Document and Entity Information [Abstract] Entity Information Entity Registrant Name Entity Central Index Key Current Fiscal Year End Date Entity Current Reporting Status Entity Voluntary Filers Entity Filer Category Entity Well-known Seasoned Issuer Entity Public Float Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding Document Information Document Type Amendment Flag Document Period End Date Document Fiscal Year Focus Document Fiscal Period Focus Note 1 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Practices Disclosure Note 2 - Fair Value of Assets and Liabilities Disclosure Note 3 - Property, Plant and Equipment Disclosure Note 4 - Accounts Payable and Accrued Liabilities Disclosure Note 5 - Customer Deposits Disclosure Note 6 - Notes Payable and Warrants Disclosure Note 7 - Total Equity Disclosure Note 8 - Income Taxes Disclosure Note 9 - Net Loss per Share Disclosure Note 10 - Commitments, Contingencies and Purchase Obligations Disclosure Note 11 - Operating Segments Disclosure Note 2 - Fair Value of Assets and Liabilities Accounts payable and accrued liabilities Accounts Payable And Accrued Liabilities Current [Standard] Stockholders' equity: Net cash provided by financing activities Net Cash Provided By Used In Financing Activities [Standard] Cash flows from financing activities: Stock-based compensation Note 4 - Accounts Payable and Accrued Liabilities Warrants, shares of common stock Consolidated Statements of Operations Total current assets Assets Current [Standard] Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows Property, plant and equipment, net Restricted cash Accounts receivable Accounts Receivable Net [Standard] Inventory Preferred stock, par value The cash outflow associated with the costs related to the purchase of all investments (debt, security, other) during the period. Costs related to Tianwei investment Payments Of Costs Related To Investment [Standard] Amount Attributable To Stock Based Compensation [Member] Selling General And Administrative [Domain] Selling General And Administrative [Axis] The cash outflow associated with the costs related to the purchase of all investments (debt, security, other) during the period. Costs of uncompleted contracts Preferred stock, shares outstanding Preferred stock, shares issued Note 7 - Total Equity Total Hoku Corporation stockholders' equity Stockholders Equity [Standard] Cash flows from investing activities: Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities: Net cash used in investing activities Net Cash Provided By Used In Investing Activities [Standard] Cash flows from operating activities: Net cash used in operating activities Net Cash Provided By Used In Operating Activities [Standard] Costs of uncompleted contracts Costs In Excess Of Billings On Uncompleted Contracts Or Programs Expected To Be Collected Within One Year [Standard] Acquisition of property and equipment through accounts payable and accrued liabilities, including accrued capitalized interest Note 3 - Property, Plant and Equipment Preferred stock, shares authorized Notes payable Note 10 - Commitments, Contingencies and Purchase Obligations Basic net loss per share attributable to Hoku Corporation (1) Includes stock-based compensation and non-cash expense from issuance of warrant as follows: Increase in restricted cash Related party notes payable, net Total assets Assets [Standard] Preferred stock, $0.001 par value. Authorized 5,000,000 shares; no shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2011 and March 31, 2011. Cash and cash equivalents Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period Cash and cash equivalents at end of period Notes payable - current Total liabilities Liabilities [Standard] Shares used in computing diluted net loss per share Payment of financing costs Payments Of Financing Costs [Standard] Inventory Inventory Net [Standard] Shares used in computing basic net loss per share Amortization of debt discount and deferred financing cost capitalized as property, plant and equipment Total cost of revenue Cost Of Revenue [Standard] Total liabilities and equity Liabilities And Stockholders Equity [Standard] Liabilities and Equity Commitments and contingencies Total equity Stockholders Equity Including Portion Attributable To Noncontrolling Interest [Standard] Common stock, $0.001 par value. Authorized 100,000,000 shares; issued and outstanding 54,911,861 and 54,970,255 shares as of December 31, 2011 and March 31, 2011, respectively. Cost of product revenue Note 5 - Customer Deposits Depreciation and amortization Common stock, shares authorized Common stock, shares issued Common stock, shares outstanding Net loss attributable to Hoku Corporation Net Income Loss [Standard] Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents Cash And Cash Equivalents Period Increase Decrease [Standard] Selling, general and administrative (1) Accounts receivable Accounts payable and accrued liabilities Other current liabilities Cost of service and license revenue Deferred revenue Deferred Revenue Current [Standard] Common stock, par value Additional paid-in capital Net proceeds from notes payable Gross margin Gross Profit [Standard] Note 1 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Practices Statement [Line Items] Distributions to noncontrolling interest Payments Of Dividends Minority Interest [Standard] Warrants for 11,196,581 and 10,000,000 shares of common stock as of December 31, 2011 and March 31, 2011, respectively. Assets Statement Equity Components [Axis] Statement [Table] Note 6 - Notes Payable and Warrants Statement Scenario [Axis] Other current liabilities Other Liabilities Current [Standard] Service and license revenue License And Services Revenue [Standard] Note 11 - Operating Segments Scenario Unspecified [Domain] Interest and other income Net income attributable to the noncontrolling interest Net Income Loss Attributable To Noncontrolling Interest [Standard] Deferred revenue Note 9 - Net Loss per Share Noncontrolling interest Prepaid expenses Customer deposits received (refunded) Payments For Proceeds From Other Deposits [Standard] Net loss Net loss Statement Class Of Stock [Axis] Prepaid expenses Prepaid Expense Current [Standard] Total revenue Revenues [Standard] Product revenue Loss from operations Operating Income Loss [Standard] Accumulated deficit Exercise of common stock options Deferred cost of financing Total current liabilities Liabilities Current [Standard] Payment of property, plant and equipment expenditures Payments To Acquire Property Plant And Equipment [Standard] Changes in operating assets and liabilities: Operating expenses: Note 8 - Income Taxes Total operating expenses Operating Expenses [Standard] Long-term customer deposits Diluted net loss per share attributable to Hoku Corporation Non-cash expense from issuance of warrant Supplemental disclosure of non-cash activities: Consolidated Balance Sheets Customer deposits