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Semiconductors are a widely used class of materials with electrical conductivities that fall between that of conductors and insulators. What has made doped versions of these materials the cornerstone of modern electronics is their ability to control the flow of electrons as part of a circuit, switching on and off as required, with a minimal physical device footprint.
Controlling the flow of electrons is not the only interesting application of semiconductor materials. Some semiconducting materials can be used to either convert electricity into light or, to do the reverse, converting absorbed light energy into electrical charge.