire, or both. If the Company reaches settlement with the tax authorities and/or such statutes of limitation expire, the Company expects to record a corresponding adjustment to the applicable unrecognized tax benefits. Given the uncertainty as to settlement terms, the timing of payments and the impact of such settlements on other uncertain tax positions, the Company estimates that the range of potential decreases in underlying uncertain tax positions may be between $0 and $5.0 million over the next 12 months, although those estimates are subject to various factors beyond the Company's control. The calculation of unrecognized tax benefits involves dealing with uncertainties in the application of complex global tax regulations. The Company regularly assesses its tax positions in light of legislative, bilateral tax treaty, regulatory and judicial developments in the countries in which the Company does business.

PENSION_PLANS

PENSION PLANS	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014
Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Expense [Abstract]	'
PENSION PLANS	'
	PENSION PLANS
	The Company sponsors defined benefit pension plans that cover substantially all of its French and German employees. Plan benefits are provided in accordance with local statutory requirements. Benefits are based on years of service and employee compensation levels. The plans are unfunded. Pension liabilities and charges are based upon various assumptions, updated annually, including discount rates, future salary increases, employee turnover, and mortality rates.
	The Company’s French pension plan provides for termination benefits paid to covered French employees only at retirement, and consists of approximately one to five months of salary. The Company’s German pension plan provides for defined benefit payouts for covered German employees following retirement.
	The aggregate net pension expense relating to these two plans are as follows:
		Three Months Ended				Six Months Ended
		June 30,		June 30,		June 30,		June 30,
		2014		2013		2014		2013
		(in thousands)
	Service costs	$	393	$	451	$	782	$	912
	Interest costs	388		357		773		722
	Amortization of actuarial loss	19		15		38		31
	Net pension period cost	$	800	$	823	$	1,593	$	1,665
	The Company’s net pension period cost for 2014 is expected to be approximately $3.2 million. Cash funding for benefits paid was $0.1 million and $0.2 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2014, respectively. The Company expects total contribution to these plans to be approximately $0.5 million in 2014.

OPERATING_AND_GEOGRAPHICAL_SEG

OPERATING AND GEOGRAPHICAL SEGMENTS	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014
Segment Reporting [Abstract]	'
OPERATING AND GEOGRAPHICAL SEGMENTS	'
	OPERATING AND GEOGRAPHICAL SEGMENTS
	The Company designs, develops, manufactures and sells semiconductor integrated circuit products. The Company’s operating segments represent management’s view of the Company’s businesses and how it allocates Company resources and measures performance of its major components. Each segment consists of product families with similar requirements for design, development and marketing. Each segment requires different design, development and marketing resources to produce and sell products.
	During the first quarter of 2014, the Company realigned its business segments to better allocate resources and to focus more effectively on core markets.  As a result, the Company created a new reportable segment entitled "Multi-Market and Other" and eliminated the former Application Specific Integrated Circuit (“ASIC”) segment. A summary of each reportable segment follows:
	•	Microcontroller. This segment includes AVR 8-bit and 32-bit products, ARM based products, capacitive touch products, including maXTouch and QTouch, 8051 based products, designated wireless products, including low power radio and SOC products that meet Zigbee and Wi-Fi specifications and custom application specific microcontroller products.
	•	Nonvolatile Memory. This segment includes electrically erasable programmable read-only ("EEPROM"), erasable programmable read-only memory (“EPROM”) devices and secure cryptographic memory products.
	•	Automotive. This segment includes high voltage, connectivity and mixed signal products for automotive applications and RF identification products.
	•	Multi-Market and Other. This segment includes application specific and standard products for aerospace, programmable logic products, foundry business and XSense products.
	Prior period operating segment presentations have been revised to conform to the Company's revised segment reporting.
	The Company continually evaluates operating segment performance based on revenue and income or loss from operations excluding share-based compensation and other non-recurring items. Because the Company’s operating segments reflect the manner in which management reviews its business, they necessarily involve subjective judgments that management believes are reasonable in light of the circumstances under which they are made. These judgments may change over time or may be modified to reflect new facts or circumstances. Operating segments may also be changed or modified, as is being done with this Quarterly Report on Form 10Q, to reflect products, technologies or applications that are newly created, or that change over time, or other business conditions that evolve, each of which may result in reassessing specific segments and the elements included within each of those segments.
	Operating segments are defined by the products they design and sell. They do not sell to each other. The Company’s net revenue and segment (loss) income from operations for each reportable segment is as follows:
	Information about Reportable Segments
		Micro-			Nonvolatile			Automotive			Multi-Market and Other			Total
		Controller			Memory
		(in thousands)
	Three months ended June 30, 2014
	Net revenue from external customers	$	254,775		$	40,180		$	35,994		$	24,585		$	355,534
	Segment income (loss) from operations	$	30,326		$	8,036		$	3,284		$	(900	)	$	40,746
	Three months ended June 30, 2013
	Net revenue from external customers	$	247,016		$	36,351		$	36,319		$	28,130		$	347,816
	Segment income from operations	$	15,170		$	5,318		$	1,403		$	5,726		$	27,617
	Six months ended June 30, 2014
	Net revenue from external customers	$	489,915		$	75,832		$	76,965		$	50,183		$	692,895
	Segment income (loss) from operations	$	49,152		$	13,083		$	10,038		$	(1,457	)	$	70,816
	Six months ended June 30, 2013
	Net revenue from external customers	$	475,381		$	71,509		$	75,798		$	54,271		$	676,959
	Segment income from operations	$	19,975		$	10,164		$	2,713		$	8,947		$	41,799
	The Company's primary products are semiconductor integrated circuits, which constitutes a group of similar products. Therefore, it is impracticable to differentiate the revenues from external customers for each product sold. The Company does not allocate assets by segment, as management does not use asset information to measure or evaluate a segment’s performance.
	Reconciliation of Segment Information to Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations
		Three Months Ended						Six Months Ended
		June 30,			June 30,			June 30,			June 30,
		2014			2013			2014			2013
		(in thousands)
	Total segment income from operations	$	40,746		$	27,617		$	70,816		$	41,799
	Unallocated amounts:
	Share-based compensation expense	(15,278		)	(7,480		)	(30,895		)	(22,242		)
	Loss from manufacturing facility damage and shutdown	—			—			(7,056		)	—
	Acquisition-related charges	(1,497		)	(1,759		)	(3,125		)	(4,014		)
	French building underutilization and other	(1,166		)	—			(2,462		)	—
	Restructuring credits (charges)	1,583			(582		)	1,807			(43,396		)
	Gain related to foundry arrangements	2,071			1,514			2,129			1,514
	Recovery of receivables from foundry supplier	—			83			—			522
	Settlement charges	—			—			—			(21,600		)
	Gain on sale of assets	—			—			—			4,430
	Consolidated income (loss) from operations	$	26,459		$	19,393		$	31,214		$	(42,987	)
	Geographic sources of revenue were as follows:
		Three Months Ended						Six Months Ended
		June 30,			June 30,			June 30,			June 30,
		2014			2013			2014			2013
		(in thousands)
	China, including Hong Kong	$	114,081		$	107,211		$	207,282		$	205,901
	Germany	50,478			51,521			109,739			100,105
	United States	50,348			45,213			103,258			89,394
	South Korea	29,900			36,899			62,932			80,110
	Taiwan	19,211			10,504			29,929			23,796
	Singapore	16,647			10,068			28,237			18,795
	Japan	8,860			8,745			14,400			18,903
	France	2,709			11,802			5,789			17,873
	Rest of Europe	35,451			28,995			73,804			57,388
	Rest of Asia-Pacific	21,760			32,507			45,782			55,312
	Rest of the World	6,089			4,351			11,743			9,382
	Total net revenue	$	355,534		$	347,816		$	692,895		$	676,959
	Net revenue is attributed to regions based on ship-to locations.
	The Company had one distributor that accounted for 17% of net revenue in the three months ended June 30, 2014. The Company had two distributors that accounted for 16% and 11%, respectively, of net revenue in the six months ended June 30, 2014. No end customer accounted for 10% or more of net revenue in the three and six months ended June 30, 2014. The Company had one customer and one distributor, each of which accounted for 16% and 13% of net revenue in the three months ended June 30, 2013, respectively, and 14% and 12% of net revenue in the six months ended June 30, 2013, respectively.
Three distributors accounted for 22%, 11% and 11%, respectively, of accounts receivable at June 30, 2014 and no end customer accounted for 10% or more of accounts receivable at June 30, 2014. Two distributors accounted for 17% and 11%, respectively, of accounts receivable at June 30, 2013.
Physical locations of tangible long-lived assets were as follows:
	June 30,			December 31,
	2014			2013
	(in thousands)
United States	$	111,550		$	104,912
Philippines	53,353			50,472
Germany	23,170			24,244
France	16,318			17,249
Rest of Asia-Pacific	19,955			23,815
Rest of Europe	7,869			7,026
Total	$	232,215		$	227,718
Excluded from the table above as of June 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013 are goodwill of $110.0 million and $108.2 million, respectively, intangible assets, net of $25.1 million and $28.1 million, respectively, and deferred income tax assets of $118.1 million and $134.4 million, respectively.

GAIN_ON_SALE_OF_ASSETS

GAIN ON SALE OF ASSETS	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014
Discontinued Operations and Disposal Groups [Abstract]	'
GAIN ON SALE OF ASSETS	'
	GAIN ON SALE OF ASSETS
	On September 28, 2012, the Company completed the sale of its Serial Flash product line. Under the terms of the sale agreement, the Company transferred assets to the buyer, which assumed certain liabilities, in return for cash consideration of $25.0 million. As part of the sale transaction, the Company granted the buyer an exclusive option to purchase the Company's remaining $7.0 million of Serial Flash inventory, which the buyer fully exercised during the first quarter of 2013. As a result of the sale of that $7.0 million of remaining inventory, the Company recorded a gain of $4.4 million in the three months ended March 31, 2013 to reflect receipt of payment upon exercise of the related purchase option and the completion of the sale of the Serial Flash product line.

RESTRUCTURING_CHARGES

RESTRUCTURING CHARGES	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014
Restructuring and Related Activities [Abstract]	'
RESTRUCTURING CHARGES	'
	RESTRUCTURING CHARGES
	The following table summarizes the activity related to the accrual for restructuring charges detailed by event:
		Q2'10			Q2'12			Q1'13			Q3'13			Total
		(in thousands)
	Balance at January 1, 2014 - Restructuring Accrual	$	281		$	897		$	22,949		$	1,314		$	25,441
	Credits - Employee termination costs, net of change in estimate	—			—			—			(224		)	(224		)
	Payments - Employee termination costs	—			(383		)	(7,426		)	(471		)	(8,280		)
	Foreign exchange (gain) loss	—			—			(28		)	5			(23		)
	Balance at March 31, 2014 - Restructuring Accrual	$	281		$	514		$	15,495		$	624		$	16,914
	Credits - Employee termination costs, net of change in estimate	—			—			(1,703		)	120			(1,583		)
	Payments - Employee termination costs	—			(217		)	(5,154		)	(547		)	(5,918		)
	Foreign exchange gain	—			—			(20		)	—			(20		)
	Balance at June 30, 2014 - Restructuring Accrual	$	281		$	297		$	8,618		$	197		$	9,393
		Q2'10			Q2'12			Q4'12			Q1'13			Total
		(in thousands)
	Balance at January 1, 2013 - Restructuring Accrual	$	439		$	7,418		$	8,365		$	—		$	16,222
	(Credits) charges - Employee termination costs, net of change in estimate	—			—			(460		)	42,821			42,361
	Charges - Other	—			—			—			453			453
	Payments - Employee termination costs	—			(2,206		)	(5,161		)	—			(7,367		)
	Payments - Other	—			—			(45		)	(453		)	(498		)
	Foreign exchange gain	—			—			(16		)	—			(16		)
	Balance at March 31, 2013 - Restructuring Accrual	$	439		$	5,212		$	2,683		$	42,821		$	51,155
	(Credits) charges - Employee termination costs, net of change in estimate	—			180			(310		)	941			811
	Charges - Other	—			—			(230		)	—			(230		)
	Payments - Employee termination costs	(158		)	(812		)	(1,860		)	(5,853		)	(8,683		)
	Payments - Other	—			—			(185		)	—			(185		)
	Foreign exchange loss	—			—			—			141			141
	Balance at June 30, 2013 - Restructuring Accrual	$	281		$	4,580		$	98		$	38,050		$	43,009
	The Company records restructuring liabilities related to workforce reductions when the accounting recognition criteria are met and consistent with management's approval and commitment to the restructuring plans in each particular quarter. The restructuring plans identify the number of employees to be terminated, job classifications and functions, location and the date the plan is expected to be completed.
	2013 Restructuring Charges
	Restructuring charges in the first quarter of 2013 were primarily related to workforce reductions at the Company's subsidiaries in Rousset, France ("Rousset"), Nantes, France (“Nantes”), and Heilbronn, Germany ("Heilbronn").
	Rousset and Nantes
	In 2013, each of Rousset and Nantes restructured operations to further align operating expenses with macroeconomic conditions and revenue outlooks, and to improve operational efficiency, competitiveness and business profitability. In connection with formulating these restructuring plans, during the first quarter of 2013, Rousset and Nantes each confidentially negotiated and developed “social plans” in coordination and consultation with their respective local Works Councils. These social plans, which are subject to French law, set forth general parameters, terms and benefits for both voluntary and involuntary employee dismissals. The restructuring charges related to Rousset and Nantes were $26.6 million.
	Substantially all of the affected employees ceased active service as of June 30, 2014. There were no significant changes to the plan and no material modifications or changes were made after implementation began.
	Heilbronn
	In 2013, Heilbronn, and a related site in Ulm, Germany, restructured operations to further align operating expenses with macroeconomic conditions and revenue outlooks, and to improve operational efficiency, competitiveness and business profitability. In connection with formulating this restructuring plan, initial discussions with local Works Councils in Heilbronn and Ulm began in the first quarter of 2013. The restructuring charges related to Heilbronn were $15.8 million.
	The Company anticipates all affected employees will cease active service on or before the end of the fourth quarter of 2014. The Company is not expecting significant changes to the plan or material modifications or changes after implementation.
	The restructuring charges recorded in the first quarter of 2013 also included $0.9 million related to U.S. and other countries.
	The restructuring accrual is expected to be substantially paid out by the end of 2014.

SETTLEMENT_CHARGES

SETTLEMENT CHARGES	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014
settlement charge [Abstract]	'
SETTLEMENT CHARGES	'
	SETTLEMENT CHARGES
	In the three months ended March 31, 2013, the Company recorded settlement charges of $21.6 million related to legal settlements undertaken in connection with actual, contemplated or anticipated litigation, or activities undertaken in preparation for, or anticipation of, possible litigation related to intellectual property.

NET_INCOME_LOSS_PER_SHARE

NET INCOME (LOSS) PER SHARE	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]	'
NET INCOME (LOSS) PER SHARE	'
	NET INCOME (LOSS) PER SHARE
	A reconciliation of the numerator and denominator of basic and diluted net income (loss) per share is as follows:
		Three Months Ended						Six Months Ended
		June 30,			June 30,			June 30,		June 30,
		2014			2013			2014		2013
		(in thousands, except per share data)
	Net income (loss)	$	19,236		$	12,976		$	21,402	$	(34,691	)
	Weighted-average shares - basic	421,090			428,239			423,233		428,617
	Dilutive effect of incremental shares and share equivalents	1,744			2,297			1,643		—
	Weighted-average shares - diluted	422,834			430,536			424,876		428,617
	Net income (loss) per share:
	Basic
	Net income (loss) per share - basic	$	0.05		$	0.03		$	0.05	$	(0.08	)
	Diluted
	Net income (loss) per share - diluted	$	0.05		$	0.03		$	0.05	$	(0.08	)
	The following table summarizes securities that were not included in the “Weighted-average shares - diluted” used for calculation of diluted net income (loss) per share, as their effect would have been anti-dilutive:
		Three Months Ended					Six Months Ended
		June 30,		June 30,			June 30,		June 30,
		2014		2013			2014		2013
		(in thousands)
	Employee stock options and restricted stock units outstanding	4,116		6,923			4,940		9,377

SUBSEQUENT_EVENTS

SUBSEQUENT EVENTS	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014
Subsequent Events [Abstract]	'
SUBSEQUENT EVENTS	'
	SUBSEQUENT EVENTS
	On July 29, 2014, the Company borrowed $90.0 million under the Facility to assist with the financing for the Newport Media, Inc. ("NMI") acquisition. Interest on the borrowed amounts equals the applicable periodic LIBOR rate, plus 1.25% per annum. The Facility matures on December 6, 2018.
	On July 31, 2014, the Company completed the NMI acquisition. The purchase price was $140.0 million in cash, subject to working capital and other adjustments, plus an additional earn-out of up to $30.0 million to be paid subject to achievement of future revenue thresholds over two years. The acquisition is intended to enhance the Company’s portfolio of wireless products. The Company incurred approximately $2.5 million of investment banking, legal, consulting and other fees and expenses directly related to the acquisition which were recorded as acquisition-related charges on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations. Atmel funded the transaction with cash on hand and borrowings under the existing Facility.

SUMMARY_OF_SIGNIFICANT_ACCOUNT1

SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Policies)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014
Accounting Policies [Abstract]	'
Inventories	'
	Inventories
	Inventories are stated at the lower of cost (on a first-in, first-out basis) or market. Market is based on estimated net realizable value. Determining market value of inventories involves numerous judgments, including estimating average selling prices and sales volumes for future periods. The Company establishes provisions for lower of cost or market and excess and obsolescence write-downs, which are charged to cost of revenue. The Company makes a determination regarding excess and obsolete inventory on a quarterly basis. This determination requires an estimate of the future demand for the Company’s products and involves an analysis of historical and forecasted sales levels by product, competitiveness of product offerings, market conditions, product lifecycles, as well as other factors. Excess and obsolete inventory write-downs are recorded when the inventory on hand exceeds management’s estimate of future demand for each product and are charged to cost of revenue.
	The Company’s inventories include parts that have a potential for rapid technological obsolescence and are sold in a highly competitive industry. The Company writes down inventory that is considered excess or obsolete. When the Company recognizes a loss on such inventory, it establishes a new, lower-cost basis for that inventory, and subsequent changes in facts and circumstances will not result in the restoration or increase in that newly established cost basis. If inventory with a lower-cost basis is subsequently sold, it will result in higher gross margin for the products making up that inventory.
Grant Recognition	'
	Grant Recognition
	Subsidy grants from government organizations are amortized as a reduction of expenses over the period the related obligations are fulfilled. Recognition of future subsidy benefits will depend on the Company's achievement of certain technical milestones, capital investment, spending goals, employment goals and other requirements.
	From time to time, the Company receives economic incentive grants and allowances from European governments, agencies and research organizations targeted at preserving employment at specific locations. The subsidy grant agreements typically contain economic incentive, headcount, capital and research and development expenditures and other conditions that must be met to receive and retain grant benefits. Noncompliance with the conditions of the grants could result in the forfeiture of all or a portion of any future amounts to be received, as well as the repayment of all or a portion of amounts previously received. In addition, the Company may need to record charges to reverse grant benefits recorded in prior periods as a result of changes to its plans for headcount, project spending, or capital investment at any of these specific locations. If the Company is unable to comply with any of the conditions in the grant agreements, the Company may face adverse actions from the government agencies providing the grants. If the Company were required to repay grant benefits, its results of operations and financial position could be materially adversely affected by the amount of such repayments.
Change in Accounting Estimate	'
	Change in Accounting Estimate
	During the first quarter of 2014, the Company revised its accounting estimate for the expected useful life of manufacturing equipment from five years to seven years. In reviewing the useful life of the Company's remaining manufacturing equipment during the fourth quarter of 2013, the Company determined that the adoption of its manufacturing light strategy, the consolidation of its back-end subcontracting activities during the prior several years and the transition of its business to common test platforms had resulted in an extension of the economic life of those assets. Management believes that this change better reflects the expected economic benefits from the use of its manufacturing equipment over time based on an analysis of historical experience and general industry practices. The revised useful life of the manufacturing equipment decreased the Company's depreciation by approximately $4.6 million and $9.2 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2014, respectively. This change had the effect of increasing net income by $3.8 million and $4.4 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2014, respectively. As the inventory turns, the quarterly benefit of the depreciation change will be recognized over the remainder of the year.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements	'
	Recent Accounting Pronouncements
	On May 28, 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued Accounting Standard Update "ASU" No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, which requires an entity to recognize the amount of revenue to which it expects to be entitled for the transfer of promised goods or services to customers. The ASU will replace most existing revenue recognition guidance in U.S. GAAP when it becomes effective. The new standard is effective for the Company on January 1, 2017. Early application is not permitted. The standard permits the use of either the retrospective or cumulative effect transition method. The Company is evaluating the effect that ASU 2014-09 will have on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures. The Company has not yet selected a transition method nor has it determined the effect of the standard on its ongoing financial reporting.

SUMMARY_OF_SIGNIFICANT_ACCOUNT2

SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES Inventory (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014
Accounting Policies [Abstract]	'
Schedule of Inventory	'
	Inventories are comprised of the following:
		June 30,		December 31,
		2014		2013
		(in thousands)
	Raw materials and purchased parts	$	10,916	$	9,547
	Work-in-progress	170,273		200,434
	Finished goods	63,859		64,986
		$	245,048	$	274,967

INVESTMENTS_Tables

INVESTMENTS (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014
Investments, Debt and Equity Securities [Abstract]	'
Components of investment securities	'
	The Company’s investments are further detailed in the table below:
		June 30, 2014				December 31, 2013
		Adjusted Cost		Fair Value		Adjusted Cost			Fair Value
		(in thousands)
	Corporate equity securities	$	—	$	—	$	2,687		$	2,181
	Auction-rate security	983		1,066		983			1,066
		983		$	1,066	3,670			$	3,247
	Unrealized gains	83				83
	Unrealized losses	—				(506		)
	Net unrealized (losses) gains	83				(423		)
	Fair value	$	1,066			$	3,247
	Amount included in short-term investments			$	—				$	2,181
	Amount included in other assets			1,066					1,066
				$	1,066				$	3,247

FAIR_VALUE_OF_ASSETS_AND_LIABI1

FAIR VALUE OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]	'
Investments measured at fair value on a recurring basis	'
	The tables below present the balances of investments measured at fair value on a recurring basis:
		June 30, 2014
		Total		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3
		(in thousands)
	Assets
	Cash
	Money market funds	$	1,255	$	1,255	$	—	$	—
	Other assets
	Auction-rate security	1,066		—		—		1,066
	Investment funds - Deferred compensation plan assets
	Institutional money market funds	2,053		2,053		—		—
	Fixed income	847		847		—		—
	Marketable equity securities	3,407		3,407		—		—
	Total institutional funds - Deferred compensation plan	6,307		6,307		—		—
	Total other assets	7,373		6,307		—		1,066
	Total	$	8,628	$	7,562	$	—	$	1,066
		December 31, 2013
		Total		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3
		(in thousands)
	Assets
	Cash
	Money market funds	$	1,245	$	1,245	$	—	$	—
	Short-term investments
	Corporate equity securities	2,181		2,181		—		—
	Other assets
	Auction-rate security	1,066		—		—		1,066
	Investment funds - Deferred compensation plan assets
	Institutional money market funds	2,225		2,225		—		—
	Fixed income	338		338		—		—
	Marketable equity securities	3,279		3,279		—		—
	Total institutional funds - Deferred compensation plan	5,842		5,842		—		—
	Total other assets	6,908		5,842		—		1,066
	Total	$	10,334	$	9,268	$	—	$	1,066

STOCKHOLDERS_EQUITY_Tables

STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]	'
Components of the company's stock-based compensation expense, net of amount capitalized in inventory	'
	Share-Based Compensation
	The following table summarizes share-based compensation, net of the amount capitalized in inventory, included in operating results:
		Three Months Ended							Six Months Ended
		June 30,				June 30,			June 30,			June 30,
		2014				2013			2014			2013
		(in thousands)
	Cost of revenue	$	1,971			$	1,609		$	3,287		$	3,453
	Research and development	4,383				3,016			9,112			7,624
	Selling, general and administrative	8,924				2,855			18,496			11,165
	Total share-based compensation expense, before income taxes	15,278				7,480			30,895			22,242
	Tax benefit	(3,320		)		(563		)	(6,244		)	(3,169		)
	Total share-based compensation expense, net of income taxes	$	11,958			$	6,917		$	24,651		$	19,073
Activity under the entity's 2005 Stock Plan	'
	Activity under Atmel’s 2005 Stock Plan is set forth below:
					Outstanding Options				Weighted-
								Exercise	Average
		Available			Number of			Price	Exercise Price
		for Grant			Options			per Share	per Share
		(in thousands, except for per share data)
	Balances, December 31, 2013	21,245			3,635			$2.13-$10.01	$	4.5
	Restricted stock units issued	(201	)
	Plan adjustment for restricted stock units issued	(115	)
	Restricted stock units cancelled	211
	Plan adjustment for restricted stock units cancelled	134
	Performance-based restricted stock units cancelled	47
	Plan adjustment for performance-based restricted stock units cancelled	29
	Options cancelled/expired/forfeited	2			(2	)		$4.92-$7.25	$	6.02
	Options exercised	—			(322	)		$2.65-$7.38	$	4.3
	Balances, March 31, 2014	21,352			3,311			$2.13-$10.01	$	4.52
	Restricted stock units issued	(330	)
	Plan adjustment for restricted stock units issued	(188	)
	Restricted stock units cancelled	532
	Plan adjustment for restricted stock units cancelled	327
	Performance-based restricted stock units cancelled	2,559
	Plan adjustment for performance-based restricted stock units cancelled	1,561
	Options cancelled/expired/forfeited	1			(1	)		$5.75-$5.75	$	5.75
	Options exercised	—			(85	)		$3.18-$6.28	$	4
	Balances, June 30, 2014	25,814			3,225			$2.13-$10.01	$	4.53
Activity related to restricted stock units	'
	Activity related to restricted stock units is set forth below:
		Number of			Weighted-Average Grant Date
		Units			Fair Value
		(in thousands, except for per share data)
	Balances, December 31, 2013	21,137			$	8.84
	Restricted stock units issued	201			8.12
	Restricted stock units vested	(1,629	)		7.91
	Restricted stock units cancelled	(211	)		8.02
	Performance-based restricted stock units cancelled	(47	)		13.83
	Balances, March 31, 2014	19,451			$	9.08
	Restricted stock units issued	330			8.2
	Restricted stock units vested	(2,051	)		7.81
	Restricted stock units cancelled	(532	)		7.84
	Performance-based restricted stock units cancelled	(2,559	)		13.47
	Balances, June 30, 2014	14,639			$	8.52
Assumptions used to estimate the fair value of the Company's ESPP shares	'
	The following assumptions were utilized to determine the fair value of the 2010 ESPP shares:
		Three and Six Months Ended
		June 30,			June 30,
		2014			2013
	Risk-free interest rate	0.07	%		0.13	%
	Expected life (years)	0.5			0.5
	Expected volatility	32	%		50	%
	Expected dividend yield	—			—

ACCUMULATED_OTHER_COMPREHENSIV1

ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014
Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Attributable to Parent [Abstract]	'
Components of accumulated other comprehensive income, net of tax	'
	The following table summarizes the changes in accumulated balances of other comprehensive income, net of tax:
		Foreign currency translation adjustments		Defined benefit pension plans			Change in unrealized loss on investments			Total
		(in thousands)
	Balance as of December 31, 2013	$	14,952	$	(2,153	)	$	(2	)	$	12,797
	Other comprehensive income before reclassifications	1,133		—			—			1,133
	Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income	—		(38		)	328			290
	Net increase in other comprehensive income	1,133		(38		)	328			1,423
	Balance as of June 30, 2014	$	16,085	$	(2,191	)	$	326		$	14,220

COMMITMENTS_AND_CONTINGENCIES_

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Summary of the activity related to the product warranty liability	'
	The following table summarizes the activity related to the product warranty liability:
		Three Months Ended						Six Months Ended
		June 30,			June 30,			June 30,			June 30,
		2014			2013			2014			2013
		(in thousands)
	Balance at beginning of period	$	3,749		$	4,629		$	3,686		$	4,832
	Accrual for warranties during the period, net	899			301			1,845			788
	Actual costs incurred	(896		)	(859		)	(1,779		)	(1,549		)
	Balance at end of period	$	3,752		$	4,071		$	3,752		$	4,071

INCOME_TAXES_Tables

INCOME TAXES (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Schedule of the (Provision for) Benefit From Income Taxes and the Effective Tax Rates	'
	The following table presents the (provision for) benefit from income taxes and the effective tax rates:
		Three Months Ended						Six Months Ended
		June 30,			June 30,			June 30,			June 30,
		2014			2013			2014			2013
		(in thousands, except for percentages)
	Income (loss) before income taxes	$	25,257		$	18,655		$	30,089		$	(43,373	)
	(Provision for) benefit from income taxes	$	(6,021	)	$	(5,679	)	$	(8,687	)	$	8,682
	Effective tax rate	23.83		%	30.44		%	28.87		%	20.02		%

PENSION_PLANS_Tables

PENSION PLANS (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014
Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Expense [Abstract]	'
Aggregate net pension expense relating to the two plan types	'
	The aggregate net pension expense relating to these two plans are as follows:
		Three Months Ended				Six Months Ended
		June 30,		June 30,		June 30,		June 30,
		2014		2013		2014		2013
		(in thousands)
	Service costs	$	393	$	451	$	782	$	912
	Interest costs	388		357		773		722
	Amortization of actuarial loss	19		15		38		31
	Net pension period cost	$	800	$	823	$	1,593	$	1,665

OPERATING_AND_GEOGRAPHICAL_SEG1

OPERATING AND GEOGRAPHICAL SEGMENTS (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014
Segment Reporting [Abstract]	'
Schedule of Segment Reporting Information, by Segment	'
	Information about Reportable Segments
		Micro-			Nonvolatile			Automotive			Multi-Market and Other			Total
		Controller			Memory
		(in thousands)
	Three months ended June 30, 2014
	Net revenue from external customers	$	254,775		$	40,180		$	35,994		$	24,585		$	355,534
	Segment income (loss) from operations	$	30,326		$	8,036		$	3,284		$	(900	)	$	40,746
	Three months ended June 30, 2013
	Net revenue from external customers	$	247,016		$	36,351		$	36,319		$	28,130		$	347,816
	Segment income from operations	$	15,170		$	5,318		$	1,403		$	5,726		$	27,617
	Six months ended June 30, 2014
	Net revenue from external customers	$	489,915		$	75,832		$	76,965		$	50,183		$	692,895
	Segment income (loss) from operations	$	49,152		$	13,083		$	10,038		$	(1,457	)	$	70,816
	Six months ended June 30, 2013
	Net revenue from external customers	$	475,381		$	71,509		$	75,798		$	54,271		$	676,959
	Segment income from operations	$	19,975		$	10,164		$	2,713		$	8,947		$	41,799
Reconciliation of Segment Information to Consolidated Statements of Operations	'
	The Company does not allocate assets by segment, as management does not use asset information to measure or evaluate a segment’s performance.
	Reconciliation of Segment Information to Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations
		Three Months Ended						Six Months Ended
		June 30,			June 30,			June 30,			June 30,
		2014			2013			2014			2013
		(in thousands)
	Total segment income from operations	$	40,746		$	27,617		$	70,816		$	41,799
	Unallocated amounts:
	Share-based compensation expense	(15,278		)	(7,480		)	(30,895		)	(22,242		)
	Loss from manufacturing facility damage and shutdown	—			—			(7,056		)	—
	Acquisition-related charges	(1,497		)	(1,759		)	(3,125		)	(4,014		)
	French building underutilization and other	(1,166		)	—			(2,462		)	—
	Restructuring credits (charges)	1,583			(582		)	1,807			(43,396		)
	Gain related to foundry arrangements	2,071			1,514			2,129			1,514
	Recovery of receivables from foundry supplier	—			83			—			522
	Settlement charges	—			—			—			(21,600		)
	Gain on sale of assets	—			—			—			4,430
	Consolidated income (loss) from operations	$	26,459		$	19,393		$	31,214		$	(42,987	)
Geographic sources of revenue	'
	Geographic sources of revenue were as follows:
		Three Months Ended						Six Months Ended
		June 30,			June 30,			June 30,			June 30,
		2014			2013			2014			2013
		(in thousands)
	China, including Hong Kong	$	114,081		$	107,211		$	207,282		$	205,901
	Germany	50,478			51,521			109,739			100,105
	United States	50,348			45,213			103,258			89,394
	South Korea	29,900			36,899			62,932			80,110
	Taiwan	19,211			10,504			29,929			23,796
	Singapore	16,647			10,068			28,237			18,795
	Japan	8,860			8,745			14,400			18,903
	France	2,709			11,802			5,789			17,873
	Rest of Europe	35,451			28,995			73,804			57,388
	Rest of Asia-Pacific	21,760			32,507			45,782			55,312
	Rest of the World	6,089			4,351			11,743			9,382
	Total net revenue	$	355,534		$	347,816		$	692,895		$	676,959
Locations of long-lived assets	'
	Physical locations of tangible long-lived assets were as follows:
		June 30,			December 31,
		2014			2013
		(in thousands)
	United States	$	111,550		$	104,912
	Philippines	53,353			50,472
	Germany	23,170			24,244
	France	16,318			17,249
	Rest of Asia-Pacific	19,955			23,815
	Rest of Europe	7,869			7,026
	Total	$	232,215		$	227,718

RESTRUCTURING_CHARGES_Tables

RESTRUCTURING CHARGES (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014
Restructuring and Related Activities [Abstract]	'
Summary of the activity related to the accrual for restructuring charges detailed by event	'
	The following table summarizes the activity related to the accrual for restructuring charges detailed by event:
		Q2'10			Q2'12			Q1'13			Q3'13			Total
		(in thousands)
	Balance at January 1, 2014 - Restructuring Accrual	$	281		$	897		$	22,949		$	1,314		$	25,441
	Credits - Employee termination costs, net of change in estimate	—			—			—			(224		)	(224		)
	Payments - Employee termination costs	—			(383		)	(7,426		)	(471		)	(8,280		)
	Foreign exchange (gain) loss	—			—			(28		)	5			(23		)
	Balance at March 31, 2014 - Restructuring Accrual	$	281		$	514		$	15,495		$	624		$	16,914
	Credits - Employee termination costs, net of change in estimate	—			—			(1,703		)	120			(1,583		)
	Payments - Employee termination costs	—			(217		)	(5,154		)	(547		)	(5,918		)
	Foreign exchange gain	—			—			(20		)	—			(20		)
	Balance at June 30, 2014 - Restructuring Accrual	$	281		$	297		$	8,618		$	197		$	9,393
		Q2'10			Q2'12			Q4'12			Q1'13			Total
		(in thousands)
	Balance at January 1, 2013 - Restructuring Accrual	$	439		$	7,418		$	8,365		$	—		$	16,222
	(Credits) charges - Employee termination costs, net of change in estimate	—			—			(460		)	42,821			42,361
	Charges - Other	—			—			—			453			453
	Payments - Employee termination costs	—			(2,206		)	(5,161		)	—			(7,367		)
	Payments - Other	—			—			(45		)	(453		)	(498		)
	Foreign exchange gain	—			—			(16		)	—			(16		)
	Balance at March 31, 2013 - Restructuring Accrual	$	439		$	5,212		$	2,683		$	42,821		$	51,155
	(Credits) charges - Employee termination costs, net of change in estimate	—			180			(310		)	941			811
	Charges - Other	—			—			(230		)	—			(230		)
	Payments - Employee termination costs	(158		)	(812		)	(1,860		)	(5,853		)	(8,683		)
	Payments - Other	—			—			(185		)	—			(185		)
	Foreign exchange loss	—			—			—			141			141
	Balance at June 30, 2013 - Restructuring Accrual	$	281		$	4,580		$	98		$	38,050		$	43,009

NET_INCOME_PER_SHARE_Tables

NET INCOME PER SHARE (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]	'
Reconciliation of the numerator and denominator of basic and diluted net income per share	'
	A reconciliation of the numerator and denominator of basic and diluted net income (loss) per share is as follows:
		Three Months Ended						Six Months Ended
		June 30,			June 30,			June 30,		June 30,
		2014			2013			2014		2013
		(in thousands, except per share data)
	Net income (loss)	$	19,236		$	12,976		$	21,402	$	(34,691	)
	Weighted-average shares - basic	421,090			428,239			423,233		428,617
	Dilutive effect of incremental shares and share equivalents	1,744			2,297			1,643		—
	Weighted-average shares - diluted	422,834			430,536			424,876		428,617
	Net income (loss) per share:
	Basic
	Net income (loss) per share - basic	$	0.05		$	0.03		$	0.05	$	(0.08	)
	Diluted
	Net income (loss) per share - diluted	$	0.05		$	0.03		$	0.05	$	(0.08	)
Anti-dilutive securities not included in the "Weighted-average shares - diluted" used for calculation of diluted net income per share	'
	The following table summarizes securities that were not included in the “Weighted-average shares - diluted” used for calculation of diluted net income (loss) per share, as their effect would have been anti-dilutive:
		Three Months Ended					Six Months Ended
		June 30,		June 30,			June 30,		June 30,
		2014		2013			2014		2013
		(in thousands)
	Employee stock options and restricted stock units outstanding	4,116		6,923			4,940		9,377

SUMMARY_OF_SIGNIFICANT_ACCOUNT3

SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES Inventory (Details) (USD $)	Jun. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Accounting Policies [Abstract]	'	'
Raw materials and purchased parts	$10,916	$9,547
Work-in-progress	170,273	200,434
Finished goods	63,859	64,986
Net Inventory	$245,048	$274,967

SUMMARY_OF_SIGNIFICANT_ACCOUNT4

SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES Change in accounting estimates (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014
Accounting Policies [Abstract]	'	'
Decrease in depreciation	$4.60	$9.20
income impact from change of estimates	$3.80	$4.40

BUSINESS_COMBINATIONS_IDT_DETA

BUSINESS COMBINATIONS IDT (DETAILS) (USD $)	Jun. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
			Integrated Device Technology [Member]	Ozmo Inc. [Member]	Ozmo Inc. [Member]
			Employee
Business Acquisition [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Gross	'	'	$10,300,000	'	$64,400,000
Number of employees acquired	'	'	20	'	'
Intangible acquired	'	'	3,500,000	'	'
Net tangible assets acquired	'	'	1,400,000	'	'
Goodwill	109,980,000	108,240,000	5,400,000	'	'
remaining payment for acquisition	'	'	'	$15,600,000	'

INVESTMENTS_Details

INVESTMENTS (Details) (USD $)	6 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Jun. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Investment [Line Items]	'	'
Adjusted Cost	$983	$3,670
Unrealized gains	83	83
Unrealized losses	0	-506
Net unrealized (losses) gains	83	-423
Fair value of investment	1,066	3,247
Amount included in short-term investments	0	2,181
Auction-rate securities	1,066	1,066
Corporate equity securities	'	'
Investment [Line Items]	'	'
Adjusted Cost	0	2,687
Fair value of investment	0	2,181
Auction-rate securities	'	'
Investment [Line Items]	'	'
Adjusted Cost	983	983
Fair value of investment	$1,066	$1,066

INVESTMENTS_Narrative_Details

INVESTMENTS Narrative (Details) (USD $)	6 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2013
Investment [Line Items]	'	'	'
Realized gain on investment	$385	$0	'
Fair value of investment	1,066	'	3,247
Available-for-sale debt security contractual maturity minimum years	'10 years	'	'
Adjusted Cost	983	'	3,670
Minimum maturity period of short-term investments as company has the ability and intent to redeem them within the year (in days)	'90 days	'	'
Auction-rate securities	'	'	'
Investment [Line Items]	'	'	'
Fair value of investment	1,066	'	1,066
Adjusted Cost	$983	'	$983

FAIR_VALUE_OF_ASSETS_AND_LIABI2

FAIR VALUE OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES (Details) (USD $)	Jun. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Investments measured at fair value on a recurring basis	'	'
Maximum percentage of assets measured using Level 3 valuation methodologies to total assets	1.00%	'
Recurring basis	'	'
Investments measured at fair value on a recurring basis	'	'
Money market funds	$1,255	$1,245
Total	8,628	10,334
Recurring basis | Corporate debt securities and other obligations	'	'
Investments measured at fair value on a recurring basis	'	'
Short-term investments	'	2,181
Recurring basis | Auction-rate securities	'	'
Investments measured at fair value on a recurring basis	'	'
Other Assets, Fair Value Disclosure	1,066	1,066
Recurring basis | Institutional money market funds	'	'
Investments measured at fair value on a recurring basis	'	'
Other Assets, Fair Value Disclosure	2,053	2,225
Recurring basis | Fixed income	'	'
Investments measured at fair value on a recurring basis	'	'
Other Assets, Fair Value Disclosure	847	338
Recurring basis | Marketable equity securities	'	'
Investments measured at fair value on a recurring basis	'	'
Other Assets, Fair Value Disclosure	3,407	3,279
Recurring basis | Total institutional funds - Deferred compensation plan	'	'
Investments measured at fair value on a recurring basis	'	'
Other Assets, Fair Value Disclosure	6,307	5,842
Recurring basis | Total other assets [Domain]	'	'
Investments measured at fair value on a recurring basis	'	'
Other Assets, Fair Value Disclosure	7,373	6,908
Recurring basis | Level 1	'	'
Investments measured at fair value on a recurring basis	'	'
Money market funds	1,255	1,245
Total	7,562	9,268
Recurring basis | Level 1 | Corporate debt securities and other obligations	'	'
Investments measured at fair value on a recurring basis	'	'
Short-term investments	'	2,181
Recurring basis | Level 1 | Institutional money market funds	'	'
Investments measured at fair value on a recurring basis	'	'
Other Assets, Fair Value Disclosure	2,053	2,225
Recurring basis | Level 1 | Fixed income	'	'
Investments measured at fair value on a recurring basis	'	'
Other Assets, Fair Value Disclosure	847	338
Recurring basis | Level 1 | Marketable equity securities	'	'
Investments measured at fair value on a recurring basis	'	'
Other Assets, Fair Value Disclosure	3,407	3,279
Recurring basis | Level 1 | Total institutional funds - Deferred compensation plan	'	'
Investments measured at fair value on a recurring basis	'	'
Other Assets, Fair Value Disclosure	6,307	5,842
Recurring basis | Level 1 | Total other assets [Domain]	'	'
Investments measured at fair value on a recurring basis	'	'
Other Assets, Fair Value Disclosure	6,307	5,842
Recurring basis | Level 3	'	'
Investments measured at fair value on a recurring basis	'	'
Other Assets, Fair Value Disclosure	'	1,066
Total	1,066	1,066
Recurring basis | Level 3 | Auction-rate securities	'	'
Investments measured at fair value on a recurring basis	'	'
Other Assets, Fair Value Disclosure	$1,066	$1,066

BORROWING_ARRANGEMENTS_Details

BORROWING ARRANGEMENTS (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2013
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]	'
Issuance cost for credit facility	$2.10
Revolving Credit Facility [Member]	'
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]	'
Credit facility in December 2013	300
Maximum amount to be withdrawn	$250

STOCKHOLDERS_EQUITY_Components

STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY Components of the company's stock-based compensation expense, net of amount capitalized in inventory (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Stock-based compensation expense	$15,278	$7,480	$30,895	$22,242
Total share-based compensation expense, before income taxes	15,278	7,480	30,895	22,242
Tax benefit	-3,320	-563	-6,244	-3,169
Total share-based compensation expense, net of income taxes	11,958	6,917	24,651	19,073
Cost of Sales [Member]	'	'	'	'
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Stock-based compensation expense	1,971	1,609	3,287	3,453
Research and Development Expense [Member]	'	'	'	'
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Stock-based compensation expense	4,383	3,016	9,112	7,624
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses [Member]	'	'	'	'
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Stock-based compensation expense	$8,924	$2,855	$18,496	$11,165

STOCKHOLDERS_EQUITY_Activity_u

STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY Activity under the entity's 2005 Stock Plan (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Outstanding [Roll Forward]	'	'	'
Options exercised, Number of Options	0	0	'
Employee Stock Option [Member]	'	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Outstanding [Roll Forward]	'	'	'
Beginning Balance, Available for Grant	'	21,245	'
Beginning Balance, Number of Options	3,311	3,635	'
Beginning Balance, Weighted Average Exercise Price per Share	4.52	4.5	'
Options cancelled/expired/forfeited, Number of Options	-1	-2	'
Options cancelled/expired/forfeited, Weighted Average Exercise Price per Share	5.75	6.02	'
Options exercised, Number of Options	-85	-322	'
Options exercised, Weighted Average Exercise Price	4	4.3	'
Ending Balance, Number of Options	3,225	3,311	'
Ending Balance, Weighted Average Exercise Price per Share	4.53	4.52	'
Restricted Stock Units R S U Non Performance Based [Member]	'	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Outstanding [Roll Forward]	'	'	'
Restricted stock units issued	-330	-201	'
Plan adjustment for restricted stock units issued	-188	-115	'
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member]	'	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Outstanding [Roll Forward]	'	'	'
Beginning Balance, Available for Grant	21,352	'	'
Plan adjustment for restricted stock units issued	-327	-134	'
Stock units cancelled in the period (in shares)	532	211	'
Ending Balance, Available for Grant	25,814	21,352	'
Performance-based Restricted Stock Unites (RSUs) [Member]	'	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Outstanding [Roll Forward]	'	'	'
Stock units cancelled in the period (in shares)	2,559	47	3,300
Performance-based Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) Cancelled [Member]	'	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Outstanding [Roll Forward]	'	'	'
Plan adjustment for restricted stock units issued	-1,561	-29	'
Performance Shares [Member]	'	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Outstanding [Roll Forward]	'	'	'
Restricted stock units issued	'	'	-1,000
Plan adjustment for restricted stock units issued	-1	-2	'
Range of Exercise Price: $2.13-$10.01 | Employee Stock Option [Member]	'	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Outstanding [Roll Forward]	'	'	'
Beginning Balance, Exercise Price per Share, Maximum	10.01	10.01	10.01
Beginning Balance, Exercise Price per Share, Minimum	2.13	2.13	2.13
Ending Balance, Exercise Price per Share, Maximum	10.01	10.01	10.01
Ending Balance, Exercise Price per Share, Minimum	2.13	2.13	2.13
Range of Exercise Price: $4.92-$7.25 | Employee Stock Option [Member]	'	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Outstanding [Roll Forward]	'	'	'
Beginning Balance, Exercise Price per Share, Maximum	'	7.25	'
Beginning Balance, Exercise Price per Share, Minimum	'	4.92	'
Ending Balance, Exercise Price per Share, Maximum	'	7.25	'
Ending Balance, Exercise Price per Share, Minimum	'	4.92	'
Range of Exercise Price: $2.65-$7.38 | Employee Stock Option [Member]	'	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Outstanding [Roll Forward]	'	'	'
Beginning Balance, Exercise Price per Share, Maximum	'	7.38	'
Beginning Balance, Exercise Price per Share, Minimum	'	2.65	'
Ending Balance, Exercise Price per Share, Maximum	'	7.38	'
Ending Balance, Exercise Price per Share, Minimum	'	2.65	'
Range of Exercise Price: $5.75-$5.75 | Employee Stock Option [Member]	'	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Outstanding [Roll Forward]	'	'	'
Beginning Balance, Exercise Price per Share, Maximum	5.75	'	'
Beginning Balance, Exercise Price per Share, Minimum	5.75	'	'
Ending Balance, Exercise Price per Share, Maximum	5.75	'	'
Ending Balance, Exercise Price per Share, Minimum	5.75	'	'
Range of Exercise Price: $3.18-$6.28 | Employee Stock Option [Member]	'	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Outstanding [Roll Forward]	'	'	'
Beginning Balance, Exercise Price per Share, Maximum	6.28	'	'
Beginning Balance, Exercise Price per Share, Minimum	3.18	'	'
Ending Balance, Exercise Price per Share, Maximum	6.28	'	'
Ending Balance, Exercise Price per Share, Minimum	3.18	'	'

STOCKHOLDERS_EQUITY_Activity_r

STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY Activity related to restricted stock units (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member]	'	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Nonvested, Number of Shares [Roll Forward]	'	'	'
Ending Balance, Number of Units	14,639	19,451	21,137
Ending Balance, Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value	$8.52	$9.08	8.84
Restricted Stock Units R S U Non Performance Based [Member]	'	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Nonvested, Number of Shares [Roll Forward]	'	'	'
Restricted stock units issued, Number of Units	330	201	'
Restricted stock units issued, Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value	$8.20	$8.12	'
Restricted stock units vested, Number of Units	-2,051	-1,629	'
Restricted stock units vested, Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value	$7.81	$7.91	'
Restricted stock units cancelled, Number of Units	-532	-211	'
Restricted stock units cancelled, Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value	$7.84	$8.02	'
Performance Shares [Member]	'	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Nonvested, Number of Shares [Roll Forward]	'	'	'
Restricted stock units issued, Number of Units	'	'	1,000
Restricted stock units cancelled, Number of Units	-2,559	-47	'
Restricted stock units cancelled, Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value	$13.47	$13.83	'

STOCKHOLDERS_EQUITY_Assumption

STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY Assumptions used to estimate the fair value of the Company's ESPP shares (Details)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'	'
Expected dividend yield	0.00%	0.00%
Employee Stock [Member]	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'	'
Risk-free interest rate	0.07%	0.13%
Expected life (years)	'6 months	'6 months
Expected volatility	32.00%	50.00%

STOCKHOLDERS_EQUITY_Restricted

STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY Restricted Stock Units, Employee Stock Purchase Plan and Stock Options Narrative (Details)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014
		Total shares authorized [Member] [Domain]	Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member]	Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member]	Stock Plan 2005 [Member]	Employee Stock Purchase Plan 2010 [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Number of Shares Authorized	'	'	'	'	'	25,000,000
Total shares authorized	'	158,000,000	'	'	'	'
Number of shares available for issuances	'	'	25,814,000	21,352,000	'	19,800,000
Share counted against the numerical limit for options available for grant on or after May 9, 2013	1.57	'	'	'	'	'
Shares counted against the numerical limit for options available for grant on or after May 18, 2011 (in shares)	'	'	'	'	1.61	'
Shares counted against the numerical limit for options available for grant prior to May 18, 2011 (in shares)	'	'	'	'	1.78	'
Share available for grant after ratio adjustment	'	'	16,400,000	'	'	'

STOCKHOLDERS_EQUITY_Restricted1

STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY Restricted Stock Units Narrative (Details) (USD $)

3 Months Ended

6 Months Ended

3 Months Ended

6 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

3 Months Ended

6 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

Share data in Thousands, unless otherwise specified

Jun. 30, 2014

Jun. 30, 2013

Jun. 30, 2014

Jun. 30, 2013

Jun. 30, 2014

Mar. 31, 2014

Jun. 30, 2014

Dec. 31, 2013

Jun. 30, 2014

Mar. 31, 2014

Jun. 30, 2014

Dec. 31, 2013

Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member]

Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member]

Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member]

Performance Shares [Member]

Performance-based Restricted Stock Unites (RSUs) [Member]

Performance-based Restricted Stock Unites (RSUs) [Member]

Performance-based Restricted Stock Unites (RSUs) [Member]

Performance-based Restricted Stock Unites (RSUs) [Member]

Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Unearned stock-based compensation expense related to unvested awards

'

'

'

'

$90,100,000

'

$90,100,000

'

'

'

'

'

Weighted-average period of recognition of unearned compensation expense of unvested awards (in years)

'

'

'

'

'

'

'2 years 18 days

'

'

'

'

'

Restricted stock units issued

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

1,000

'

'

'

'

Stock-based compensation expense

$15,278,000

$7,480,000

$30,895,000

$22,242,000

'

'

'

'

$900,000

'

$2,000,000

'

Stock units cancelled in the period (in shares)

'

'

'

'

532

211

'

'

2,559

47

'

3,300

STOCKHOLDERS_EQUITY_Employee_S

STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY Employee Stock Purchase Plan and Common Stock Repurchase Program Narrative (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Purchase price of the entity's common stock expressed as percentage of fair market value at the commencement or end of the offering period	85.00%	'	85.00%	'
Share Based Compensation, Arrangement by Share Based Payment Award, Offering Period	'	'	'6 months	'
Authorized amount under stock repurchase program	'	'	$1,000,000,000	'
Remaining authorized amount available for stock repurchase	'	'	256,000,000	'
Shares of common stock repurchased	3,600,000	'	10,500,000	'
Average price of shares repurchased (in dollars per share)	$8	'	$7.98	'
Stock Repurchased During Period, Value	28,500,000	13,700,000	83,500,000	29,200,000
Employee Stock [Member]	'	'	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Weighted-average fair value of the rights to purchase shares (in dollars per share)	$1.64	$1.29	$1.64	$1.29
Cash proceeds from the issuance of shares	'	'	$5,400,000	$5,100,000
Employee Stock Purchase Plan 2010 [Member]	'	'	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Percentage of employee's eligible compensation as limitation on purchases	10.00%	'	10.00%	'
Shares purchased	'	'	800,000	1,000,000
Average purchase price per share	'	'	$6.43	$5
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Number of Shares Authorized	25,000,000	'	25,000,000	'
Number of shares available for issuances	19,800,000	'	19,800,000	'

ACCUMULATED_OTHER_COMPREHENSIV2

ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (Details) (USD $)	6 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Jun. 30, 2014
Reclassification Adjustment out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income on Derivatives [Line Items]	'
Balance as of December 31, 2013	$12,797
Other comprehensive income before reclassifications	1,133
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income	290
Net increase in other comprehensive income	1,423
Balance as of June 30, 2014	14,220
Accumulated Translation Adjustment [Member]	'
Reclassification Adjustment out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income on Derivatives [Line Items]	'
Balance as of December 31, 2013	14,952
Other comprehensive income before reclassifications	1,133
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income	0
Net increase in other comprehensive income	1,133
Balance as of June 30, 2014	16,085
Accumulated Defined Benefit Plans Adjustment [Member]	'
Reclassification Adjustment out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income on Derivatives [Line Items]	'
Balance as of December 31, 2013	-2,153
Other comprehensive income before reclassifications	0
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income	-38
Net increase in other comprehensive income	-38
Balance as of June 30, 2014	-2,191
Accumulated Net Unrealized Investment Gain (Loss) [Member]	'
Reclassification Adjustment out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income on Derivatives [Line Items]	'
Balance as of December 31, 2013	-2
Other comprehensive income before reclassifications	0
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income	328
Net increase in other comprehensive income	328
Balance as of June 30, 2014	$326

Purchase_Commitments_Details

Purchase Commitments (Details) (USD $)	Jun. 30, 2014
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Capital purchase commitment	$2.80
Purchase Commitments	$61

Warranty_Details

Warranty (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2013
Contingencies	'	'	'	'	'
Amount requested by LFR for damage	'	'	'	'	$135,000,000
Payments to LRF for the past three years	'	'	'	'	400,000,000
Activity related to the product warranty liability	'	'	'	'	'
Balance at beginning of period	3,749,000	4,629,000	3,686,000	4,832,000	4,832,000
Accrual for warranties during the period, net	899,000	301,000	1,845,000	788,000	'
Actual costs incurred	-896,000	-859,000	-1,779,000	-1,549,000	'
Balance at end of period	$3,752,000	$4,071,000	$3,752,000	$4,071,000	$3,686,000
Minimum [Member]	'	'	'	'	'
Product Warranties	'	'	'	'	'
Product Warranty Period	'	'	'30 days	'	'
Maximum	'	'	'	'	'
Product Warranties	'	'	'	'	'
Product Warranty Period	'	'	'3 years	'	'

INCOME_TAXES_1_Details

INCOME TAXES 1 (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2013
(Provision for) benefit from income taxes	'	'	'	'	'
Income (loss) before income taxes	$25,257,000	$18,655,000	$30,089,000	($43,373,000)	'
Provision for income taxes	-6,021,000	-5,679,000	-8,687,000	8,682,000	'
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, at Federal Statutory Income Tax Rate, Percent	23.83%	30.44%	28.87%	20.02%	'
Company's effective tax rate	'	'	'	35.00%	'
Unrecognized Tax Benefits that Would Impact Effective Tax Rate	$88,700,000	'	$88,700,000	'	$87,500,000

INCOME_TAXES_2_Details

INCOME TAXES 2 (Details) (USD $)	Jun. 30, 2014
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Estimated possible decreases in underlying unrecognized tax positions, minimum	$0
Estimated possible decreases in underlying unrecognized tax positions, maximum	$5

PENSION_PLANS_Details

PENSION PLANS (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013
			plan
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure	'	'	'	'
Number of types of retirement plans	'	'	2	'
Aggregate net pension expense relating to the two plan types	'	'	'	'
Service costs	$393,000	$451,000	$782,000	$912,000
Interest costs	388,000	357,000	773,000	722,000
Amortization of actuarial loss	19,000	15,000	38,000	31,000
Net pension period cost	800,000	823,000	1,593,000	1,665,000
Expected net pension cost for next fiscal year	'	'	3,200,000	'
Cash funding for benefits paid	100,000	'	200,000	'
Expected cash funding for benefits to be paid next year	'	'	$500,000	'
Minimum [Member]	'	'	'	'
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure	'	'	'	'
Period of salary paid to Company's French employees as termination benefits at retirement, range (in months)	'	'	1	'
Maximum	'	'	'	'
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure	'	'	'	'
Period of salary paid to Company's French employees as termination benefits at retirement, range (in months)	'	'	5	'

OPERATING_AND_GEOGRAPHICAL_SEG2

OPERATING AND GEOGRAPHICAL SEGMENTS Schedule of Segment Reporting Information, by Segment (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Net revenue	$355,534	$347,816	$692,895	$676,959
Segment income (loss) from operations	40,746	27,617	70,816	41,799
Micro-Controllers	'	'	'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Net revenue	254,775	247,016	489,915	475,381
Segment income (loss) from operations	30,326	15,170	49,152	19,975
Nonvolatile Memories	'	'	'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Net revenue	40,180	36,351	75,832	71,509
Segment income (loss) from operations	8,036	5,318	13,083	10,164
RF and Automotive	'	'	'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Net revenue	35,994	36,319	76,965	75,798
Segment income (loss) from operations	3,284	1,403	10,038	2,713
Multi-market and other	'	'	'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Net revenue	24,585	28,130	50,183	54,271
Segment income (loss) from operations	($900)	$5,726	($1,457)	$8,947

Reconciliation_of_Segment_Info

Reconciliation of Segment Information to Consolidated Statements of Operations (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013
Reconciliation of Segment Information to Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations	'	'	'	'
Segment income (loss) from operations	$40,746,000	$27,617,000	$70,816,000	$41,799,000
Unallocated amounts:	'	'	'	'
Share-based compensation expense	-15,278,000	-7,480,000	-30,895,000	-22,242,000
Loss from manufacturing facility damage and shutdown	0	0	-7,056,000	0
Acquisition-related charges	-1,497,000	-1,759,000	-3,125,000	-4,014,000
French building underutilization and other	-1,166,000	0	-2,462,000	0
Restructuring credits (charges)	1,583,000	-582,000	1,807,000	-43,396,000
Gain related to foundry arrangements	2,071,000	1,514,000	2,129,000	1,514,000
Recovery of receivables from foundry supplier	0	83,000	0	522,000
Settlement charges	0	0	0	-21,600,000
Gain on sale of assets	0	0	0	4,430,000
Consolidated income (loss) from operations	26,459,000	19,393,000	31,214,000	-42,987,000
Micro-Controllers	'	'	'	'
Reconciliation of Segment Information to Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations	'	'	'	'
Segment income (loss) from operations	30,326,000	15,170,000	49,152,000	19,975,000
Nonvolatile Memories	'	'	'	'
Reconciliation of Segment Information to Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations	'	'	'	'
Segment income (loss) from operations	8,036,000	5,318,000	13,083,000	10,164,000
RF and Automotive	'	'	'	'
Reconciliation of Segment Information to Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations	'	'	'	'
Segment income (loss) from operations	3,284,000	1,403,000	10,038,000	2,713,000
Multi-market and other	'	'	'	'
Reconciliation of Segment Information to Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations	'	'	'	'
Segment income (loss) from operations	($900,000)	$5,726,000	($1,457,000)	$8,947,000

OPERATING_AND_GEOGRAPHICAL_SEG3

OPERATING AND GEOGRAPHICAL SEGMENTS Geographic sources of revenue (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Net revenue	$355,534	$347,816	$692,895	$676,959
China, including Hong Kong	'	'	'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Net revenue	114,081	107,211	207,282	205,901
Germany	'	'	'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Net revenue	50,478	51,521	109,739	100,105
United States	'	'	'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Net revenue	50,348	45,213	103,258	89,394
South Korea	'	'	'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Net revenue	29,900	36,899	62,932	80,110
Taiwan	'	'	'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Net revenue	19,211	10,504	29,929	23,796
Singapore	'	'	'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Net revenue	16,647	10,068	28,237	18,795
Japan	'	'	'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Net revenue	8,860	8,745	14,400	18,903
FRANCE	'	'	'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Net revenue	2,709	11,802	5,789	17,873
Rest of Europe	'	'	'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Net revenue	35,451	28,995	73,804	57,388
Rest of Asia-Pacific	'	'	'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Net revenue	21,760	32,507	45,782	55,312
Rest of the World	'	'	'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Net revenue	$6,089	$4,351	$11,743	$9,382

OPERATING_AND_GEOGRAPHICAL_SEG4

OPERATING AND GEOGRAPHICAL SEGMENTS Locations of long-lived assets (Details) (USD $)	Jun. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'
Long-lived assets	$232,215	$227,718
United States	'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'
Long-lived assets	111,550	104,912
Philippines	'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'
Long-lived assets	53,353	50,472
Germany	'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'
Long-lived assets	23,170	24,244
FRANCE	'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'
Long-lived assets	16,318	17,249
Asia-Pacific	'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'
Long-lived assets	19,955	23,815
Rest of Europe	'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'
Long-lived assets	$7,869	$7,026

OPERATING_AND_GEOGRAPHICAL_SEG5

OPERATING AND GEOGRAPHICAL SEGMENTS Narrative (Details) (USD $)

Jun. 30, 2014

Dec. 31, 2013

Jun. 30, 2014

Jun. 30, 2013

Jun. 30, 2014

Jun. 30, 2014

Jun. 30, 2014

Jun. 30, 2013

Jun. 30, 2014

Jun. 30, 2013

Jun. 30, 2014

Jun. 30, 2013

Jun. 30, 2014

Jun. 30, 2014

Jun. 30, 2013

Jun. 30, 2014

Jun. 30, 2014

Jun. 30, 2013

Jun. 30, 2014

Jun. 30, 2014

Jun. 30, 2013

Jun. 30, 2013

Jun. 30, 2014

Credit Concentration Risk

Credit Concentration Risk

Net revenues

Net revenues

Major Distributor with Largest Balance

Major Distributor with Largest Balance

Major Distributor with Largest Balance

Major Distributor with Largest Balance

Major Distributor with Largest Balance

Major Distributor with Largest Balance

Major Distributor with Largest Balance

Major Distributor with Largest Balance

Major Distributor with Largest Balance

Major Distributor with Second Largest Balance

Major Distributor with Second Largest Balance

Major Distributor with Second Largest Balance

Major Distributor with Third Largest Balance

Customer with largest balance

Customer with largest balance

Customer with largest balance

Customer with largest balance

Accounts receivable

Accounts receivable

Customer

Customer

Net revenues

Net revenues

Net revenues

Net revenues

Credit Concentration Risk

Credit Concentration Risk

Net revenues

Net revenues

Net revenues

Net revenues

Credit Concentration Risk

Credit Concentration Risk

Credit Concentration Risk

Net revenues

Net revenues

Net revenues

Credit Concentration Risk

distributor

distributor

Accounts receivable

Accounts receivable

distributor

distributor

distributor

Accounts receivable

Accounts receivable

Accounts receivable

Accounts receivable

Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Goodwill

$109,980,000

$108,240,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Concentration Risk, Number of Major Distributor

'

'

3

2

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

1

2

1

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Concentration Risk, Percentage

'

'

'

'

'

'

17.00%

13.00%

16.00%

12.00%

22.00%

17.00%

'

'

'

11.00%

11.00%

11.00%

11.00%

10.00%

16.00%

14.00%

10.00%

Number of customers with concentration risk

'

'

0

'

1

0

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Intangible assets net of accumulated amortization

25,069,000

28,116,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Deferred Tax Assets, Net of Valuation Allowance, Noncurrent

$118,100,000

$134,400,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

GAIN_ON_SALE_OF_ASSETS_Details

GAIN ON SALE OF ASSETS (Details) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Mar. 31, 2013
In Millions, unless otherwise specified		Cash [Member]	Assets Held-for-sale [Member]
Assets Sold under Agreements to Repurchase [Line Items]	'	'	'
Disposal of Product Line Sale Proceeds	'	$25	'
Assets of Disposal Group, Including Discontinued Operation, Current	'	'	7
Deferred Gain on Sale of Property	$4.40	'	'

RESTRUCTURING_CHARGES_Restruct

RESTRUCTURING CHARGES Restructuring Charges (Details) (USD $)

3 Months Ended

6 Months Ended

3 Months Ended

In Thousands, unless otherwise specified

Jun. 30, 2014

Jun. 30, 2013

Mar. 31, 2013

Jun. 30, 2014

Jun. 30, 2013

Jun. 30, 2013

Mar. 31, 2013

Jun. 30, 2013

Mar. 31, 2013

Jun. 30, 2013

Mar. 31, 2013

Jun. 30, 2013

Mar. 31, 2013

Jun. 30, 2014

Mar. 31, 2014

Jun. 30, 2013

Mar. 31, 2013

Jun. 30, 2014

Mar. 31, 2014

Jun. 30, 2013

Mar. 31, 2013

Jun. 30, 2014

Mar. 31, 2014

Jun. 30, 2013

Mar. 31, 2013

Jun. 30, 2013

Mar. 31, 2013

Jun. 30, 2014

Mar. 31, 2014

Jun. 30, 2013

Mar. 31, 2013

Jun. 30, 2014

Mar. 31, 2014

Quarter Two 2010 [Member]

Quarter Two 2010 [Member]

Quarter Two 2012 [Member]

Quarter Two 2012 [Member]

Quarter Four 2012 [Member]

Quarter Four 2012 [Member]

Quarter One 2013 [Member]

Quarter One 2013 [Member]

Employee Severance [Member]

Employee Severance [Member]

Employee Severance [Member]

Employee Severance [Member]

Employee Severance [Member]

Employee Severance [Member]

Employee Severance [Member]

Employee Severance [Member]

Employee Severance [Member]

Employee Severance [Member]

Employee Severance [Member]

Employee Severance [Member]

Employee Severance [Member]

Employee Severance [Member]

Employee Severance [Member]

Employee Severance [Member]

Employee Severance [Member]

Employee Severance [Member]

Employee Severance [Member]

Employee Severance [Member]

Quarter Two 2010 [Member]

Quarter Two 2010 [Member]

Quarter Two 2010 [Member]

Quarter Two 2010 [Member]

Quarter Two 2012 [Member]

Quarter Two 2012 [Member]

Quarter Two 2012 [Member]

Quarter Two 2012 [Member]

Quarter Four 2012 [Member]

Quarter Four 2012 [Member]

Quarter One 2013 [Member]

Quarter One 2013 [Member]

Quarter One 2013 [Member]

Quarter One 2013 [Member]

Quarter Three 2013 [Member]

Quarter Three 2013 [Member]

Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Restructuring Reserve

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

$16,914

$25,441

$51,155

$16,222

$281

$281

$439

$439

$514

$897

$5,212

$7,418

$2,683

$8,365

$15,495

$22,949

$42,821

$0

$624

$1,314

Credits - Employee termination costs, net of change in estimate

1,583

-582

'

1,807

-43,396

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

1,583

-224

-811

-42,361

0

0

0

0

0

0

-180

0

310

460

1,703

0

-941

-42,821

-120

-224

Other Restructuring Costs

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

-230

453

'

'

0

0

'

'

0

0

-230

0

'

'

0

453

'

'

Payments - Employee termination costs

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

5,918

-8,280

-8,683

-7,367

0

0

-158

0

217

-383

-812

-2,206

-1,860

-5,161

5,154

-7,426

-5,853

0

547

-471

Payments for Restructuring, Other

'

-185

-498

'

'

0

0

0

0

-185

-45

0

-453

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Foreign exchange (gain) loss

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

20

-23

141

-16

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

16

20

-28

-141

0

0

5

Restructuring Reserve

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

$9,393

$16,914

$43,009

$51,155

$281

$281

$281

$439

$297

$514

$4,580

$5,212

$98

$2,683

$8,618

$15,495

$38,050

$42,821

$197

$624

RESTRUCTURING_CHARGES_Textual_

RESTRUCTURING CHARGES - Textual (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended		3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013
					FRANCE	Heilbronn [Member]	US and other locations [Member]
					Quarter One 2013 [Member]	Quarter One 2013 [Member]	Quarter One 2013 [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Restructuring (credits) charges	($1,583)	$582	($1,807)	$43,396	$26,600	$15,800	$900

SETTLEMENT_CHARGES_settlement_

SETTLEMENT CHARGES settlement charges (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013
Income Statement item [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Settlement charge	$0	$0	$0	$21,600

NET_INCOME_PER_SHARE_Details

NET INCOME PER SHARE (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013
Reconciliation of the numerator and denominator of basic and diluted net income per share	'	'	'	'
Net income (loss)	$19,236	$12,976	$21,402	($34,691)
Weighted-average shares - basic	421,090	428,239	423,233	428,617
Dilutive effect of incremental shares and share equivalents	1,744	2,297	1,643	0
Weighted-average shares - diluted	422,834	430,536	424,876	428,617
Basic	'	'	'	'
Net income per share (in dollars per share)	$0.05	$0.03	$0.05	($0.08)
Diluted	'	'	'	'
Net income (loss) per share	$0.05	$0.03	$0.05	($0.08)
Employee stock options and restricted stock units outstanding	4,116	6,923	4,940	9,377

SUBSEQUENT_EVENTS_Details

SUBSEQUENT EVENTS (Details) (Subsequent Event [Member], USD $)	Jul. 31, 2014	Jul. 30, 2014
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Subsequent Event [Member]	'	'
Subsequent Event [Line Items]	'	'
Amount of borrowing from Facility for acquisition	'	$90
Interest rate charged for borrowing	'	1.25%
Acquisition Purchase Price	140	'
Maximum Earn-out in addition to Purchase Price	30	'
Business Acquisition, Transaction Costs	$2.50	'