icon wafers are a key component of integrated circuits such as those used to power computers, cellphones, and a wide variety of other devices. A silicon wafer consists of a thin slice of silicon which can be treated in various ways, depending on the type of electronics it is being used in. Silicon is a very high quality semiconductor, making it ideal for the production of such circuits, although other materials have been explored historically. Much of the world's production of silicon wafers was historically centered in the aptly-named Silicon Valley in California.