Integrated Circuits are found in every conceivable electronic
device, and control the on-off behavior of a device capable of
conductive behavior. They evolved from vacuum tubes and
transistors to incorporate hundreds of thousands of transistors
on a single chip today. IC's and semiconductors now control
computing, communications, networking, and other facets of daily
modern life. They are created by "etching" a pattern onto a
semiconductor platform, such as silicon, which can then be
controlled by exposure to electrical current. Semiconductors are
the individual "on-off" switches that make up a electronic
devices. By only allowing the conductance of electricity in
specific situations (as opposed to conductors and insulators),
semiconductors can produce complex and sophisticated behaviors,
calculations, and measurements. By working in tandem, many
semiconductors can constitute an mp3 player, computer processor,
or wireless network adapter.