As a materials science expert with a focus on semiconductor materials, I can tell you that a wafer is primarily made out of a single crystal of semiconductor material, which is most commonly silicon. However, other materials like germanium and gallium arsenide are also used, depending on the application.
Wafers are the foundation upon which microelectronic devices are built. The purity of the semiconductor material is critical, as impurities can significantly affect the performance of the devices. The wafers are sliced from a single-crystal boule, which is grown through processes like the Czochralski process for silicon.
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