Azenta (AZTA) 10-Q 30 Apr 15 2015 Q2 Quarterly report Financial data

Document_and_Entity_Informatio

Document and Entity Information	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Apr. 23, 2015
Document and Entity Information [Abstract]
Trading Symbol	BRKS
Entity Registrant Name	BROOKS AUTOMATION INC
Entity Central Index Key	933974
Current Fiscal Year End Date	-21
Entity Filer Category	Large Accelerated Filer
Document Type	10-Q
Document Period End Date	31-Mar-15
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2015
Document Fiscal Period Focus	Q2
Amendment Flag	FALSE
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		67,481,408

CONSOLIDATED_BALANCE_SHEETS

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents	$73,176	$94,114
Marketable securities	69,327	68,130
Accounts receivable, net	94,679	80,106
Inventories	90,558	93,567
Deferred tax assets	18,871	19,009
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	14,841	19,387
Total current assets	361,452	374,313
Property, plant and equipment, net	46,833	50,183
Long-term marketable securities	64,601	83,212
Long-term deferred tax assets	69,595	67,563
Goodwill	118,264	109,501
Intangible assets, net	59,693	59,550
Equity method investments	27,027	28,944
Other assets	9,490	4,772
Total assets	756,955	778,038
Current liabilities
Accounts payable	43,610	33,740
Capital lease obligation	881	881
Deferred revenue	19,943	26,279
Accrued warranty and retrofit costs	6,203	6,499
Accrued compensation and benefits	15,345	21,663
Accrued restructuring costs	3,297	3,475
Accrued income taxes payable	2,789	1,808
Deferred tax liabilities	458	808
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	15,027	18,688
Total current liabilities	107,553	113,841
Long-term capital lease obligation	7,173	7,417
Long-term tax reserves	4,175	5,708
Long-term deferred tax liabilities	3,418	2,567
Long-term pension liability	2,342	1,774
Other long-term liabilities	3,467	3,842
Total liabilities	128,128	135,149
Commitments and contingencies (Note 18)
Equity
Preferred stock, $0.01 par value, 1,000,000 shares authorized, no shares issued or outstanding	0	0
Common stock, $0.01 par value, 125,000,000 shares authorized, 80,943,277 shares issued and 67,481,408 shares outstanding at March 31, 2015, 80,375,777 shares issued and 66,913,908 shares outstanding at September 30, 2014	809	804
Additional paid-in capital	1,840,426	1,834,619
Accumulated other comprehensive income	9,333	15,687
Treasury stock at cost, 13,461,869 shares	-200,956	-200,956
Accumulated deficit	-1,020,785	-1,007,265
Total equity	628,827	642,889
Total liabilities and equity	$756,955	$778,038

CONSOLIDATED_BALANCE_SHEETS_Pa

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Parenthetical) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014
Statement of Financial Position [Abstract]
Preferred stock, par value (USD per share)	$0.01	$0.01
Preferred stock, shares authorized	1,000,000	1,000,000
Preferred stock, shares issued	0	0
Preferred stock, shares outstanding	0	0
Common stock, par value (USD per share)	$0.01	$0.01
Common stock, shares authorized	125,000,000	125,000,000
Common stock, shares issued	80,943,277	80,375,777
Common stock, shares outstanding	67,481,408	66,913,908
Treasury stock, shares	13,461,869	13,461,869

CONSOLIDATED_STATEMENTS_OF_OPE

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (USD $)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Revenue
Product	$116,395	$102,534	$216,125	$195,664
Services	22,918	23,366	45,924	47,308
Total revenue	139,313	125,900	262,049	242,972
Cost of revenue
Product	79,048	64,786	149,268	125,522
Services	14,240	16,816	27,668	32,261
Total cost of revenue	93,288	81,602	176,936	157,783
Gross profit	46,025	44,298	85,113	85,189
Operating expenses
Research and development	12,678	12,493	26,167	25,044
Selling, general and administrative	29,609	28,637	59,020	54,772
Restructuring and other charges	685	772	3,353	1,519
Total operating expenses	42,972	41,902	88,540	81,335
Operating income (loss)	3,053	2,396	-3,427	3,854
Interest income	228	258	479	504
Interest expense	-98	0	-200	0
Other income, net	1,161	56	2,180	315
Income (loss) before income taxes and equity in earnings (losses) of equity method investments	4,344	2,710	-968	4,673
Income tax provision (benefit)	1,560	1,117	-1,550	1,910
Income before equity in earnings (losses) of equity method investments	2,784	1,593	582	2,763
Equity in earnings (losses) of equity method investments	-73	510	-605	1,259
Income (loss) from continuing operations	2,711	2,103	-23	4,022
Income from discontinued operations, net of tax	0	1,162	0	2,739
Net income (loss)	2,711	3,265	-23	6,761
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	-76	0	-124
Net income (loss) attributable to Brooks Automation, Inc.	$2,711	$3,189	($23)	$6,637
Basic net income (loss) per share attributable to Brooks Automation, Inc. common stockholders:
Net income (loss) from continuing operations (USD per share)	$0.04	$0.03	$0	$0.06
Net income from discontinued operations, net of tax (USD per share)	$0	$0.02	$0	$0.04
Basic net income (loss) per share attributable to Brooks Automation, Inc. (USD per share)	$0.04	$0.05	$0	$0.10
Diluted net income (loss) per share attributable to Brooks Automation, Inc. common stockholders:
Net income (loss) from continuing operations (USD per share)	$0.04	$0.03	$0	$0.06
Net income from discontinued operations, net of tax (USD per share)	$0	$0.02	$0	$0.04
Diluted net income (loss) per share attributable to Brooks Automation, Inc. common stockholders (USD per share)	$0.04	$0.05	$0	$0.10
Dividend declared per share (USD per share)	$0.10	$0.08	$0.20	$0.16
Shares used in computing earnings (loss) per share
Basic (shares)	67,387	66,646	67,255	66,499
Diluted (shares)	68,414	67,505	67,255	67,383

CONSOLIDATED_STATEMENTS_OF_COM

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Statement of Comprehensive Income [Abstract]
Net income (loss)	$2,711	$3,265	($23)	$6,761
Change in cumulative translation adjustment	-2,423	-547	-6,565	-841
Change in unrealized gain on marketable securities	267	22	202	21
Change in fair value on cash flow hedges	0	-37	0	68
Actuarial gain (loss)	-13	10	9	21
Comprehensive income (loss)	542	2,713	-6,377	6,030
Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	-76	0	-124
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Brooks Automation, Inc.	$542	$2,637	($6,377)	$5,906

CONSOLIDATED_STATEMENTS_OF_CAS

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (USD $)	6 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Cash flows from operating activities
Net income (loss)	($23)	$6,761
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	12,733	11,170
Impairment of intangible assets	0	398
Stock-based compensation	7,108	6,516
Amortization of premium on marketable securities	634	610
Undistributed losses (earnings) of equity method investments	605	-1,259
Deferred income tax provision (benefit)	-2,728	2,269
(Gain) loss on disposal of long-lived assets	-4	39
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions and disposals:
Accounts receivable	-13,269	-6,057
Inventories	2,474	276
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	-5,365	1,546
Accounts payable	8,345	248
Deferred revenue	-3,868	13,408
Accrued warranty and retrofit costs	-274	-951
Accrued compensation and benefits	-6,200	2,730
Accrued restructuring costs	-6	141
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	4,791	-2,194
Net cash provided by operating activities	4,953	35,651
Cash flows from investing activities
Purchases of property, plant and equipment	-3,647	-2,696
Sale/maturity of marketable securities	-30,739	-63,561
Sale/maturity of marketable securities	47,625	46,551
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	-17,257	0
Proceeds from the sale of property, plant and equipment	6	0
Other investment	-5,000	-4,000
Decrease in restricted cash	0	177
Net cash used in investing activities	-9,012	-23,529
Cash flows from financing activities
Proceeds from issuance of common stock, net of issuance costs	867	967
Principal repayment of capital lease obligation	-244	0
Common stock dividend paid	-13,480	-10,800
Net cash used in financing activities	-12,857	-9,833
Effects of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	-4,022	21
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	-20,938	2,310
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	94,114	82,971
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	73,176	85,281
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash investing and financing activities:
Acquisition of buildings and land through capital lease	$0	$8,537

Basis_of_Presentation

Basis of Presentation	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation	Basis of Presentation
	The unaudited consolidated financial statements of Brooks Automation, Inc. and its subsidiaries (“Brooks” or the “Company”) included herein have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States ("GAAP"). All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated. In the opinion of management, all material adjustments, which are of a normal and recurring nature, and necessary for a fair presentation of the financial position and results of operations for the periods presented have been reflected. The results of operations for the interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results of operations to be expected for the full fiscal year.
	In the second quarter of fiscal year 2014, the Company determined that its Granville-Phillips Gas Analysis & Vacuum Measurement ("Granville-Phillips") business met the criteria to be reported as a discontinued operation. As a result, the Company’s historical financial statements have been revised to present the operating results of the Granville-Phillips business as a discontinued operation. The results of operations from the Granville-Phillips business are presented as “Income from discontinued operations, net of tax” in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. The discussion in the notes to these consolidated financial statements, unless otherwise noted, relate solely to the Company's continuing operations (See Note 3).
	Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in the Company’s annual consolidated financial statements have been condensed or omitted and, accordingly, the accompanying financial information should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto contained in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2014 (the "2014 Annual Report on Form 10-K").
	Use of Estimates and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
	The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Significant estimates are associated with accounts receivable, inventories, goodwill, intangible assets other than goodwill, long-lived assets, derivative financial instruments, deferred income taxes, warranty obligations, revenue recognized using the percentage of completion method, pension obligations and stock-based compensation expense. The Company bases its estimates on historical experience and various other assumptions, including in certain circumstances, future projections that management believes to be reasonable under the circumstances. Although the Company regularly assesses these estimates, actual results could differ from those estimates. Changes in estimates are recorded in the period in which they become known.
	The Company’s significant accounting policies are described in Note 2 in the 2014 Annual Report on Form 10-K.
	Recently Enacted Accounting Pronouncements
	In July 2013, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued an amendment to the accounting guidance for presentation of unrecognized tax benefits. The prior guidance related to unrecognized tax benefits did not explicitly address financial statement presentation of unrecognized tax benefits when a net operating loss carryforward, a similar tax loss or a tax credit carryforward exists. The amended guidance eliminates the existing diversity in practice in the presentation of unrecognized tax benefits in these instances. Under the amended guidance, an unrecognized tax benefit, or a portion of an unrecognized tax benefit, will be presented in the financial statements as a reduction of a deferred tax asset when an operating loss carryforward, a similar tax loss or a tax credit carryforward exists, with limited exceptions. On October 1, 2014 the Company adopted this guidance, which had no impact on its financial position or results of operations.
	In April 2014, the FASB issued an amendment to the accounting guidance for reporting discontinued operations. The amended guidance raises the threshold for disposals to qualify as a discontinued operation by requiring a component of an entity that is held for sale, or has been disposed of by sale, to represent a strategic shift that has or will have a major effect on operations and financial results. Under the amended guidance, a strategic shift could include the disposal of a major line of business, a major geographical area, a major equity method investment or other major parts of an entity. In addition, the new guidance allows companies to have significant continuing involvement and continuing cash flows with the discontinued operation. The amended guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning on or after December 15, 2014. Early adoption is permitted for disposals, or classifications as held for sale, that have not been previously reported in financial statements. The Company has not considered this amended guidance in regard to the Granville-Phillips discontinued operation.
	In May 2014, the FASB issued new accounting guidance for reporting revenue recognition. The guidance recognizes revenue when promised goods or services are transferred to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration that is expected to be received for those goods or services. The five step process may make it possible that more judgment and estimation is required within the revenue recognition process than required under existing GAAP, including identifying performance obligations in the contract, estimating the amount of variable consideration to include in the transaction price and allocating the transaction price to each separate performance obligation. This guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016. Early adoption is not permitted. The Company is evaluating the impact that the adoption of this guidance will have on its financial position and results of operations.
	In January 2015, the FASB issued new accounting guidance to simplify income statement classification by removing the concept of extraordinary items from GAAP. As a result, items that are both unusual and infrequent will no longer be separately reported net of tax after continuing operations. This guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015. Early adoption is permitted. The adoption of this guidance will have no impact on the Company's financial position and results of operations.
	In February 2015, the FASB issued an amendment to the accounting guidance for consolidations by changing the analysis that a reporting entity must perform to determine whether it should consolidate certain types of legal entities. This guidance is effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2015. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is evaluating this standard and assessing the potential impact on its financial position and results of operations.

StockBased_Compensation

Stock-Based Compensation	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]
Stock-Based Compensation	Stock-Based Compensation
	The Company may issue restricted stock units and restricted stock awards collectively ("restricted stock units") and stock options which vest upon the satisfaction of a performance condition and/or a service condition. In addition, the Company issues shares to participating employees pursuant to an employee stock purchase plan.
	The following table reflects stock-based compensation expense, excluding amounts related to discontinued operations, recorded during the three and six months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 (in thousands):
		Three months ended						Six months ended
		March 31,						March 31,
		2015			2014			2015			2014
	Restricted stock units	$	3,512		$	3,683		$	6,884		$	6,293
	Employee stock purchase plan	113			112			224			225
		$	3,625		$	3,795		$	7,108		$	6,518
	The fair value per share of a restricted stock unit is equal to the quoted price of the Company’s common stock on the date of grant, net of estimated forfeitures. The expense related to these awards is being recorded ratably over the vesting period. In addition, for stock-based awards where vesting is dependent upon achieving certain operating performance goals, the Company estimates the likelihood of achieving the performance goals against previously established performance targets in accordance with the Company's long-term equity incentive plan.
	The Company grants restricted stock units that vest over a required service period and awards where vesting is dependent upon achieving certain operating performance goals. Restricted stock units granted with performance goals also have a required service period. The following table reflects restricted stock units granted, including awards related to the discontinued operation, during the six months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014:
		Total Units		Time-Based and Board of Directors' Units			Performance-Based Units
	Six months ended March 31, 2015	1,443,959		619,709			824,250
	Six months ended March 31, 2014	1,409,557		601,432			808,125
	Time-based and Board of Directors' Grants
	Units granted with a required service period typically have three year vesting schedules in which, subject to the award holder meeting service requirements, one-third vest at the first anniversary of the date of grant, one-third vest at the second anniversary of the date of grant and one-third vest at the third anniversary of the date of grant. The Company granted 62,405 stock units and 77,557 stock units for the six months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively, to the Company’s Board of Directors, which vest immediately.
	Performance-based Grants
	Performance-based units have performance criteria established by the Company’s Human Resources and Compensation Committee and the Board of Directors. The criteria for performance-based awards are weighted and have minimum performance thresholds, which if not met result in no vesting as to that metric’s weighted percentage.
	Performance-based awards granted in fiscal year 2014 included provisions where participants could achieve up to 200% of the targeted number of performance-based awards if the Company’s performance exceeds the target. The measurement of achievement against performance-based units granted in fiscal year 2014 occurred at the end of fiscal year 2014 to determine the number of earned units eligible for subsequent vesting, in which one-half vest at the second anniversary of the date of grant and one-half vest at the third anniversary of the date of grant, subject to the award holder meeting service requirements.
	The Company exceeded the fiscal year 2014 financial objectives associated with the performance-based awards which were granted in the first quarter of fiscal year 2014. Under the terms of the award, a total of 1,250,169 units could vest, subject to award holders satisfying the service requirement, which is an increase of 442,044 units over the target grant. Units granted to the employees of Granville-Phillips were forfeited upon completion of the sale.
	Performance-based awards granted in fiscal year 2015 included provisions where participants could achieve up to 200% of the targeted number of performance-based awards if the Company’s performance exceeds the target objectives.
	Sixty percent of the performance-based units granted in fiscal year 2015 have certain performance criteria to be measured at the end of fiscal year 2015 to determine the number of earned units, in which one-half vest at the second anniversary of the date of grant and one-half vest at the third anniversary of the date of grant, subject to the award holder meeting service requirements. Forty percent of the performance-based units granted in fiscal year 2015 have certain performance criteria to be measured over a three year period to be measured at the end of fiscal year 2017 with any earned units vesting at the third anniversary of the date of the grant, subject to award holders satisfying the service requirement.
	Stock Option Activity
	The following table summarizes stock option activity for the six months ended March 31, 2015:
		Number of		Weighted-		Weighted			Aggregate
		Options		Average		Average			Intrinsic Value
				Remaining		Exercise Price			(In Thousands)
				Contractual Term
	Outstanding at September 30, 2014	5,550				$	13.2
	Forfeited/expired	(5,550	)			13.2
	Outstanding at March 31, 2015	—		0.0 years		$	—		$	—
	Vested at March 31, 2015	—		0.0 years		$	—		$	—
	Options exercisable at March 31, 2015	—		0.0 years		$	—		$	—
	No stock options were granted during the three or six months ended March 31, 2015 or 2014. There were no stock option exercises in the three or six months ended March 31, 2015 or 2014.
	As of March 31, 2015, there was no future compensation cost related to stock options as all outstanding stock options have vested.
	Restricted Stock Unit Activity
	The following table summarizes restricted stock unit activity for the six months ended March 31, 2015:
		Restricted Stock Units		Weighted
				Average
				Grant-Date
				Fair Value
	Outstanding at September 30, 2014	2,726,485		$	11.05
	Restricted stock units granted	1,443,959		11.95
	Restricted stock units vested	(659,120	)	11.93
	Restricted stock units canceled	(241,072	)	10.52
	Outstanding at March 31, 2015	3,270,252		$	11.9
	The fair value of restricted stock units vested during the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 was $1.0 million and $1.8 million, respectively. The fair value of restricted stock units vested during the six months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 was $7.9 million and $4.9 million, respectively.
	As of March 31, 2015, the unrecognized compensation cost related to restricted stock units that is expected to vest is $21.7 million and will be recognized over an estimated weighted average service period of 1.9 years.
	Employee Stock Purchase Plan
	A total of 96,415 shares were purchased under the employee stock purchase plan during the three and six months ended March 31, 2015 for aggregate proceeds of $0.9 million. A total of 115,132 shares were purchased under the employee stock purchase plan during the three and six months ended March 31, 2014 for aggregate proceeds of $1.0 million.

Discontinued_Operations

Discontinued Operations	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Discontinued Operations and Disposal Groups [Abstract]
Discontinued Operations	Discontinued Operations
	The Granville-Phillips business unit developed, manufactured, sold and serviced vacuum measurement and gas analysis instrumentation to semiconductor and non-semiconductor customers. In March 2014, the Company entered into an agreement to sell this business for $87.0 million in cash. The sale was completed on May 30, 2014. The Company’s historical financial statements have been revised to present the operating results of the Granville-Phillips business as a discontinued operation. The presentation of the Granville-Phillips business as a discontinued operation had no impact on previously reported net income (loss) or stockholders' equity.

Acquisitions

Acquisitions	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Business Combinations [Abstract]
Acquisitions	Acquisitions
	Acquisitions Completed in Fiscal Year 2015
	On October 1, 2014, the Company acquired all of the outstanding stock of FluidX Ltd. (“FluidX”), a UK based provider of biological sample storage tubes and complementary bench-top instruments. The Company paid, in cash, aggregate merger consideration of $15.5 million, net of cash acquired. The acquisition of FluidX provides the Company with the opportunity to enhance its existing capabilities with respect to biobanking solutions in the Brooks Life Science Systems segment.
	The Company recorded the assets and liabilities associated with FluidX at their fair values as of the acquisition date. The preliminary amounts recorded were as follows (in thousands):
	Accounts receivable	$	1,980
	Inventory	2,857
	Prepaid and other current assets	213
	Property, plant and equipment	101
	Completed technology	1,230
	Trademarks and trade names	750
	Customer relationships	4,810
	Goodwill	8,247
	Accounts payable	(2,079		)
	Deferred revenue	(72		)
	Accrued liabilities	(992		)
	Long-term deferred tax liabilities	(1,540		)
	Total purchase price, net of cash acquired	$	15,505
	The purchase price was allocated based on the fair value of the identified assets acquired and liabilities assumed as of the acquisition date from a market participant’s perspective.
	On January 23, 2015, the Company reached a settlement on certain working capital adjustments with the sellers of FluidX stock. On February 3, 2015, the Company paid such proceeds to the seller which increased the purchase price by $0.1 million. At March 31, 2015, the Company had $1.5 million in a general escrow account. The Company has not yet completed the final allocation of the consideration in connection with the acquisition of FluidX, but expects to do so in the measurement period.
	The Company used the relief-from-royalty method, a form of the income approach, to value the trademarks and existing technology acquired. The principle behind this method is that the value of an intangible asset is equal to the present value of the after-tax royalty savings attributable to owning that intangible asset. The Company used the excess-earnings method, a form of the income approach, to value the customer relationships acquired. The principle behind this method is that the value of the intangible asset is equal to the present value of the after-tax cash flows attributable to the intangible asset only. The weighted average amortization periods for intangible assets acquired in the FluidX acquisition are 7.0 years for each of completed technology, trademarks, and customer relationships. The intangible assets acquired will be amortized using an accelerated depreciation method which approximates the pattern in which the economic benefits are expected to be realized.
	Goodwill represents the excess of the consideration transferred over the net assets acquired and has been assigned to the Company's Brooks Life Science Systems segment. Goodwill is primarily the result of expected synergies from combining the operations of FluidX with the Company. Goodwill arising from the acquisition of FluidX is not deductible for tax purposes.
	The operating results of FluidX have been included in the results of operations for the Brooks Life Science Systems segment from the date of the acquisition. Revenue from FluidX for the three months ended March 31, 2015 was $3.8 million and the net income was $0.4 million. Revenue from FluidX for the six months ended March 31, 2015 was $7.4 million and the net loss was $0.1 million. The net income (loss) for the three and six months ended March 31, 2015 includes charges to expense of $0.0 million and $1.0 million, respectively, related to the step-up in value of the acquired inventories. The net income (loss) for the three and six months ended March 31, 2015 also includes amortization expense of $0.3 million and $0.7 million, respectively.
	Acquisitions Completed in Fiscal Year 2014
	On April 30, 2014, the Company acquired all the outstanding stock of Dynamic Micro Systems Semiconductor Equipment GmbH (“DMS”), a German provider of automated contamination control solutions for front opening unified pod, or "FOUP," carriers and reticle storage, targeted at improving yield of semiconductor processes at semiconductor fabrication plants. The Company paid, in cash, aggregate merger consideration of $31.6 million, net of cash acquired. The acquisition of DMS expanded the Company’s capabilities at semiconductor fabrication plants for yield improvement on new technology nodes.
	The Company recorded the assets and liabilities associated with DMS at their fair values as of the acquisition date. The preliminary amounts recorded were as follows (in thousands):
	Accounts receivable	$	15,262
	Inventory	9,750
	Prepaid and other current assets	2,727
	Property, plant and equipment	2,049
	Completed technology	3,610
	Customer relationships	7,100
	Goodwill	11,939
	Accounts payable	(10,393		)
	Accrued liabilities	(5,522		)
	Deferred revenue	(1,309		)
	Long-term deferred tax liabilities	(3,588		)
	Total purchase price, net of cash acquired	$	31,625
	The purchase price was allocated based on the fair value of the identified assets acquired and liabilities assumed as of the acquisition date from a market participant’s perspective.
	The Company reached settlement on certain working capital adjustments and other issues with the sellers of DMS' stock in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2014. As a result of this settlement, the Company received $2.2 million in the first quarter of fiscal year 2015 from certain escrows established at the date of acquisition. At March 31, 2015, $2.7 million remained in escrow related to potential future claims against the sellers of DMS' stock. The Company has not yet completed the final allocation of the consideration paid in connection with the acquisition of DMS with respect to matters associated with the balances held in escrow and the potential impact of these matters on deferred tax liabilities. However, the Company expects to complete the final allocation within the measurement period.
	The Company used the relief-from-royalty method, a form of the income approach, to value the completed technology acquired. The principle behind this method is that the value of an intangible asset is equal to the present value of the after-tax royalty savings attributable to owning that intangible asset. The Company used the excess-earnings method, a form of the income approach, to value the customer relationships acquired. The principle behind this method is that the value of the intangible asset is equal to the present value of the after-tax cash flows attributable to the intangible asset only. The weighted average amortization periods for intangible assets acquired in the DMS acquisition are 5.0 years for completed technologies and 8.0 years for customer relationships. The intangible assets acquired will be amortized using methods that approximate the pattern in which the economic benefits are expected to be realized, including variable declining balance and straight-line methods.
	Goodwill represents the excess of the consideration transferred over the net assets acquired and has been assigned to the Company's Brooks Product Solutions segment. Goodwill is primarily the result of expected synergies from combining the operations of DMS with the Company. Goodwill arising from the acquisition of DMS is not deductible for tax purposes. In the first quarter of fiscal year 2015, the Company increased the opening goodwill balance by $0.3 million as a result of a fair value adjustment recorded to inventory.
	The operating results of DMS have been included in the results of operations for the Brooks Product Solutions segment from the date of the acquisition. Revenue from DMS for the three months ended March 31, 2015 was $9.0 million and the net income was $0.1 million. Revenue from DMS for the six months ended March 31, 2015 was $16.1 million and the net loss was $0.2 million. The net income for the three and six months ended March 31, 2015 includes charges to expense of $0.0 million and $0.6 million, respectively, related to the step-up in value of the acquired inventories. The net income for the three and six months ended March 31, 2015 also includes amortization of acquired intangible assets of $0.6 million and $1.1 million, respectively.
	The following pro forma summary presents consolidated information of the Company as if the acquisition of DMS occurred on October 1, 2013 (in thousands):
		Three months ended March 31, 2014			Six months ended March 31, 2014
	Revenue	$	140,408		$	259,853
	Net income attributable to Brooks Automation, Inc.	3,467			2,860
	The pro forma net income has been adjusted to reflect additional amortization from adjustments to intangible assets as if those adjustments had been applied as of October 1, 2013.

Goodwill_and_Intangible_Assets

Goodwill and Intangible Assets	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Goodwill and Intangible Assets	Goodwill and Intangible Assets
	Goodwill represents the excess of net book value over the estimated fair value of net tangible and identifiable intangible assets of a reporting unit. The Company performs an annual impairment test of its goodwill on September 30 of each fiscal year unless interim indicators of impairment exist. The Company did not identify any indicators of goodwill impairment during the six month period ended March 31, 2015 that would warrant an interim test.
	The components of the Company’s goodwill, excluding amounts related to the discontinued operations, by business segment at March 31, 2015 are as follows (in thousands):
		Brooks			Brooks			Brooks		Other			Total
		Product			Global			Life Science
		Solutions			Services			Systems
	Gross goodwill at September 30, 2014	$	494,275		$	156,792		$	47,378	$	26,014		$	724,459
	Less: aggregate impairment charges recorded	(437,706		)	(151,238		)	—		(26,014		)	(614,958		)
	Goodwill, less accumulated impairments at September 30, 2014	56,569			5,554			47,378		—			109,501
	Acquisitions and adjustments during the six months ended March 31, 2015	516			—			8,247		—			8,763
	Goodwill, less accumulated impairments at March 31, 2015	$	57,085		$	5,554		$	55,625	$	—		$	118,264
	Components of the Company’s identifiable intangible assets, excluding amounts related to the discontinued operations, are as follows (in thousands):
		31-Mar-15								September 30, 2014
		Cost			Accumulated			Net Book		Cost			Accumulated			Net Book
					Amortization			Value					Amortization			Value
	Patents	$	7,808		$	7,347		$	461	$	7,808		$	7,300		$	508
	Completed technology	58,409			44,141			14,268		57,155			41,539			15,616
	Trademarks and trade names	4,240			3,546			694		3,496			3,496			—
	Customer relationships	77,916			33,646			44,270		73,389			29,963			43,426
		$	148,373		$	88,680		$	59,693	$	141,848		$	82,298		$	59,550
	The Company recorded an increase to goodwill in the amount of $8.8 million during the six months ended March 31, 2015. This increase includes $8.2 million related to the acquisition of FluidX, representing the excess of the consideration transferred over the net assets acquired from FluidX. This increase also includes $0.3 million due to a fair value adjustment recorded to DMS inventory, resulting in an increase to opening goodwill.
	The Company is required to test certain long-lived assets when indicators of impairment are present. The Company evaluated the existence of impairment indicators on long-lived assets for the six months ended March 31, 2015 and determined that the indicators were not present. The Company initially determined that impairment indicators were present for the long-lived assets related to the Celigo product line as of September 30, 2013. The long-lived assets in question were tested for recoverability, which resulted in the conclusion that the carrying amounts of the assets were not fully recoverable. As a result of this analysis, management determined that an impairment loss of $2.0 million had occurred as of September 30, 2013. The Company revised its estimate of the fair value of these assets during the three months ended December 31, 2013 and determined that an additional impairment loss of $0.4 million, representing the remaining carrying value of the long-lived assets, was required. These impairment losses were recorded in the Brooks Life Science Systems segment. The Company completed the sale of the Celigo product line in the second quarter of fiscal year 2014.

Income_Taxes

Income Taxes	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Income Taxes	Income Taxes
	The Company recorded an income tax provision (benefit) of $1.6 million and $(1.6) million for the three and six months ended March 31, 2015, respectively. The tax provision is driven by global income during the current quarter and interest related to unrecognized tax benefits. The tax benefit is driven by U.S. pre-tax losses in the first quarter of fiscal 2015, $0.6 million of reductions in unrecognized tax benefits resulting from the expiration of the statute of limitations in various foreign jurisdictions and $0.9 million of tax benefits resulting from the reinstatement of the U.S. federal research and development tax credit, retroactive to January 1, 2014. These benefits are partially offset by foreign income taxes and interest related to unrecognized tax benefits.
	The Company recorded an income tax provision of $1.1 million and $1.9 million for the three and six months ended March 31, 2014, respectively. These tax provisions substantially consist of U.S. and foreign income taxes, as well as interest related to unrecognized tax benefits.
	The Company evaluates the realizability of its deferred tax assets by jurisdiction and assesses the need for a valuation allowance on a quarterly basis. As of March 31, 2015, the Company has continued to maintain a valuation allowance in the U.S. against certain tax credits and state net operating losses due to the uncertainty of their realization based on long-term Company forecasts and the expiration dates on these attributes. The Company has also continued to maintain a valuation allowance in certain jurisdictions that have not generated historical cumulative profitability.
	The Company is subject to U.S. federal income tax and various state, local and foreign income taxes in various jurisdictions. The amount of income taxes paid is subject to the Company's interpretation of applicable tax laws in the jurisdictions in which it files. In the normal course of business, the Company is subject to examination by taxing authorities throughout the world. The Company has income tax audits in progress in various jurisdictions in which it operates. In the Company's U.S. and foreign jurisdictions, the years that may be examined vary, with the earliest tax year being 2008. Based on the outcome of these examinations, or the expiration of statutes of limitations for specific jurisdictions, the related unrecognized tax benefits could change from those recorded in the Company's Consolidated Balance Sheets. It is reasonably possible that the unrecognized tax benefit will be reduced by approximately $1.3 million during the next twelve months as the result of the expiration of statutes of limitations.

Earnings_per_Share

Earnings per Share	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Earnings per Share	Earnings per Share
	Below is a reconciliation of weighted average common shares outstanding for purposes of calculating basic and diluted earnings per share (in thousands):
		Three months ended		Six months ended
		March 31,		March 31,
		2015	2014	2015	2014
	Weighted average common shares outstanding used in computing basic earnings per share	67,387	66,646	67,255	66,499
	Dilutive common stock options and restricted stock units	1,027	859	—	884
	Weighted average common shares outstanding for purposes of computing diluted earnings per share	68,414	67,505	67,255	67,383
	Options to purchase approximately 2,000 and 16,000 shares of common stock and 552,000 and 0 restricted stock units were excluded from the computation of diluted earnings per share attributable to common stockholders for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively, as their effect would be anti-dilutive. In addition, options to purchase approximately 16,000 shares of common stock and 0 shares of restricted stock were excluded from the computation of diluted earnings per share attributable to common stockholders for the six months ended March 31, 2014, as their effect would be anti-dilutive. All unvested shares of restricted stock units were excluded from the computation of diluted earnings per share for the six months ended March 31, 2015 as a result of the net loss for that period.

Segment_Information

Segment Information	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Segment Information	Segment Information
	The Company reports financial results in three segments: Brooks Product Solutions, Brooks Global Services and Brooks Life Science Systems. A description of segments is included in the 2014 Annual Report on Form 10-K, included in Note 18.
	The Company evaluates the performance of, and allocates resources to, each of its segments based on their revenues, operating income (loss) and returns on invested assets. Operating income (loss) for each segment includes selling, general and administrative expenses directly attributable to the segment. Other unallocated corporate expenses, amortization of acquired intangible assets (excluding completed technology) and restructuring and other charges are excluded from the segments’ operating income (loss). The Company’s indirect overhead costs, which include various general and administrative expenses, are allocated among the segments based upon multiple cost drivers associated with the respective administrative function, including segment revenue, segment headcount, or an analysis of the segments that benefit from a specific administrative function. Segment assets exclude cash, cash equivalents, marketable securities, deferred tax assets and equity method investments.
	Financial information for the Company’s business segments, excluding amounts related to the discontinued operations, is as follows (in thousands):
		Brooks		Brooks		Brooks			Total
		Product		Global		Life Science
		Solutions		Services		Systems
	Three months ended March 31, 2015
	Revenue
	Product	$	98,958	$	4,128	$	13,309		$	116,395
	Services	—		18,709		4,209			22,918
		$	98,958	$	22,837	$	17,518		$	139,313
	Gross profit	$	33,995	$	7,043	$	4,987		$	46,025
	Segment operating income (loss)	$	7,995	$	2,108	$	(4,391	)	$	5,712
	Three months ended March 31, 2014
	Revenue
	Product	$	89,897	$	4,213	$	8,424		$	102,534
	Services	—		19,178		4,188			23,366
		$	89,897	$	23,391	$	12,612		$	125,900
	Gross profit	$	31,960	$	7,676	$	4,662		$	44,298
	Segment operating income (loss)	$	6,127	$	2,248	$	(3,565	)	$	4,810
	Six months ended March 31, 2015
	Revenue
	Product	$	181,814	$	8,236	$	26,075		$	216,125
	Services	—		37,798		8,126			45,924
		$	181,814	$	46,034	$	34,201		$	262,049
	Gross profit	$	60,917	$	15,506	$	8,690		$	85,113
	Segment operating income (loss)	$	8,457	$	5,661	$	(9,907	)	$	4,211
	Six months ended March 31, 2014
	Revenue
	Product	$	171,453	$	7,652	$	16,559		$	195,664
	Services	—		39,058		8,250			47,308
		$	171,453	$	46,710	$	24,809		$	242,972
	Gross profit	$	60,461	$	15,501	$	9,227		$	85,189
	Segment operating income (loss)	$	10,455	$	5,091	$	(7,040	)	$	8,506
	Assets
	31-Mar-15	$	259,393	$	55,809	$	117,249		$	432,451
	September 30, 2014	$	252,944	$	58,678	$	103,498		$	415,120
	A reconciliation of the Company’s reportable segment operating income (loss) to the corresponding consolidated amounts for the three and six month periods ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 is as follows (in thousands):
		Three months ended				Six months ended
		March 31,				March 31,
		2015		2014		2015			2014
	Segment operating income	$	5,712	$	4,810	$	4,211		$	8,506
	Amortization of acquired intangible assets	1,914		1,460		3,826			2,916
	Restructuring and other charges	685		772		3,353			1,519
	Other unallocated corporate expenses	60		182		459			217
	Total operating income (loss)	$	3,053	$	2,396	$	(3,427	)	$	3,854
	A reconciliation of the Company’s reportable segment assets to the corresponding consolidated amounts as of March 31, 2015 and September 30, 2014 is as follows (in thousands):
		March 31,		September 30,
		2015		2014
	Segment assets	$	432,451	$	415,120
	Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities	207,104		245,456
	Deferred tax assets	88,466		86,572
	Equity method investments	27,027		28,944
	Other unallocated corporate net assets	1,907		1,946
	Total assets	$	756,955	$	778,038

Significant_Customers

Significant Customers	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Risks and Uncertainties [Abstract]
Significant Customers	Significant Customers
	The Company had one customer that accounted for more than 10% of its revenue, at 11% and 10%, in the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. The Company had one customer that accounted for more than 10% of its revenue at 12%, in each of the six months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014. The Company did not have any customers that accounted for more than 10% of its accounts receivable balance at March 31, 2015 or September 30, 2014.
	For purposes of determining the percentage of revenue from any original equipment manufacturer ("OEM") customer, the Company does not include revenue from products sold to a contract manufacturer customer which in turn sells to the OEM. If the Company included revenue from products sold to contract manufacturer customers supporting the Company's OEM customers, the percentage of the Company's total revenue derived from certain OEM customers would be higher.

Restructuring_and_Other_Charge

Restructuring and Other Charges	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Restructuring and Related Activities [Abstract]
Restructuring and Other Charges	Restructuring and Other Charges
	The Company recorded a restructuring charge of $0.7 million for the three months ended March 31, 2015 related to severance costs. These severance costs were driven by actions taken to consolidate global functional support roles and transition the manufacturing of certain product sub-assemblies to third party contract manufacturers within the Brooks Life Science Systems segment. The Company incurred additional severance costs within the Brooks Product Solutions segment related to the transition of manufacturing certain products from the Company's facility in Mistelgau, Germany to a third party contract manufacturer. The Company's manufacturing site in Germany is expected to close in 2016.
	The Company recorded a restructuring charge of $3.4 million for the six months ended March 31, 2015, which included $2.1 million of severance costs and $1.2 million of facility exit costs. Included in these restructuring charges are the severance costs described above along with $2.7 million of restructuring costs for the three months ended December 31, 2014 as a result of actions taken to reduce the Company's workforce in order to improve its cost structure and ongoing cost discipline. These restructuring charges related primarily to severance costs of $1.5 million and facility exit related costs of $1.2 million. The reduction in workforce was primarily the result of consolidation of positions in the United States and Germany, including reductions related to the integration of the Company's acquisition of DMS. The facility exit costs were due to the outsourcing of manufacturing certain products in the Company's line of Polycold cryochillers and compressors within the United States to a third party contract manufacturer. The facility exit costs were estimated according to future lease payments and operating costs to be paid until the termination of the lease.
	The Company recorded a restructuring charge of $0.8 million and $1.5 million for the three and six months ended March 31, 2014, respectively. These restructuring costs consisted primarily of severance and other workforce-related costs resulting from the consolidation of certain administrative functions in the Brooks Life Science Systems segment, the on-going transition of manufacturing certain of the Company’s Polycold products to a third party contract manufacturer and other programs designed to improve the Company’s cost structure.
	The activity for the three and six months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 related to the Company's restructuring-related accruals, excluding amounts related to the discontinued operations, is summarized below (in thousands):
		Activity — Three months ended March 31, 2015
		Balance at		Expense		Utilization			Balance at
		December 31,							March 31,
		2014							2015
	Facilities and other	$	1,175	$	—	$	(271	)	$	904
	Workforce-related	2,753		685		(1,045		)	2,393
		$	3,928	$	685	$	(1,316	)	$	3,297
		Activity — Three Months Ended March 31, 2014
		Balance at		Expense		Utilization			Balance at
		December 31,							March 31,
		2013							2014
	Facilities and other	$	57	$	7	$	(64	)	$	—
	Workforce-related	1,405		765		(618		)	1,552
		$	1,462	$	772	$	(682	)	$	1,552
		Activity — Six months ended March 31, 2015
		Balance at		Expense		Utilization			Balance at
		September 30,							March 31,
		2014							2015
	Facilities and other	$	71	$	1,205	$	(372	)	$	904
	Workforce-related	3,404		2,148		(3,159		)	2,393
		$	3,475	$	3,353	$	(3,531	)	$	3,297
		Activity — Six months ended March 31, 2014
		Balance at		Expense		Utilization			Balance at
		September 30,							March 31,
		2013							2014
	Facilities and other	$	155	$	13	$	(168	)	$	—
	Workforce-related	1,257		1,506		(1,211		)	1,552
		$	1,412	$	1,519	$	(1,379	)	$	1,552
	The Company anticipates that the accrued restructuring costs at March 31, 2015 will be substantially paid in the next twelve months.

Employee_Benefit_Plans

Employee Benefit Plans	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]
Employee Benefit Plans	Employee Benefit Plans
	The Company has two active defined benefit pension plans (collectively, the “Plans”). The Plans cover substantially all of the Company’s employees in Switzerland and Taiwan. Retirement benefits are generally earned based on years of service and compensation during active employment; however, the level of benefits varies within the Plans. Eligibility is determined in accordance with local statutory requirements.
	The components of the Company’s net pension cost for the three and six months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 are as follows (in thousands):
		Three months ended						Six months ended
		March 31,						March 31,
		2015			2014			2015			2014
	Service cost	$	129		$	102		$	248		$	202
	Interest cost	33			39			64			78
	Amortization of losses	—			—			—			1
	Expected return on assets	(58		)	(55		)	(111		)	(108		)
	Net periodic pension cost	$	104		$	86		$	201		$	173

Other_Balance_Sheet_Informatio

Other Balance Sheet Information	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Other Balance Sheet Information	Other Balance Sheet Information
	The following is a summary of accounts receivable at March 31, 2015 and September 30, 2014 (in thousands):
		March 31,				September 30,
		2015				2014
	Accounts receivable	$	96,066			$	81,270
	Less allowance for doubtful accounts	(1,261		)		(1,031		)
	Less allowance for sales returns	(126		)		(133		)
		$	94,679			$	80,106
	The following is a summary of inventories at March 31, 2015 and September 30, 2014, excluding amounts related to discontinued operations (in thousands):
		March 31,				September 30,
		2015				2014
	Inventories
	Raw materials and purchased parts	$	55,456			$	57,250
	Work-in-process	19,600				20,068
	Finished goods	15,502				16,249
		$	90,558			$	93,567
	Reserves for excess and obsolete inventory were $24.9 million and $26.0 million, excluding amounts related to discontinued operations, at March 31, 2015 and September 30, 2014, respectively.
	The Company provides for the estimated cost of product warranties, primarily from historical information, at the time product revenue is recognized and retrofit accruals at the time retrofit programs are established. The Company’s warranty obligation is affected by product failure rates, utilization levels, material usage, service delivery costs incurred in correcting a product failure, and supplier warranties on parts delivered to the Company.
	Product warranty and retrofit activity on a gross basis for the three and six months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, excluding amounts related to discontinued operations, is as follows (in thousands):
	Activity - Three months ended March 31, 2015
	Balance at				Adjustments for				Accruals		Costs Incurred			Balance at
	December 31,				Acquisitions and Divestitures									March 31,
	2014													2015
	$	6,255			$	—			$	2,428	$	(2,480	)	$	6,203
	Activity - Three months ended March 31, 2014
	Balance at				Adjustments for				Accruals		Costs Incurred			Balance at
	December 31,				Acquisitions and Divestitures									March 31,
	2013													2014
	$	6,762			$	—			$	2,275	$	(2,718	)	$	6,319
	Activity - Six months ended March 31, 2015
	Balance at				Adjustments for				Accruals		Costs Incurred			Balance at
	September 30,				Acquisitions and Divestitures									March 31,
	2014													2015
	$	6,499			$	81			$	5,145	$	(5,522	)	$	6,203
	Activity - Six months ended March 31, 2014
	Balance at				Adjustments for				Accruals		Costs Incurred			Balance at
	September 30,				Acquisitions and Divestitures									March 31,
	2013													2014
	$	7,260			$	—			$	4,150	$	(5,091	)	$	6,319

Joint_Ventures

Joint Ventures	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Equity Method Investments and Joint Ventures [Abstract]
Equity Method Investments	Equity Method Investments
	The Company accounts for certain of its investments using the equity method. Under this method of accounting, the Company records in income its proportionate share of the earnings (losses) of the investee with a corresponding increase (decrease) in the carrying value of the investment.
	BioCision, LLC
	In March 2014, the Company acquired a 22% equity interest in BioCision, LLC (“BioCision”), a privately-held company based in Larkspur, California, for $4.0 million. BioCision develops, manufactures and markets cell cryopreservation products used to improve and standardize the tools and methods for biomaterial sample handling. The Company determined that the level of equity investment at risk was not sufficient for BioCision to finance its activities without additional financial support and as a result, represented a variable interest entity. However, the Company does not have the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact BioCision’s economic performance, and therefore does not qualify as the primary beneficiary. As such, the Company concluded that BioCision will not be consolidated in the Company's financial statements.
	For the three and six months ended March 31, 2015, the Company recorded a loss associated with BioCision of $0.3 million and $0.5 million. At March 31, 2015, the carrying value of the investment in BioCision in the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheet was $3.2 million.
	The Company purchased BioCision five-year convertible debt securities with a warrant agreement to purchase preferred units of BioCision for a total of $2.5 million on December 22, 2014 and February 2, 2015, resulting in a total purchase price of $5.0 million. The convertible debt securities were accounted for under the fair value method, and were recorded at fair value. The warrants were accounted for as a derivative and were recorded at fair value. The Company will re-measure the fair value of the BioCision convertible debt securities and warrants each reporting period, and the respective gain or loss will be recognized in earnings. Interest accrues on the convertible debt securities at a rate of 9% per annum, and is due with the principal upon maturity. As a result of the funding, the Company reconsidered whether BioCision represents a variable interest entity, which is subject to consolidation. The Company concluded that the level of equity investment at risk is still insufficient for BioCision to finance its activities without additional support, thus will remain a variable interest entity. However, the Company still does not have the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact BioCision’s economic performance, and therefore still does not qualify as the primary beneficiary. As such, the Company concluded that BioCision will not be consolidated in the Company's financial statements. As of March 31, 2015, the fair value of the convertible debt securities and warrants was $5.2 million and $70,000, respectively. For further information regarding the convertible debt securities and warrants, see Note 17, “Fair Value Measurements”.
	ULVAC Cryogenics, Inc.
	The Company participates in a 50% joint venture, ULVAC Cryogenics, Inc. (“UCI”), with ULVAC Corporation of Chigasaki, Japan. UCI manufactures and sells cryogenic vacuum pumps, principally to ULVAC Corporation. For the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, the Company recorded income associated with UCI of $16,000 and $0.5 million, respectively. For the six months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, the Company recorded income associated with UCI of $0.4 million and $1.2 million, respectively. At March 31, 2015, the carrying value of UCI in the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheet was $21.9 million. For each of the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, management fee payments received by the Company from UCI were $0.2 million. For each of the six months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, management fee payments received by the Company from UCI were $0.3 million. For the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, the Company incurred charges from UCI for products or services of $46,000 and $37,000, respectively. For each of the six months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, the Company incurred charges from UCI for products or services of $0.1 million. At March 31, 2015 and September 30, 2014, the Company owed UCI $46,000 and $79,000, respectively, in connection with accounts payable for unpaid products and services.
	Yaskawa Brooks Automation, Inc.
	The Company participates in a 50% joint venture with Yaskawa Electric Corporation (“Yaskawa”) called Yaskawa Brooks Automation, Inc. (“YBA”) to exclusively market and sell Yaskawa’s semiconductor robotics products and Brooks’ automation hardware products to semiconductor customers in Japan. During the first quarter of fiscal year 2015, the Company and Yaskawa agreed in principle to dissolve the joint venture. On January 22, 2015, the Company entered into an agreement with YBA to facilitate the acquisition of certain assets and certain liabilities by the Company’s subsidiary in Japan. In accordance with the agreement, on March 20, 2015 the Company’s subsidiary in Japan received the net assets of YBA for cash consideration of approximately $1.8 million. The Company recorded the assets received and liabilities assumed from YBA at their fair value as of the acquisition date. As a result of the transaction, the Company recorded $0.2 million of goodwill, representing the excess of the consideration transferred over the net assets acquired. The cash received by YBA will be used to pay off remaining liabilities and the liquidation costs of YBA. Any remaining cash after making these payments will be distributed to the equity partners in the form of a dividend, which is expected to occur by the end of fiscal year 2015.
	The Company recorded $0.2 million of income associated with YBA for the three months ended March 31, 2015, compared to $35,000, for the three months ended March 31, 2014. For the six months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, the Company recorded income (expense) associated with YBA of $(0.5) million and $17,000, respectively. At March 31, 2015, the carrying value of YBA in the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheet was $1.9 million. For the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, revenue earned by the Company from YBA was $1.0 million and $2.1 million, respectively. For the six months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, revenue earned by the Company from YBA was $2.1 million and $2.8 million, respectively. For the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, the Company incurred charges from YBA for products or services of $0.5 million and $0.2 million, respectively. For the six months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, the Company incurred charges from YBA for products or services of $0.9 million and $0.3 million, respectively.
	The amount due from YBA included in accounts receivable at March 31, 2015 and September 30, 2014 was $0.0 million and $2.1 million, respectively. At March 31, 2015 and September 30, 2014, the Company owed YBA $0.0 million and $0.1 million, respectively, in connection with accounts payable for unpaid products and services. The Company expects the YBA dissolution to be completed within the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2015.

Note_Receivable_Notes

Note Receivable (Notes)	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Equity Method Investments and Joint Ventures [Abstract]
Investments in Variable Interest Entity	In 2012, the Company provided a strategic partner (the “Borrower”) a loan of $3.0 million to support the Borrower's future product development and other working capital requirements. The loan bears interest at a rate of 9% and the outstanding principal and interest was payable in May 2015. The Company also received a warrant to purchase the Borrower's common stock in the event of an equity offering by the Borrower and certain other rights related to conversion of the loan, first refusal to acquire the Borrower and a redemption premium. The loan was secured by a security agreement granting the Company a first-priority security interest in all of the assets of the Borrower.
	The Company determined that the level of equity investment at risk was not sufficient for the entity to finance its activities without additional financial support and as a result, represented a variable interest entity. However, the Company does not have the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the Borrower's economic performance and would not absorb the majority of the expected losses from the Borrower, and therefore does not qualify as the primary beneficiary. The Company has no future contractual funding commitments to the Borrower and as a result, the Company's exposure to loss was limited to the outstanding principal and interest under the loan.
	During the third quarter of fiscal year 2014, the Borrower informed the Company of its intent to secure additional funding from an investment program funded by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts designed to support early-stage companies. In connection with the Borrower’s efforts to secure additional financing, the Company agreed to subordinate its security interest in the assets of the Borrower to the new lender. Additionally, the Company agreed to extend the due date of its loan by approximately 5 years, to September 2019, in order to coincide with the due date of the new loan. The amended loan has a stated interest rate of 10%.
	In connection with its efforts to secure additional financial support, the Borrower developed revised assumptions about its future cash flows. Based on the information provided by the Borrower, and the subordination to the new lender, the Company determined it was probable that it would not recover all amounts due from the loan and recorded an impairment charge of $2.6 million in the third quarter of fiscal year 2014. The impairment charge, which included the warrant write-off, was recorded in the Consolidated Statements of Operations in selling, general and administrative expenses.
	The fair value of the loan was determined by considering the fair value of the collateral using valuation techniques, principally the discounted cash flow method, less amounts committed by the new lender. The observable inputs used in the Company's analysis were limited primarily to the discount rate, which was based on a rate commensurate with the risks and uncertainties of the Borrower. As a result, the fair value of the loan at March 31, 2015 could be different under different conditions or different assumptions, including the varying assumptions regarding future cash flows of the Borrower or discount rates.

Derivative_Instruments

Derivative Instruments	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]
Derivative Instruments	Derivative Instruments
	The Company has transactions and balances denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Most of these transactions or balances are denominated in Euros, British Pounds and a variety of Asian currencies. These transactions and balances, including short-term advances between the Company and its subsidiaries, subject the Company's operations to exposure from exchange rate fluctuations. The impact of currency exchange rate movement can be positive or negative in any period. The Company mitigates the impact of potential currency translation gains and losses on short-term intercompany advances through timely settlement of each transaction, generally within 30 days.
	The Company also enters into foreign exchange contracts to reduce its exposure to currency translation. Under forward contract arrangements, the Company typically agrees to purchase a fixed amount of U.S. dollars in exchange for a fixed amount of a foreign currency on specified dates with maturities of three months or less. These transactions do not qualify for hedge accounting.
	Net gains and losses recorded as a component of "Other income, net" in the Consolidated Statements of Operations related to these contracts for the three and six months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 is as follows (in thousands):
		Three months ended							Six months ended
		March 31,							March 31,
		2015			2014				2015				2014
	Realized gains (losses) on derivative instruments not designated as hedging instruments	$	126		$	(154	)		$	426			$	(107	)
	The Company had the following notional amounts outstanding under foreign currency contracts that do not qualify for hedge accounting at March 31, 2015 and September 30, 2014 (in thousands):
	March 31, 2015:
	Buy Currency	Notional Amount		Sell Currency		Maturity		Notional Amount			Fair Value of				Fair Value of
		of Buy Currency						of Sell Currency			Assets				Liabilities
	U.S. Dollar	1,343		Japanese Yen		April to June 2015		160,000			$	5			$	—
	British Pound	1,098		Euro		Apr-15		1,500			—				7
	U.S. Dollar	673		Taiwan Dollar		Apr-15		21,000			2				—
	U.S. Dollar	1,248		British Pound		Apr-15		840			—				1
	Euro	5,100		U.S. Dollar		Apr-15		5,560			23
	Korean Won	330,000		U.S. Dollar		Apr-15		299			—				—
	U.S. Dollar	403		Japanese Yen		Apr-15		48,000			1				—
	U.S. Dollar	603		Israeli Shekel		Apr-15		2,400			—				7
											$	31			$	15
	September 30, 2014:
	Buy Currency	Notional Amount		Sell Currency		Maturity		Notional Amount			Fair Value of				Fair Value of
		of Buy Currency						of Sell Currency			Assets				Liabilities
	U.S. Dollar	1,736		Japanese Yen		October 2014 to December 2014		190,000			$	—			$	11
	U.S. Dollar	1,395		Euro		October 2014		1,100			—				16
	U.S. Dollar	656		Taiwan Dollar		October 2014		20,000			—				5
	U.S. Dollar	650		British Pound		October 2014		400			—				5
	U.S. Dollar	731		Israeli Shekel		October 2014		2,700			—				5
	U.S. Dollar	76		Korean Won		October 2014		80,000			—				1
	British Pound	3,513		Euro		October 2014		4,500			—				15
											$	—			$	58
	The fair values of the forward contracts described above are recorded in the Company's Consolidated Balance Sheets as "Prepaid expenses and other current assets" and "Accrued expenses and other current liabilities".
	Stock Warrants
	The BioCision warrant agreements contain net share settlement provisions, which permit the Company to pay the warrant exercise price using shares issuable under the warrants (“cashless exercise”). The value of the stock warrants will fluctuate primarily in relation to the value of BioCision's underlying securities, either providing an appreciation in value or potentially expiring with no value. Gains and losses on the revaluation of the stock warrants are recognized in "Other income, net" on the Consolidated Statements of Income. See Note 17 “Fair Value Measurements” for further information regarding the fair value of the stock warrants.

Marketable_Securities

Marketable Securities	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Investments, Debt and Equity Securities [Abstract]
Marketable Securities	Marketable Securities
	The Company invests in marketable securities and classifies them as available-for-sale. The Company records these securities at fair value. Marketable securities reported as current assets represent investments that mature within one year from the balance sheet date. Long-term marketable securities represent investments with maturity dates greater than one year from the balance sheet date. At the time that the maturity dates of these investments become one year or less, the securities are reclassified to current assets. Unrealized gains and losses are excluded from earnings and reported as a separate component of accumulated other comprehensive income until the security is sold or matures. At the time of sale, any gains or losses, calculated by the specific identification method, will be recognized as a component of operating results.
	The following is a summary of marketable securities (included in short and long-term marketable securities in the Consolidated Balance Sheets), including accrued interest receivable, as of March 31, 2015 and September 30, 2014 (in thousands):
		Amortized		Gross		Gross			Fair Value
		Cost		Unrealized		Unrealized
				Gains		Losses
	March 31, 2015:
	U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S. government agencies	$	27,402	$	17	$	(2	)	$	27,417
	Corporate securities	61,377		26		(38		)	61,365
	Mortgage-backed securities	911		30		—			941
	Other debt securities	6,270		2		—			6,272
	Municipal securities	19,936		2		(14		)	19,924
	Bank certificate of deposits	16,946		1,063		—			18,009
		$	132,842	$	1,140	$	(54	)	$	133,928
	September 30, 2014:
	U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S. government agencies	$	26,052	$	1	$	(39	)	$	26,014
	Corporate securities	74,614		23		(174		)	74,463
	Mortgage-backed securities	964		36		—			1,000
	Other debt securities	7,358		—		(10		)	7,348
	Municipal securities	15,888		1		(16		)	15,873
	Bank certificate of deposits	26,645		2		(3		)	26,644
		$	151,521	$	63	$	(242	)	$	151,342
	The fair value of the marketable securities at March 31, 2015 by contractual maturity, are shown below (in thousands):
		Fair Value
	Due in one year or less	$	69,327
	Due after one year through five years	61,247
	Due after ten years	3,354
		$	133,928
	Expected maturities could differ from contractual maturities because the issuers of the securities may have the right to prepay obligations without prepayment penalties.

Fair_Value_Measurements

Fair Value Measurements	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Fair Value Measurements	Fair Value Measurements
	The fair value measurement guidance establishes a fair value hierarchy which requires an entity to maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs when measuring fair value. The standard describes three levels of inputs that may be used to measure fair value:
	Level 1: Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities as of the reporting date. Active markets are those in which transactions for the asset and liability occur in sufficient frequency and volume to provide pricing information on an ongoing basis.
	Level 2: Observable inputs other than Level 1 prices, such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities; quoted prices in markets that are not active; or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities.
	Level 3: Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair value of the assets or liabilities.
	Assets and liabilities of the Company measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of March 31, 2015 and September 30, 2014 are summarized as follows (in thousands):
				Fair Value Measurements at Reporting Date Using
	Description	March 31,		Quoted Prices in			Significant Other		Significant
		2015		Active Markets for			Observable Inputs		Unobservable Inputs
				Identical Assets			(Level 2)		(Level 3)
				(Level 1)
	Assets
	Cash equivalents	$	10,404	$	10,154		$	250	$	—
	Available-for-sale securities	133,928		—			133,928		—
	Foreign exchange contracts	31		—			31		—
	Convertible debt securities	5,207		—			—		5,207
	Stock warrants	70		—			—		70
	Total Assets	$	149,640	$	10,154		$	134,209	$	5,277
	Liabilities
	Foreign exchange contracts	$	15	$	—		$	15	$	—
	The convertible debt securities and stock are included in "Other assets" in the Consolidated Balance Sheets.
				Fair Value Measurements at Reporting Date Using
	Description	September 30,		Quoted Prices in			Significant Other		Significant
		2014		Active Markets for			Observable Inputs		Unobservable Inputs
				Identical Assets			(Level 2)		(Level 3)
				(Level 1)
	Assets
	Cash equivalents	$	6,404	$	5,166		$	1,238	$	—
	Available-for-sale securities	151,342		—			151,342		—
	Total Assets	$	157,746	$	5,166		$	152,580	$	—
	Liabilities
	Foreign exchange contracts	$	58	$	—		$	58	$	—
	Cash Equivalents
	Cash equivalents of $10.2 million and $5.2 million at March 31, 2015 and September 30, 2014, respectively, consisting of Money Market Funds, are classified within Level 1 of the fair value hierarchy because they are valued using quoted market prices in active markets. Cash equivalents of $0.3 million and $1.2 million at March 31, 2015 and September 30, 2014, respectively, consisting primarily of Bank Certificate of Deposits, are classified within Level 2 of the hierarchy because they are not actively traded.
	Available-For-Sale Securities
	Available-for-sale securities of $133.9 million and $151.3 million at March 31, 2015 and September 30, 2014, respectively, consisting of Municipal Securities, Bank Certificate of Deposits, Commercial Paper, U.S. Treasury Securities and Obligations of U.S. Government Agency Securities, and Mortgage-Backed Securities are classified within Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy because they are not actively traded and are valued using matrix pricing and benchmarking. Matrix pricing is a mathematical technique used to value securities by relying on the securities’ relationship to other benchmark quoted prices.
	Foreign Exchange Contracts
	Foreign exchange contract assets and liabilities are classified within Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy because there may not be an active market for each contract. However, the inputs used to calculate the value of the contract were obtained from an active market.
	Convertible Debt Securities
	The convertible debt valuation analysis was based on the probability-weighted expected return method (“PWERM”) utilizing various scenarios for the expected payout of the instrument covering the full range of the potential outcomes. The PWERM determines the value of an asset, based upon an analysis of future values for the subject asset, which takes into consideration the full range of the potential value of the subject asset. The asset value is based upon the present value of the probability of each future outcome becoming available to the asset, and the economic rights and preferences of each asset.
	Stock Warrants
	The warrant valuation analysis utilized the Black-Scholes model to determine the fair value of the warrant assets. When applied to a warrant, the Black-Scholes model incorporates the constant price variation of the underlying asset, the time value of money, the warrant’s strike price and the time to the warrant’s expiry. The fair value of the warrants was determined utilizing a five year equity volatility percentage, based on an average equity volatility derived from the comparable public companies.
	The following table presents the reconciliation for all assets and liabilities measured and recorded at fair value on a recurring basis using significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) (in thousands):
		Convertible Debt Securities		Stock Warrants			Total
	Balance at September 30, 2014	$	—	$	—		$	—
	Additions (1)	4,934		75			5,009
	Change in fair value	273		(5		)	268
	Balance at March 31, 2015	$	5,207	$	70		$	5,277
	_________________
	(1) Refer to Note 13 "Equity Method Investments".
	Nonrecurring Fair Value Measurements
	In addition to the assets and liabilities recorded at fair value on a recurring basis, the Company has a note receivable that is measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis. During the third quarter of fiscal year 2014, the Company evaluated the recoverability of a loan provided to the Borrower and adjusted its value based on fair value methods. The loan is represented by a note receivable, which is classified as a Level 3 instrument, as the inputs used in the analysis are unobservable and required significant management judgment. The fair value of the loan was determined by considering the fair value of the collateral using valuation techniques, principally the discounted cash flow method, and the subordination of the Company’s note to debt provided by a new lender as described in "Note 14. Note Receivable." The fair value of the loan could be different under different conditions or different assumptions, including the varying assumptions regarding future cash flows of the Borrower or discount rates.

Contingencies

Contingencies	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Commitments and Contingencies	Commitments and Contingencies
	Capital Lease Obligation
	In March 2014, the Company exercised an option to renew the lease of a building and the related land on the Company's Chelmsford, Massachusetts campus. The Company has leased this building since 2002. By exercising this option, the Company has also contracted to purchase the building at the end of the lease period. The assets acquired under the lease were recorded at the net present value of the minimum lease payments which was then allocated to the building and the land based on their relative fair values. The cost of the building and the land under the capital lease are included in the Consolidated Balance Sheets as "Property, plant and equipment" at $6.4 million and $2.1 million, respectively. Depreciation expense related to the building is computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful life of the asset. Accumulated amortization related to the lease was $0.2 million at March 31, 2015.
	The obligation related to the capital lease is recorded as a short-term or long-term capital lease obligation in the Consolidated Balance Sheets depending on when payments are due. The future minimum lease payments required under the capital lease and the present value of the net minimum lease payments, as of March 31, 2015, are as follows (in thousands):
	Year ended September 30,
	2015	$	440
	2016	881
	2017	881
	2018	6,901
	Total minimum lease payments	9,103
	Less amounts representing interest	1,049
	Total capital lease obligation	8,054
	Less current portion of capital lease obligation	881
	Long-term capital lease obligation	$	7,173
	Letters of Credit
	At March 31, 2015, the Company had approximately $19.9 million of letters of credit outstanding related primarily to customer advances and other performance obligations. These arrangements guarantee the refund of advance payments received from customers in the event that the product is not delivered or warranty obligations are not fulfilled in compliance with the terms of the contract. While the Company does not anticipate that these obligations will be called, they could be called by the beneficiaries at any time before the expiration date of the particular letter of credit should the Company fail to meet certain contractual requirements.
	Contingencies
	The Company is subject to various legal proceedings, both asserted and unasserted, that arise in the ordinary course of business. The Company cannot predict the ultimate outcome of such legal proceedings or in certain instances provide reasonable ranges of potential losses. However, as of the date of this report, the Company believes that none of these claims will have a material adverse effect on its consolidated financial condition or results of operations. In the event of unexpected subsequent developments and given the inherent unpredictability of these legal proceedings, there can be no assurance that the Company's assessment of any claim will reflect the ultimate outcome and an adverse outcome in certain matters could, from time to time, have a material adverse effect on the Company's consolidated financial condition or results of operations in particular quarterly or annual periods.

Subsequent_Events

Subsequent Events	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Subsequent Events [Abstract]
Subsequent Events	Subsequent Events
	On April 28, 2015, the Company’s Board of Directors declared a cash dividend of $0.10 per share payable on June 26, 2015 to common stockholders of record on June 5, 2015. Dividends are declared at the discretion of the Company’s Board of Directors and depend on actual cash from operations, the Company’s financial condition and capital requirements and any other factors the Company’s Board of Directors may consider relevant. Future dividend declarations, as well as the record and payment dates for such dividends, will be determined by the Company’s Board of Directors on a quarterly basis.

StockBased_Compensation_Tables

Stock-Based Compensation (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]
Stock-Based Compensation Expense	The following table reflects stock-based compensation expense, excluding amounts related to discontinued operations, recorded during the three and six months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 (in thousands):
		Three months ended						Six months ended
		March 31,						March 31,
		2015			2014			2015			2014
	Restricted stock units	$	3,512		$	3,683		$	6,884		$	6,293
	Employee stock purchase plan	113			112			224			225
		$	3,625		$	3,795		$	7,108		$	6,518
Stock Option Activity	The following table summarizes stock option activity for the six months ended March 31, 2015:
		Number of		Weighted-		Weighted			Aggregate
		Options		Average		Average			Intrinsic Value
				Remaining		Exercise Price			(In Thousands)
				Contractual Term
	Outstanding at September 30, 2014	5,550				$	13.2
	Forfeited/expired	(5,550	)			13.2
	Outstanding at March 31, 2015	—		0.0 years		$	—		$	—
	Vested at March 31, 2015	—		0.0 years		$	—		$	—
	Options exercisable at March 31, 2015	—		0.0 years		$	—		$	—
Status of Restricted Stock Activity and Changes	The following table reflects restricted stock units granted, including awards related to the discontinued operation, during the six months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014:
		Total Units		Time-Based and Board of Directors' Units			Performance-Based Units
	Six months ended March 31, 2015	1,443,959		619,709			824,250
	Six months ended March 31, 2014	1,409,557		601,432			808,125
	The following table summarizes restricted stock unit activity for the six months ended March 31, 2015:
		Restricted Stock Units		Weighted
				Average
				Grant-Date
				Fair Value
	Outstanding at September 30, 2014	2,726,485		$	11.05
	Restricted stock units granted	1,443,959		11.95
	Restricted stock units vested	(659,120	)	11.93
	Restricted stock units canceled	(241,072	)	10.52
	Outstanding at March 31, 2015	3,270,252		$	11.9

Acquisitions_Tables

Acquisitions (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Acquisitions	Acquisitions
	Acquisitions Completed in Fiscal Year 2015
	On October 1, 2014, the Company acquired all of the outstanding stock of FluidX Ltd. (“FluidX”), a UK based provider of biological sample storage tubes and complementary bench-top instruments. The Company paid, in cash, aggregate merger consideration of $15.5 million, net of cash acquired. The acquisition of FluidX provides the Company with the opportunity to enhance its existing capabilities with respect to biobanking solutions in the Brooks Life Science Systems segment.
	The Company recorded the assets and liabilities associated with FluidX at their fair values as of the acquisition date. The preliminary amounts recorded were as follows (in thousands):
	Accounts receivable	$	1,980
	Inventory	2,857
	Prepaid and other current assets	213
	Property, plant and equipment	101
	Completed technology	1,230
	Trademarks and trade names	750
	Customer relationships	4,810
	Goodwill	8,247
	Accounts payable	(2,079		)
	Deferred revenue	(72		)
	Accrued liabilities	(992		)
	Long-term deferred tax liabilities	(1,540		)
	Total purchase price, net of cash acquired	$	15,505
	The purchase price was allocated based on the fair value of the identified assets acquired and liabilities assumed as of the acquisition date from a market participant’s perspective.
	On January 23, 2015, the Company reached a settlement on certain working capital adjustments with the sellers of FluidX stock. On February 3, 2015, the Company paid such proceeds to the seller which increased the purchase price by $0.1 million. At March 31, 2015, the Company had $1.5 million in a general escrow account. The Company has not yet completed the final allocation of the consideration in connection with the acquisition of FluidX, but expects to do so in the measurement period.
	The Company used the relief-from-royalty method, a form of the income approach, to value the trademarks and existing technology acquired. The principle behind this method is that the value of an intangible asset is equal to the present value of the after-tax royalty savings attributable to owning that intangible asset. The Company used the excess-earnings method, a form of the income approach, to value the customer relationships acquired. The principle behind this method is that the value of the intangible asset is equal to the present value of the after-tax cash flows attributable to the intangible asset only. The weighted average amortization periods for intangible assets acquired in the FluidX acquisition are 7.0 years for each of completed technology, trademarks, and customer relationships. The intangible assets acquired will be amortized using an accelerated depreciation method which approximates the pattern in which the economic benefits are expected to be realized.
	Goodwill represents the excess of the consideration transferred over the net assets acquired and has been assigned to the Company's Brooks Life Science Systems segment. Goodwill is primarily the result of expected synergies from combining the operations of FluidX with the Company. Goodwill arising from the acquisition of FluidX is not deductible for tax purposes.
	The operating results of FluidX have been included in the results of operations for the Brooks Life Science Systems segment from the date of the acquisition. Revenue from FluidX for the three months ended March 31, 2015 was $3.8 million and the net income was $0.4 million. Revenue from FluidX for the six months ended March 31, 2015 was $7.4 million and the net loss was $0.1 million. The net income (loss) for the three and six months ended March 31, 2015 includes charges to expense of $0.0 million and $1.0 million, respectively, related to the step-up in value of the acquired inventories. The net income (loss) for the three and six months ended March 31, 2015 also includes amortization expense of $0.3 million and $0.7 million, respectively.
	Acquisitions Completed in Fiscal Year 2014
	On April 30, 2014, the Company acquired all the outstanding stock of Dynamic Micro Systems Semiconductor Equipment GmbH (“DMS”), a German provider of automated contamination control solutions for front opening unified pod, or "FOUP," carriers and reticle storage, targeted at improving yield of semiconductor processes at semiconductor fabrication plants. The Company paid, in cash, aggregate merger consideration of $31.6 million, net of cash acquired. The acquisition of DMS expanded the Company’s capabilities at semiconductor fabrication plants for yield improvement on new technology nodes.
	The Company recorded the assets and liabilities associated with DMS at their fair values as of the acquisition date. The preliminary amounts recorded were as follows (in thousands):
	Accounts receivable	$	15,262
	Inventory	9,750
	Prepaid and other current assets	2,727
	Property, plant and equipment	2,049
	Completed technology	3,610
	Customer relationships	7,100
	Goodwill	11,939
	Accounts payable	(10,393		)
	Accrued liabilities	(5,522		)
	Deferred revenue	(1,309		)
	Long-term deferred tax liabilities	(3,588		)
	Total purchase price, net of cash acquired	$	31,625
	The purchase price was allocated based on the fair value of the identified assets acquired and liabilities assumed as of the acquisition date from a market participant’s perspective.
	The Company reached settlement on certain working capital adjustments and other issues with the sellers of DMS' stock in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2014. As a result of this settlement, the Company received $2.2 million in the first quarter of fiscal year 2015 from certain escrows established at the date of acquisition. At March 31, 2015, $2.7 million remained in escrow related to potential future claims against the sellers of DMS' stock. The Company has not yet completed the final allocation of the consideration paid in connection with the acquisition of DMS with respect to matters associated with the balances held in escrow and the potential impact of these matters on deferred tax liabilities. However, the Company expects to complete the final allocation within the measurement period.
	The Company used the relief-from-royalty method, a form of the income approach, to value the completed technology acquired. The principle behind this method is that the value of an intangible asset is equal to the present value of the after-tax royalty savings attributable to owning that intangible asset. The Company used the excess-earnings method, a form of the income approach, to value the customer relationships acquired. The principle behind this method is that the value of the intangible asset is equal to the present value of the after-tax cash flows attributable to the intangible asset only. The weighted average amortization periods for intangible assets acquired in the DMS acquisition are 5.0 years for completed technologies and 8.0 years for customer relationships. The intangible assets acquired will be amortized using methods that approximate the pattern in which the economic benefits are expected to be realized, including variable declining balance and straight-line methods.
	Goodwill represents the excess of the consideration transferred over the net assets acquired and has been assigned to the Company's Brooks Product Solutions segment. Goodwill is primarily the result of expected synergies from combining the operations of DMS with the Company. Goodwill arising from the acquisition of DMS is not deductible for tax purposes. In the first quarter of fiscal year 2015, the Company increased the opening goodwill balance by $0.3 million as a result of a fair value adjustment recorded to inventory.
	The operating results of DMS have been included in the results of operations for the Brooks Product Solutions segment from the date of the acquisition. Revenue from DMS for the three months ended March 31, 2015 was $9.0 million and the net income was $0.1 million. Revenue from DMS for the six months ended March 31, 2015 was $16.1 million and the net loss was $0.2 million. The net income for the three and six months ended March 31, 2015 includes charges to expense of $0.0 million and $0.6 million, respectively, related to the step-up in value of the acquired inventories. The net income for the three and six months ended March 31, 2015 also includes amortization of acquired intangible assets of $0.6 million and $1.1 million, respectively.
	The following pro forma summary presents consolidated information of the Company as if the acquisition of DMS occurred on October 1, 2013 (in thousands):
		Three months ended March 31, 2014			Six months ended March 31, 2014
	Revenue	$	140,408		$	259,853
	Net income attributable to Brooks Automation, Inc.	3,467			2,860
	The pro forma net income has been adjusted to reflect additional amortization from adjustments to intangible assets as if those adjustments had been applied as of October 1, 2013.
FluidX [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Amounts of Assets and Liabilities at Fair Value as of Acquisition Date	The Company recorded the assets and liabilities associated with FluidX at their fair values as of the acquisition date. The preliminary amounts recorded were as follows (in thousands):
	Accounts receivable	$	1,980
	Inventory	2,857
	Prepaid and other current assets	213
	Property, plant and equipment	101
	Completed technology	1,230
	Trademarks and trade names	750
	Customer relationships	4,810
	Goodwill	8,247
	Accounts payable	(2,079		)
	Deferred revenue	(72		)
	Accrued liabilities	(992		)
	Long-term deferred tax liabilities	(1,540		)
	Total purchase price, net of cash acquired	$	15,505
Dynamic Micro Systems
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Amounts of Assets and Liabilities at Fair Value as of Acquisition Date	The Company recorded the assets and liabilities associated with DMS at their fair values as of the acquisition date. The preliminary amounts recorded were as follows (in thousands):
	Accounts receivable	$	15,262
	Inventory	9,750
	Prepaid and other current assets	2,727
	Property, plant and equipment	2,049
	Completed technology	3,610
	Customer relationships	7,100
	Goodwill	11,939
	Accounts payable	(10,393		)
	Accrued liabilities	(5,522		)
	Deferred revenue	(1,309		)
	Long-term deferred tax liabilities	(3,588		)
	Total purchase price, net of cash acquired	$	31,625

Goodwill_and_Intangible_Assets1

Goodwill and Intangible Assets (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Components of Goodwill by Business Segment	The components of the Company’s goodwill, excluding amounts related to the discontinued operations, by business segment at March 31, 2015 are as follows (in thousands):
		Brooks			Brooks			Brooks		Other			Total
		Product			Global			Life Science
		Solutions			Services			Systems
	Gross goodwill at September 30, 2014	$	494,275		$	156,792		$	47,378	$	26,014		$	724,459
	Less: aggregate impairment charges recorded	(437,706		)	(151,238		)	—		(26,014		)	(614,958		)
	Goodwill, less accumulated impairments at September 30, 2014	56,569			5,554			47,378		—			109,501
	Acquisitions and adjustments during the six months ended March 31, 2015	516			—			8,247		—			8,763
	Goodwill, less accumulated impairments at March 31, 2015	$	57,085		$	5,554		$	55,625	$	—		$	118,264
Components of Identifiable Intangible Assets	Components of the Company’s identifiable intangible assets, excluding amounts related to the discontinued operations, are as follows (in thousands):
		31-Mar-15								September 30, 2014
		Cost			Accumulated			Net Book		Cost			Accumulated			Net Book
					Amortization			Value					Amortization			Value
	Patents	$	7,808		$	7,347		$	461	$	7,808		$	7,300		$	508
	Completed technology	58,409			44,141			14,268		57,155			41,539			15,616
	Trademarks and trade names	4,240			3,546			694		3,496			3,496			—
	Customer relationships	77,916			33,646			44,270		73,389			29,963			43,426
		$	148,373		$	88,680		$	59,693	$	141,848		$	82,298		$	59,550

Earnings_per_Share_Tables

Earnings per Share (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Reconciliation of Weighted Average Common Shares Outstanding for Purposes of Calculating Basic and Diluted Earnings Per Share	Below is a reconciliation of weighted average common shares outstanding for purposes of calculating basic and diluted earnings per share (in thousands):
		Three months ended		Six months ended
		March 31,		March 31,
		2015	2014	2015	2014
	Weighted average common shares outstanding used in computing basic earnings per share	67,387	66,646	67,255	66,499
	Dilutive common stock options and restricted stock units	1,027	859	—	884
	Weighted average common shares outstanding for purposes of computing diluted earnings per share	68,414	67,505	67,255	67,383

Segment_Information_Tables

Segment Information (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Financial Information for Business Segments	Financial information for the Company’s business segments, excluding amounts related to the discontinued operations, is as follows (in thousands):
		Brooks		Brooks		Brooks			Total
		Product		Global		Life Science
		Solutions		Services		Systems
	Three months ended March 31, 2015
	Revenue
	Product	$	98,958	$	4,128	$	13,309		$	116,395
	Services	—		18,709		4,209			22,918
		$	98,958	$	22,837	$	17,518		$	139,313
	Gross profit	$	33,995	$	7,043	$	4,987		$	46,025
	Segment operating income (loss)	$	7,995	$	2,108	$	(4,391	)	$	5,712
	Three months ended March 31, 2014
	Revenue
	Product	$	89,897	$	4,213	$	8,424		$	102,534
	Services	—		19,178		4,188			23,366
		$	89,897	$	23,391	$	12,612		$	125,900
	Gross profit	$	31,960	$	7,676	$	4,662		$	44,298
	Segment operating income (loss)	$	6,127	$	2,248	$	(3,565	)	$	4,810
	Six months ended March 31, 2015
	Revenue
	Product	$	181,814	$	8,236	$	26,075		$	216,125
	Services	—		37,798		8,126			45,924
		$	181,814	$	46,034	$	34,201		$	262,049
	Gross profit	$	60,917	$	15,506	$	8,690		$	85,113
	Segment operating income (loss)	$	8,457	$	5,661	$	(9,907	)	$	4,211
	Six months ended March 31, 2014
	Revenue
	Product	$	171,453	$	7,652	$	16,559		$	195,664
	Services	—		39,058		8,250			47,308
		$	171,453	$	46,710	$	24,809		$	242,972
	Gross profit	$	60,461	$	15,501	$	9,227		$	85,189
	Segment operating income (loss)	$	10,455	$	5,091	$	(7,040	)	$	8,506
	Assets
	31-Mar-15	$	259,393	$	55,809	$	117,249		$	432,451
	September 30, 2014	$	252,944	$	58,678	$	103,498		$	415,120
Reconciliation of Reportable Segment Operating Income (Loss) to Corresponding Consolidated Amounts	A reconciliation of the Company’s reportable segment operating income (loss) to the corresponding consolidated amounts for the three and six month periods ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 is as follows (in thousands):
		Three months ended				Six months ended
		March 31,				March 31,
		2015		2014		2015			2014
	Segment operating income	$	5,712	$	4,810	$	4,211		$	8,506
	Amortization of acquired intangible assets	1,914		1,460		3,826			2,916
	Restructuring and other charges	685		772		3,353			1,519
	Other unallocated corporate expenses	60		182		459			217
	Total operating income (loss)	$	3,053	$	2,396	$	(3,427	)	$	3,854
Reconciliation of Reportable Segment Assets to Corresponding Consolidated Amounts	A reconciliation of the Company’s reportable segment assets to the corresponding consolidated amounts as of March 31, 2015 and September 30, 2014 is as follows (in thousands):
		March 31,		September 30,
		2015		2014
	Segment assets	$	432,451	$	415,120
	Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities	207,104		245,456
	Deferred tax assets	88,466		86,572
	Equity method investments	27,027		28,944
	Other unallocated corporate net assets	1,907		1,946
	Total assets	$	756,955	$	778,038

Restructuring_and_Other_Charge1

Restructuring and Other Charges (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Restructuring and Related Activities [Abstract]
Activity Related to Restructuring Accruals	The activity for the three and six months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 related to the Company's restructuring-related accruals, excluding amounts related to the discontinued operations, is summarized below (in thousands):
		Activity — Three months ended March 31, 2015
		Balance at		Expense		Utilization			Balance at
		December 31,							March 31,
		2014							2015
	Facilities and other	$	1,175	$	—	$	(271	)	$	904
	Workforce-related	2,753		685		(1,045		)	2,393
		$	3,928	$	685	$	(1,316	)	$	3,297
		Activity — Three Months Ended March 31, 2014
		Balance at		Expense		Utilization			Balance at
		December 31,							March 31,
		2013							2014
	Facilities and other	$	57	$	7	$	(64	)	$	—
	Workforce-related	1,405		765		(618		)	1,552
		$	1,462	$	772	$	(682	)	$	1,552
		Activity — Six months ended March 31, 2015
		Balance at		Expense		Utilization			Balance at
		September 30,							March 31,
		2014							2015
	Facilities and other	$	71	$	1,205	$	(372	)	$	904
	Workforce-related	3,404		2,148		(3,159		)	2,393
		$	3,475	$	3,353	$	(3,531	)	$	3,297
		Activity — Six months ended March 31, 2014
		Balance at		Expense		Utilization			Balance at
		September 30,							March 31,
		2013							2014
	Facilities and other	$	155	$	13	$	(168	)	$	—
	Workforce-related	1,257		1,506		(1,211		)	1,552
		$	1,412	$	1,519	$	(1,379	)	$	1,552

Employee_Benefit_Plans_Tables

Employee Benefit Plans (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]
Components of Net Pension Cost	The components of the Company’s net pension cost for the three and six months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 are as follows (in thousands):
		Three months ended						Six months ended
		March 31,						March 31,
		2015			2014			2015			2014
	Service cost	$	129		$	102		$	248		$	202
	Interest cost	33			39			64			78
	Amortization of losses	—			—			—			1
	Expected return on assets	(58		)	(55		)	(111		)	(108		)
	Net periodic pension cost	$	104		$	86		$	201		$	173

Other_Balance_Sheet_Informatio1

Other Balance Sheet Information (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Summary of Accounts Receivable	The following is a summary of accounts receivable at March 31, 2015 and September 30, 2014 (in thousands):
		March 31,				September 30,
		2015				2014
	Accounts receivable	$	96,066			$	81,270
	Less allowance for doubtful accounts	(1,261		)		(1,031		)
	Less allowance for sales returns	(126		)		(133		)
		$	94,679			$	80,106
Summary of Inventories	The following is a summary of inventories at March 31, 2015 and September 30, 2014, excluding amounts related to discontinued operations (in thousands):
		March 31,				September 30,
		2015				2014
	Inventories
	Raw materials and purchased parts	$	55,456			$	57,250
	Work-in-process	19,600				20,068
	Finished goods	15,502				16,249
		$	90,558			$	93,567
Product Warranty and Retrofit Activity on Gross Basis	Product warranty and retrofit activity on a gross basis for the three and six months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, excluding amounts related to discontinued operations, is as follows (in thousands):
	Activity - Three months ended March 31, 2015
	Balance at				Adjustments for				Accruals		Costs Incurred			Balance at
	December 31,				Acquisitions and Divestitures									March 31,
	2014													2015
	$	6,255			$	—			$	2,428	$	(2,480	)	$	6,203
	Activity - Three months ended March 31, 2014
	Balance at				Adjustments for				Accruals		Costs Incurred			Balance at
	December 31,				Acquisitions and Divestitures									March 31,
	2013													2014
	$	6,762			$	—			$	2,275	$	(2,718	)	$	6,319

Derivative_Instruments_Tables

Derivative Instruments (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]
Notional Amounts Outstanding under Foreign Currency Contracts	The Company had the following notional amounts outstanding under foreign currency contracts that do not qualify for hedge accounting at March 31, 2015 and September 30, 2014 (in thousands):
	March 31, 2015:
	Buy Currency	Notional Amount		Sell Currency		Maturity		Notional Amount			Fair Value of				Fair Value of
		of Buy Currency						of Sell Currency			Assets				Liabilities
	U.S. Dollar	1,343		Japanese Yen		April to June 2015		160,000			$	5			$	—
	British Pound	1,098		Euro		Apr-15		1,500			—				7
	U.S. Dollar	673		Taiwan Dollar		Apr-15		21,000			2				—
	U.S. Dollar	1,248		British Pound		Apr-15		840			—				1
	Euro	5,100		U.S. Dollar		Apr-15		5,560			23
	Korean Won	330,000		U.S. Dollar		Apr-15		299			—				—
	U.S. Dollar	403		Japanese Yen		Apr-15		48,000			1				—
	U.S. Dollar	603		Israeli Shekel		Apr-15		2,400			—				7
											$	31			$	15
	September 30, 2014:
	Buy Currency	Notional Amount		Sell Currency		Maturity		Notional Amount			Fair Value of				Fair Value of
		of Buy Currency						of Sell Currency			Assets				Liabilities
	U.S. Dollar	1,736		Japanese Yen		October 2014 to December 2014		190,000			$	—			$	11
	U.S. Dollar	1,395		Euro		October 2014		1,100			—				16
	U.S. Dollar	656		Taiwan Dollar		October 2014		20,000			—				5
	U.S. Dollar	650		British Pound		October 2014		400			—				5
	U.S. Dollar	731		Israeli Shekel		October 2014		2,700			—				5
	U.S. Dollar	76		Korean Won		October 2014		80,000			—				1
	British Pound	3,513		Euro		October 2014		4,500			—				15
											$	—			$	58
Schedule of Net Gains and Losses Realized on Derivative Instruments	Net gains and losses recorded as a component of "Other income, net" in the Consolidated Statements of Operations related to these contracts for the three and six months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 is as follows (in thousands):
		Three months ended							Six months ended
		March 31,							March 31,
		2015			2014				2015				2014
	Realized gains (losses) on derivative instruments not designated as hedging instruments	$	126		$	(154	)		$	426			$	(107	)

Marketable_Securities_Tables

Marketable Securities (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Investments, Debt and Equity Securities [Abstract]
Summary of Marketable Securities Including Accrued Interest Receivable	The following is a summary of marketable securities (included in short and long-term marketable securities in the Consolidated Balance Sheets), including accrued interest receivable, as of March 31, 2015 and September 30, 2014 (in thousands):
		Amortized		Gross		Gross			Fair Value
		Cost		Unrealized		Unrealized
				Gains		Losses
	March 31, 2015:
	U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S. government agencies	$	27,402	$	17	$	(2	)	$	27,417
	Corporate securities	61,377		26		(38		)	61,365
	Mortgage-backed securities	911		30		—			941
	Other debt securities	6,270		2		—			6,272
	Municipal securities	19,936		2		(14		)	19,924
	Bank certificate of deposits	16,946		1,063		—			18,009
		$	132,842	$	1,140	$	(54	)	$	133,928
	September 30, 2014:
	U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S. government agencies	$	26,052	$	1	$	(39	)	$	26,014
	Corporate securities	74,614		23		(174		)	74,463
	Mortgage-backed securities	964		36		—			1,000
	Other debt securities	7,358		—		(10		)	7,348
	Municipal securities	15,888		1		(16		)	15,873
	Bank certificate of deposits	26,645		2		(3		)	26,644
		$	151,521	$	63	$	(242	)	$	151,342
Fair Value of Marketable Securities by Contractual Maturity	The fair value of the marketable securities at March 31, 2015 by contractual maturity, are shown below (in thousands):
		Fair Value
	Due in one year or less	$	69,327
	Due after one year through five years	61,247
	Due after ten years	3,354
		$	133,928

Fair_Value_Measurements_Tables

Fair Value Measurements (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value on Recurring Basis	Assets and liabilities of the Company measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of March 31, 2015 and September 30, 2014 are summarized as follows (in thousands):
				Fair Value Measurements at Reporting Date Using
	Description	March 31,		Quoted Prices in			Significant Other		Significant
		2015		Active Markets for			Observable Inputs		Unobservable Inputs
				Identical Assets			(Level 2)		(Level 3)
				(Level 1)
	Assets
	Cash equivalents	$	10,404	$	10,154		$	250	$	—
	Available-for-sale securities	133,928		—			133,928		—
	Foreign exchange contracts	31		—			31		—
	Convertible debt securities	5,207		—			—		5,207
	Stock warrants	70		—			—		70
	Total Assets	$	149,640	$	10,154		$	134,209	$	5,277
	Liabilities
	Foreign exchange contracts	$	15	$	—		$	15	$	—
	The convertible debt securities and stock are included in "Other assets" in the Consolidated Balance Sheets.
				Fair Value Measurements at Reporting Date Using
	Description	September 30,		Quoted Prices in			Significant Other		Significant
		2014		Active Markets for			Observable Inputs		Unobservable Inputs
				Identical Assets			(Level 2)		(Level 3)
				(Level 1)
	Assets
	Cash equivalents	$	6,404	$	5,166		$	1,238	$	—
	Available-for-sale securities	151,342		—			151,342		—
	Total Assets	$	157,746	$	5,166		$	152,580	$	—
	Liabilities
	Foreign exchange contracts	$	58	$	—		$	58	$	—
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation	The following table presents the reconciliation for all assets and liabilities measured and recorded at fair value on a recurring basis using significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) (in thousands):
		Convertible Debt Securities		Stock Warrants			Total
	Balance at September 30, 2014	$	—	$	—		$	—
	Additions (1)	4,934		75			5,009
	Change in fair value	273		(5		)	268
	Balance at March 31, 2015	$	5,207	$	70		$	5,277

StockBased_Compensation_Narrat

Stock-Based Compensation Narrative (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Restricted stocks granted			1,443,959	1,409,557
Total compensation expense on awards			$7,108,000	$6,516,000
Stock Issued During Period, Shares, Employee Stock Purchase Plans	96,415	115,132	96,415	115,132
Proceeds from Issuance of Shares under Incentive and Share-based Compensation Plans, Including Stock Options	900,000	1,000,000	900,000	1,000,000
Board of Director Units [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Restricted stocks granted			62,405	77,557
Restricted Stock, Performance Based Shares [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Percentage of Performance-Based Units Awarded, Maximum			200.00%
Restricted stocks granted			824,250	808,125
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Potentially Vested Shares				1,250,169
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Potentially Vested Shares, Amount Greater than Target				442,044
Restricted stock units
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Restricted stocks granted			1,443,959
Fair value of restricted stock awards vested	1,000,000	1,800,000	7,900,000	4,900,000
Unrecognized compensation cost	$21,700,000		$21,700,000
Unrecognized compensation cost, estimated weighted average amortization period			1 year 11 months

StockBased_Compensation_StockB

Stock-Based Compensation Stock-Based Compensation Expense (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation			$7,108	$6,516
Continuing Operations
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation	3,625	3,795	7,108	6,518
Continuing Operations | Restricted stock units
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation	3,512	3,683	6,884	6,293
Continuing Operations | Employee stock purchase plan
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation	$113	$112	$224	$225

StockBased_Compensation_Stock_

Stock-Based Compensation Stock Option Activity (Detail) (USD $)	6 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015
Number of Stock Options
Options outstanding at beginning of period (shares)	5,550
Options forfeited / expired (shares)	5,550
Options outstanding at end of period (shares)	0
Vested at end of period (shares)	0
Options exercisable at end of period (shares)	0
Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Term
Options outstanding at end of period	0 years
Vested at end of period	0 years
Options exercisable at end of period	0 years
Weighted Average Exercise Price
Options outstanding at beginning of period (USD per share)	$13.20
Options forfeited / expired (USD per share)	$13.20
Options outstanding at end of year (USD per share)	$0
Vested at end of period (USD per share)	$0
Options exercisable at end of period (USD per share)	$0
Options outstanding at end of period	$0
Vested at end of period	0
Options exercisable at end of period	$0

StockBased_Compensation_Status

Stock-Based Compensation Status of Restricted Stock Activity and Changes (Detail) (USD $)	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Shares
Awards granted (shares)	1,443,959	1,409,557
Restricted Stock, Time Based Shares [Member]
Shares
Awards granted (shares)	619,709	601,432
Restricted stock units
Shares
Outstanding at Beginning of period (shares)	2,726,485
Awards granted (shares)	1,443,959
Awards vested (shares)	-659,120
Awards canceled (shares)	-241,072
Outstanding at End of period (shares)	3,270,252
Weighted Average Grant-Date Fair Value
Outstanding at beginning of period (USD per share)	11.05
Awards granted (USD per share)	11.95
Awards vested (USD per share)	11.93
Awards canceled (USD per share)	10.52
Outstanding at end of period (USD per share)	11.9
Restricted Stock, Performance Based Shares [Member]
Shares
Awards granted (shares)	824,250	808,125

Discontinued_Operations_Narrat

Discontinued Operations - Narrative (Details) (Granville-Phillips [Member], USD $)	0 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 19, 2014
Granville-Phillips [Member]
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Sales price	$87

Acquisitions_Narrative_Detail

Acquisitions Narrative (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended			6 Months Ended		0 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014	Feb. 03, 2015	Oct. 01, 2014	Apr. 30, 2014
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Acquisition, net of cash acquired				$17,257,000	$0
Goodwill, Period Increase (Decrease)				8,763,000
Amortization of acquired intangible assets	1,914,000		1,460,000	3,826,000	2,916,000
Restructuring Charges	685,000	2,700,000	772,000	3,353,000	1,519,000
FluidX [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Escrow Reserve	1,500,000			1,500,000
Business Combination, Provisional Information, Initial Accounting Incomplete, Adjustment, Equity Interests						100,000
Acquisition, net of cash acquired							15,505,000
Business Combination, Pro Forma Information, Revenue of Acquiree since Acquisition Date, Actual	3,800,000			7,400,000
Business Combination, Pro Forma Information, Earnings or Loss of Acquiree since Acquisition Date, Actual	400,000			-100,000
Inventory Step Up	0			1,000,000
Amortization of acquired intangible assets	300,000			700,000
FluidX [Member] | Completed Technology
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Useful life of intangible assets acquired							7 years
FluidX [Member] | Trademarks [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Useful life of intangible assets acquired							7 years
FluidX [Member] | Customer Relationships
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Useful life of intangible assets acquired							7 years
Dynamic Micro Systems
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Escrow Refund, Equity issued in Business Combination, Fair Value Adjustment		2,200,000
Escrow Reserve	2,700,000			2,700,000
Acquisition, net of cash acquired								31,625,000
Goodwill, Period Increase (Decrease)	300,000	300,000
Business Combination, Pro Forma Information, Revenue of Acquiree since Acquisition Date, Actual	9,000,000			16,100,000
Business Combination, Pro Forma Information, Earnings or Loss of Acquiree since Acquisition Date, Actual	100,000			-200,000
Inventory Step Up	0			600,000
Amortization of acquired intangible assets	$600,000			$1,100,000
Dynamic Micro Systems | Completed Technology
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Useful life of intangible assets acquired								5 years
Dynamic Micro Systems | Customer Relationships
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Useful life of intangible assets acquired								8 years

Goodwill_and_Intangible_Assets2

Goodwill and Intangible Assets Components of Goodwill by Business Segment (Detail) (USD $)	6 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014
Goodwill [Line Items]
Gross goodwill at beginning of period		$724,459
Less: aggregate impairment charges recorded		-614,958
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Goodwill, Period Increase (Decrease)	8,763
Goodwill, less accumulated impairments at end of period	118,264	109,501
Brooks Product Solutions
Goodwill [Line Items]
Gross goodwill at beginning of period		494,275
Less: aggregate impairment charges recorded		-437,706
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Acquisitions and adjustments during the period	516
Goodwill, less accumulated impairments at end of period	57,085	56,569
Brooks Global Services
Goodwill [Line Items]
Gross goodwill at beginning of period		156,792
Less: aggregate impairment charges recorded		-151,238
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Acquisitions and adjustments during the period	0
Goodwill, less accumulated impairments at end of period	5,554	5,554
Brooks Life Science Systems
Goodwill [Line Items]
Gross goodwill at beginning of period		47,378
Less: aggregate impairment charges recorded		0
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Acquisitions and adjustments during the period	8,247
Goodwill, less accumulated impairments at end of period	55,625	47,378
Other
Goodwill [Line Items]
Gross goodwill at beginning of period		26,014
Less: aggregate impairment charges recorded		-26,014
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Acquisitions and adjustments during the period	0
Goodwill, less accumulated impairments at end of period	$0	$0

Acquisitions_Amounts_of_Assets

Acquisitions Amounts of Assets and Liabilities at Fair Value as of Acquisition Date (Detail) (USD $)	6 Months Ended		0 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014	Oct. 01, 2014	Apr. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Goodwill	$118,264				$109,501
Total purchase price, net of cash acquired	17,257	0
FluidX [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Accounts receivable			1,980
Inventory			2,857
Prepaid and other current assets			213
Property, plant and equipment			101
Goodwill			8,247
Accounts payable			-2,079
Accrued liabilities			-72
Deferred revenue			-992
Long-term deferred tax liabilities			-1,540
Total purchase price, net of cash acquired			15,505
FluidX [Member] | Completed Technology
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Finite-lived intangibles			1,230
FluidX [Member] | Trademarks [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Finite-lived intangibles			750
FluidX [Member] | Customer Relationships
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Finite-lived intangibles			4,810
Dynamic Micro Systems
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Accounts receivable				15,262
Inventory				9,750
Prepaid and other current assets				2,727
Property, plant and equipment				2,049
Goodwill				11,939
Accounts payable				-10,393
Accrued liabilities				-5,522
Deferred revenue				-1,309
Long-term deferred tax liabilities				-3,588
Total purchase price, net of cash acquired				31,625
Dynamic Micro Systems | Completed Technology
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Finite-lived intangibles				3,610
Dynamic Micro Systems | Customer Relationships
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Finite-lived intangibles				$7,100

Goodwill_and_Intangible_Assets3

Goodwill and Intangible Assets Components of Identifiable Intangible Assets (Detail) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Cost	$148,373	$141,848
Accumulated Amortization	88,680	82,298
Net Book Value	59,693	59,550
Patents
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Cost	7,808	7,808
Accumulated Amortization	7,347	7,300
Net Book Value	461	508
Completed Technology
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Cost	58,409	57,155
Accumulated Amortization	44,141	41,539
Net Book Value	14,268	15,616
Trademarks and Trade Names
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Cost	4,240	3,496
Accumulated Amortization	3,546	3,496
Net Book Value	694	0
Customer Relationships
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Cost	77,916	73,389
Accumulated Amortization	33,646	29,963
Net Book Value	$44,270	$43,426

Acquisitions_Pro_Forma_Informa

Acquisitions Pro Forma Information (Details) (Dynamic Micro Systems, USD $)	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014
Dynamic Micro Systems
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Revenue	$140,408	$259,853
Net income (loss) attributable to Brooks Automation, Inc.	$3,467	$2,860

Goodwill_and_Intangible_Assets4

Goodwill and Intangible Assets Narrative (Details) (USD $)	6 Months Ended		3 Months Ended			12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014	Oct. 01, 2014	Apr. 30, 2014
Goodwill [Line Items]
Goodwill, Period Increase (Decrease)	$8,763
Goodwill	118,264		118,264				109,501
Impairment of intangible assets	0	398
FluidX [Member]
Goodwill [Line Items]
Goodwill								8,247
Dynamic Micro Systems
Goodwill [Line Items]
Goodwill, Period Increase (Decrease)			300	300
Goodwill									11,939
Celigo Cell Cytometer Product Line
Goodwill [Line Items]
Impairment of intangible assets					$400	$2,000

Income_Taxes_Narrative_Detail

Income Taxes Narrative (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]
Income tax provision (benefit)	$1,560,000	$1,117,000	($1,550,000)	$1,910,000
Reductions in unrecognized tax benefits from expiration	600,000
Tax benefit recognized for research and development tax credit	900,000		900,000
Minimum
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]
Anticipated unrecognized tax benefit reduction during next twelve months	$1,300,000		$1,300,000

Earnings_per_Share_Reconciliat

Earnings per Share Reconciliation of Weighted Average Common Shares Outstanding for Purposes of Calculating Basic and Diluted Earnings Per Share (Detail)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Weighted average common shares outstanding used in computing basic earnings per share	67,387	66,646	67,255	66,499
Dilutive common stock options and restricted stock units	1,027	859	0	884
Weighted average common shares outstanding for purposes of computing diluted earnings per share	68,414	67,505	67,255	67,383

Earnings_per_Share_Narrative_D

Earnings per Share Narrative (Detail)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014
Stock Options
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Anti-dilutive securities excluded from computation of diluted earnings per share	2	16	16
Restricted stock units
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Anti-dilutive securities excluded from computation of diluted earnings per share	552	0	0

Segment_Information_Narrative_

Segment Information Narrative (Detail)	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
	segment
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Number of reportable segments	3

Segment_Information_Financial_

Segment Information Financial Information for Business Segments (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014
Revenue
Product	$116,395	$102,534	$216,125	$195,664
Services	22,918	23,366	45,924	47,308
Total revenues	139,313	125,900	262,049	242,972
Gross profit	46,025	44,298	85,113	85,189
Segment operating income (loss)	3,053	2,396	-3,427	3,854
Total assets	756,955		756,955		778,038
Brooks Product Solutions
Revenue
Product	98,958	89,897	181,814	171,453
Services	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	98,958	89,897	181,814	171,453
Gross profit	33,995	31,960	60,917	60,461
Segment operating income (loss)	7,995	6,127	8,457	10,455
Total assets	259,393		259,393		252,944
Brooks Global Services
Revenue
Product	4,128	4,213	8,236	7,652
Services	18,709	19,178	37,798	39,058
Total revenues	22,837	23,391	46,034	46,710
Gross profit	7,043	7,676	15,506	15,501
Segment operating income (loss)	2,108	2,248	5,661	5,091
Total assets	55,809		55,809		58,678
Brooks Life Science Systems
Revenue
Product	13,309	8,424	26,075	16,559
Services	4,209	4,188	8,126	8,250
Total revenues	17,518	12,612	34,201	24,809
Gross profit	4,987	4,662	8,690	9,227
Segment operating income (loss)	-4,391	-3,565	-9,907	-7,040
Total assets	117,249		117,249		103,498
Operating Segments
Revenue
Product	116,395	102,534	216,125	195,664
Services	22,918	23,366	45,924	47,308
Total revenues	139,313	125,900	262,049	242,972
Gross profit	46,025	44,298	85,113	85,189
Segment operating income (loss)	5,712	4,810	4,211	8,506
Total assets	$432,451		$432,451		$415,120

Segment_Information_Reconcilia

Segment Information Reconciliation of Reportable Segment Operating Income (Loss) to Corresponding Consolidated Amounts (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Amortization of acquired intangible assets	$1,914	$1,460	$3,826	$2,916
Restructuring and other charges	685	772	3,353	1,519
Other unallocated corporate expenses	60	182	459	217
Operating income (loss)	3,053	2,396	-3,427	3,854
Operating Segments
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Operating income (loss)	$5,712	$4,810	$4,211	$8,506

Segment_Information_Reconcilia1

Segment Information Reconciliation of Reportable Segment Assets to Corresponding Consolidated Amounts (Detail) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 22, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Segment Reporting, Asset Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Segment assets	$756,955		$778,038
Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities	207,104		245,456
Deferred tax assets	88,466		86,572
Investments in joint ventures	27,027	2,500	28,944
Other unallocated corporate net assets	1,907		1,946
Total assets	756,955		778,038
Operating Segments
Segment Reporting, Asset Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Segment assets	432,451		415,120
Total assets	$432,451		$415,120

Significant_Customers_Narrativ

Significant Customers Narrative (Detail)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
	customer		customer	customer
Risks and Uncertainties [Abstract]
Number of major customer by revenue	1		1	1
Percentage of revenues from one customer	11.00%	10.00%	12.00%	12.00%

Restructuring_and_Other_Charge2

Restructuring and Other Charges Narrative (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended			6 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Charges	$685	$2,700	$772	$3,353	$1,519
Workforce-related
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Charges	685	1,500	765	2,148	1,506
Facilities and other
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Charges	$0	$1,200	$7	$1,205	$13

Restructuring_and_Other_Charge3

Restructuring and Other Charges Activity Related to Restructuring Accruals (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended			6 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Restructuring Reserve [Roll Forward]
Beginning Balance	$3,928	$3,475	$1,462	$3,475	$1,412
Expense	685	2,700	772	3,353	1,519
Utilization	-1,316		-682	-3,531	-1,379
Ending Balance	3,297	3,928	1,552	3,297	1,552
Facilities and other
Restructuring Reserve [Roll Forward]
Beginning Balance	1,175	71	57	71	155
Expense	0	1,200	7	1,205	13
Utilization	-271		-64	-372	-168
Ending Balance	904	1,175	0	904	0
Workforce-related
Restructuring Reserve [Roll Forward]
Beginning Balance	2,753	3,404	1,405	3,404	1,257
Expense	685	1,500	765	2,148	1,506
Utilization	-1,045		-618	-3,159	-1,211
Ending Balance	$2,393	$2,753	$1,552	$2,393	$1,552

Employee_Benefit_Plans_Compone

Employee Benefit Plans Components of Net Pension Cost (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]
Service cost	$129	$102	$248	$202
Interest cost	33	39	64	78
Amortization of losses	0	0	0	1
Expected return on assets	-58	-55	-111	-108
Net periodic pension cost	$104	$86	$201	$173

Other_Balance_Sheet_Informatio2

Other Balance Sheet Information Summary of Account Receivable (Detail) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Valuation and Qualifying Accounts Disclosure [Line Items]
Accounts receivable	$96,066	$81,270
Accounts receivable, net	94,679	80,106
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts
Valuation and Qualifying Accounts Disclosure [Line Items]
Less allowances	-1,261	-1,031
Allowance for Sales Returns
Valuation and Qualifying Accounts Disclosure [Line Items]
Less allowances	($126)	($133)

Other_Balance_Sheet_Informatio3

Other Balance Sheet Information Summary of Inventories (Detail) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Raw materials and purchased parts	$55,456,000	$57,250,000
Work-in-process	19,600,000	20,068,000
Finished goods	15,502,000	16,249,000
Inventory, net	90,558,000	93,567,000
Reserves for excess and obsolete inventory	$24,900,000	$26,000,000

Other_Balance_Sheet_Informatio4

Other Balance Sheet Information Product Warranty and Retrofit Activity on Gross Basis (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Beginning Balance	$6,255	$6,762	$6,499	$7,260
Adjustments for Acquisitions and Divestitures	0	0	81	0
Accruals	2,428	2,275	5,145	4,150
Costs Incurred	-2,480	-2,718	-5,522	-5,091
Ending Balance	$6,203	$6,319	$6,203	$6,319

Equity_Method_Investments_Narr

Equity Method Investments Narrative (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended		0 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 20, 2015	Dec. 22, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Equity in earnings (losses) of equity method investments	($73,000)	$510,000	($605,000)	$1,259,000
Goodwill	118,264,000		118,264,000				109,501,000
Equity method investments	27,027,000		27,027,000			2,500,000	28,944,000
Debt conversion, converted instrument, rate			9.00%
Equity method investment, additional financing						5,000,000
BioCision, LLC
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Joint venture interest, percentage		22.00%		22.00%
Equity in earnings (losses) of equity method investments	-300,000		-500,000
Investment cost		4,000,000		4,000,000
Equity method investments	3,200,000		3,200,000
Convertible debt securities	5,200,000		5,200,000
Warrants aggregate fair value	70,000		70,000
ULVAC Cryogenics, Inc.
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Joint venture interest, percentage	50.00%		50.00%
Equity in earnings (losses) of equity method investments	0	500,000	400,000	1,200,000
Equity method investments	21,900,000		21,900,000
Management fee payments received	200,000		300,000	300,000
Charges incurred from related parties	0	0	100,000
Accounts payable for unpaid products and services	46,000		46,000				79,000
Yaskawa Brooks Automation, Inc.
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Joint venture interest, percentage	50.00%		50.00%
Equity in earnings (losses) of equity method investments	200,000	35,000	-500,000	0
Payments to acquire businesses					1,800,000
Goodwill					200,000
Equity method investments	1,900,000		1,900,000
Charges incurred from related parties	500,000	200,000	900,000	300,000
Accounts payable for unpaid products and services	0		0				100,000
Revenues earned from joint ventures	1,000,000	2,100,000	2,100,000	2,800,000
Due from joint venture	$0		$0				$2,100,000

Note_Receivable_Details

Note Receivable (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2012
Obligation with Joint and Several Liability Arrangement [Line Items]
Loan interest rate				9.00%
Payments to Acquire Other Investments		$5,000,000	$4,000,000	$3,000,000
Impairment charge	$2,600,000
Subordinated Debt [Member]
Obligation with Joint and Several Liability Arrangement [Line Items]
Loan interest rate	10.00%

Derivative_Instruments_Realize

Derivative Instruments - Realized Gains (Losses) on Derivative Instruments (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]
Realized gains (losses) on derivative instruments not designated as hedging instruments	$126	($154)	$426	($107)

Derivative_Instruments_Notiona

Derivative Instruments - Notional Amounts Outstanding under Foreign Currency Contracts (Detail) (Not Designated as Hedging Instrument, Foreign Exchange Contract, USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Derivative [Line Items]
Fair Value of Assets	$31	$0
Fair Value of Liabilities	15	58
Derivative Instrument Twelve [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Fair Value of Assets	23
Fair Value of Liabilities
Derivative Instrument Seven [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Fair Value of Assets		0
Fair Value of Liabilities		11
Buy Currency, U.S. Dollar; Sell Currency, Japanese Yen
Derivative [Line Items]
Fair Value of Assets	5	0
Fair Value of Liabilities	0	5
Derivative Instrument Thirteen [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Fair Value of Assets		0
Fair Value of Liabilities		16
Buy Currency, British Pound; Sell Currency, Euro
Derivative [Line Items]
Fair Value of Assets	0
Fair Value of Liabilities	7
Buy Currency, U.S. Dollar; Sell Currency, Taiwan Dollar
Derivative [Line Items]
Fair Value of Assets	2
Fair Value of Liabilities	0
Derivative Instrument Seventeen [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Fair Value of Assets	0
Fair Value of Liabilities	1
Buy Currency, Korean Won; Sell Currency, US Dollar
Derivative [Line Items]
Fair Value of Assets	0	0
Fair Value of Liabilities	0	5
Buy Currency, Euro; Sell Currency U.S. Dollar
Derivative [Line Items]
Fair Value of Assets		0
Fair Value of Liabilities		15
Derivative Instrument Eighteen [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Fair Value of Assets	1
Fair Value of Liabilities	0
Buy Currency, U.S. Dollar; Sell Currency, Israeli Shekel
Derivative [Line Items]
Fair Value of Assets	0	0
Fair Value of Liabilities	7	1
Buy Currency, U.S. Dollar; Sell Currency, Singapore Dollar
Derivative [Line Items]
Fair Value of Assets		0
Fair Value of Liabilities		5
Long | Derivative Instrument Twelve [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional Amount	5,100
Long | Derivative Instrument Seven [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional Amount		1,736
Long | Buy Currency, U.S. Dollar; Sell Currency, Japanese Yen
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional Amount	1,343	656
Long | Derivative Instrument Thirteen [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional Amount		1,395
Long | Buy Currency, British Pound; Sell Currency, Euro
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional Amount	1,098
Long | Buy Currency, U.S. Dollar; Sell Currency, Taiwan Dollar
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional Amount	673
Long | Derivative Instrument Seventeen [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional Amount	1,248
Long | Buy Currency, Korean Won; Sell Currency, US Dollar
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional Amount	330,000	731
Long | Buy Currency, Euro; Sell Currency U.S. Dollar
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional Amount		3,513
Long | Derivative Instrument Eighteen [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional Amount	403
Long | Buy Currency, U.S. Dollar; Sell Currency, Israeli Shekel
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional Amount	603	76
Long | Buy Currency, U.S. Dollar; Sell Currency, Singapore Dollar
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional Amount		650
Short | Derivative Instrument Twelve [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional Amount	5,560
Short | Derivative Instrument Seven [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional Amount		190,000
Short | Buy Currency, U.S. Dollar; Sell Currency, Japanese Yen
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional Amount	160,000	20,000
Short | Derivative Instrument Thirteen [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional Amount		1,100
Short | Buy Currency, British Pound; Sell Currency, Euro
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional Amount	1,500
Short | Buy Currency, U.S. Dollar; Sell Currency, Taiwan Dollar
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional Amount	21,000
Short | Derivative Instrument Seventeen [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional Amount	840
Short | Buy Currency, Korean Won; Sell Currency, US Dollar
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional Amount	299	2,700
Short | Buy Currency, Euro; Sell Currency U.S. Dollar
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional Amount		4,500
Short | Derivative Instrument Eighteen [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional Amount	48,000
Short | Buy Currency, U.S. Dollar; Sell Currency, Israeli Shekel
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional Amount	2,400	80,000
Short | Buy Currency, U.S. Dollar; Sell Currency, Singapore Dollar
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional Amount		$400

Marketable_Securities_Summary_

Marketable Securities Summary of Marketable Securities Including Accrued Interest Receivable (Detail) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	$132,842	$151,521
Available-for-sale Equity Securities, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	1,140	63
Available-for-sale Securities, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	54	242
Fair Value	133,928	151,342
U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S. government agencies
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	27,402	26,052
Available-for-sale Equity Securities, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	17	1
Available-for-sale Securities, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	2	39
Fair Value	27,417	26,014
Corporate securities
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	61,377	74,614
Available-for-sale Equity Securities, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	26	23
Available-for-sale Securities, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	38	174
Fair Value	61,365	74,463
Mortgage-backed securities
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	911	964
Available-for-sale Equity Securities, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	30	36
Available-for-sale Securities, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	0	0
Fair Value	941	1,000
Other debt securities
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	6,270	7,358
Available-for-sale Equity Securities, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	2	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	0	10
Fair Value	6,272	7,348
Municipal securities
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	19,936	15,888
Available-for-sale Equity Securities, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	2	1
Available-for-sale Securities, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	14	16
Fair Value	19,924	15,873
Bank certificate of deposits
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	16,946	26,645
Available-for-sale Equity Securities, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	1,063	2
Available-for-sale Securities, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	0	3
Fair Value	$18,009	$26,644

Marketable_Securities_Fair_Val

Marketable Securities Fair Value of Marketable Securities by Contractual Maturity (Detail) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Investments, Debt and Equity Securities [Abstract]
Due in one year or less	$69,327
Due after one year through five years	61,247
Due after ten years	3,354
Fair Value	$133,928	$151,342

Fair_Value_Measurements_Narrat

Fair Value Measurements Narrative (Detail) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Fair Value Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale securities	$133,928	$151,342
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring
Fair Value Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale securities	133,928	151,342
Cash and Cash Equivalents, Fair Value Disclosure	10,404	6,404
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring | Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1)
Fair Value Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale securities	0	0
Cash and Cash Equivalents, Fair Value Disclosure	10,154	5,166
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring | Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)
Fair Value Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale securities	133,928	151,342
Cash and Cash Equivalents, Fair Value Disclosure	$250	$1,238

Fair_Value_Measurements_Assets

Fair Value Measurements Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value on Recurring Basis (Detail) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Assets
Available-for-sale securities	$133,928	$151,342
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring
Assets
Cash equivalents	10,404	6,404
Available-for-sale securities	133,928	151,342
Foreign exchange contracts	31
Convertible debt securities	5,207
Stock warrants	70
Total Assets	149,640	157,746
Liabilities
Foreign exchange contracts		58
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring
Assets
Cash equivalents	10,154	5,166
Available-for-sale securities	0	0
Foreign exchange contracts	0
Convertible debt securities	0
Stock warrants	0
Total Assets	10,154	5,166
Liabilities
Foreign exchange contracts	0	0
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring
Assets
Cash equivalents	250	1,238
Available-for-sale securities	133,928	151,342
Foreign exchange contracts	31
Convertible debt securities	0
Stock warrants	0
Total Assets	134,209	152,580
Liabilities
Foreign exchange contracts	15	58
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring
Assets
Cash equivalents	0	0
Available-for-sale securities	0	0
Foreign exchange contracts	0
Convertible debt securities	5,207
Stock warrants	70
Total Assets	5,277	0
Liabilities
Foreign exchange contracts	$0	$0

Fair_Value_Measurements_Stock_

Fair Value Measurements Stock Warrant (Details) (USD $)	6 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation, Calculation [Roll Forward]
Balance at September 30, 2014	$0
Additions	5,009
Change in fair value	268
Balance at March 31, 2015	5,277
Convertible Debt Securities [Member]
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation, Calculation [Roll Forward]
Balance at September 30, 2014	0
Additions	4,934
Change in fair value	273
Balance at March 31, 2015	5,207
Warrant [Member]
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation, Calculation [Roll Forward]
Balance at September 30, 2014	0
Additions	75
Change in fair value	-5
Balance at March 31, 2015	$70

Commitments_and_Contingencies_

Commitments and Contingencies - Additional Information (Details) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Lease accumulated amortization	$0.20
Outstanding letters of credit	19.9
Building
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Capital lease costs included in balance sheet as property, plant and equipment	6.4
Land
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Capital lease costs included in balance sheet as property, plant and equipment	$2.10

Commitments_and_Contingencies_1

Commitments and Contingencies X (Details) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
2015	$440
2016	881
2017	881
2018	6,901
Total minimum lease payments	9,103
Less amounts representing interest	1,049
Total capital lease obligation	8,054
Less current portion of capital lease obligation	881	881
Long-term capital lease obligation	$7,173	$7,417

Subsequent_Events_Detail

Subsequent Events (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended		0 Months Ended
In Millions, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014	Apr. 28, 2015	Dec. 22, 2014
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Equity method investment, additional financing						$5
Cash dividend declared (USD per share)	$0.10	$0.08	$0.20	$0.16
Subsequent Event
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Cash dividend declared (USD per share)					$0.10
Cash dividend declared, payment date					26-Jun-15
Cash dividend declared, record date					5-Jun-15