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Investments in Privately-Held Raw Material Companies (Details)			1 Months Ended			3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Jun. 15, 2018 USD ($) installment	Nov. 02, 2017 USD ($)	Aug. 31, 2020 USD ($)	May 31, 2019 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2018 USD ($) employee entity	Mar. 31, 2019 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2020 USD ($) employee entity	Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($) subsidiary	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Nov. 30, 2020	Jul. 31, 2020	Jun. 01, 2019 USD ($)	Apr. 30, 2019	Mar. 11, 2019	Mar. 10, 2019	Aug. 31, 2018	Jun. 14, 2018	Nov. 01, 2017
Summary of investments
Investments, equity method							$ 6,376,000	$ 5,961,000
Proceeds from sale of previously consolidated subsidiary shares								366,000
Gain on deconsolidation								175,000
Payment of first installment								262,000	$ 415,000
Noncontrolling interests							15,350,000	4,877,000
Remainder portion of payment							1,439,000	$ 151,000
Number of consolidated joint ventures \| subsidiary								1
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests							1,803,000	$ 1,012,000	1,355,000
Impairment charge							$ 0	0	0
Impaired entities \| entity							1
Joint Ventures
Summary of investments
Number of consolidated joint ventures \| entity					3
Income from consolidated joint ventures							$ 7,500,000	4,300,000	5,500,000
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests							1,800,000	(1,000,000.0)	1,400,000
Net income (loss) from joint ventures attributable to parent							5,700,000	3,300,000	$ 4,100,000
Other assets
Summary of investments
Investments, equity method							6,400,000	6,000,000.0
Variable Interest Entity
Summary of investments
Investments, equity method							$ 6,376,000	5,961,000
Xilingol Tongli Germanium Co. Ltd Investment
Summary of investments
Direct minority investments not consolidated \| entity							1
Germanium materials
Summary of investments
Impairment charge						$ 1,100,000		1,100,000
Donghai County Dongfang High Purity Electronic Materials Co., Ltd Investment \| Donghai County Dongfang High Purity Electronic Materials Co., Ltd Investment
Summary of investments
Investments, equity method							$ 1,651,000	1,326,000
Percentage of ownership, equity method (in hundredths)							46.00%
Beijing JiYa Semiconductor Material Co., Ltd Investment \| Beijing JiYa Semiconductor Material Co., Ltd Investment
Summary of investments
Investments, equity method							$ 1,418,000	1,621,000
Percentage of ownership, equity method (in hundredths)							39.00%
Xilingol Tongli Germanium Co. Ltd Investment \| Xilingol Tongli Germanium Co. Ltd Investment
Summary of investments
Investments, equity method							$ 0	0
Percentage of ownership, equity method (in hundredths)							25.00%
Xiaoyi XingAn Gallium Co., Ltd. \| Xiaoyi XingAn Gallium Co., Ltd.
Summary of investments
Investments, equity method							$ 2,822,000	2,367,000
Percentage of ownership, equity method (in hundredths)							25.00%
Emeishan Jia Mei High Purity Metals Co., Ltd Investment \| Emeishan Jia Mei High Purity Metals Co., Ltd Investment
Summary of investments
Investments, equity method							$ 485,000	647,000
Percentage of ownership, equity method (in hundredths)							25.00%
Beijing JiYa Semiconductor Material Co., Ltd Investment
Summary of investments
Percentage of ownership, consolidated method (in hundredths)														39.00%	46.00%
Chaoyang JinMei Gallium Co., Ltd[member]
Summary of investments
Percentage of ownership, consolidated method (in hundredths)			91.50%								100.00%
Nanjing JinMei Gallium Co., Ltd Investment
Summary of investments
Percentage of ownership, consolidated method (in hundredths)				100.00%	97.00%								97.00%
Percentage of outstanding shares							8.50%
Beijing BoYu Semiconductor Vessel Craftwork Technology Co., Ltd Investment
Summary of investments
Percentage of ownership, consolidated method (in hundredths)							67.00%			63.00%
Percentage of outstanding shares							33.00%
Beijing Tongmei Xtal Technology
Summary of investments
Percentage of outstanding shares							8.37%
Percentage of Equity Purchased by Employees, Key Managers and Contributors							0.40%
Beijing JiYa Semiconductor Material Co., Ltd
Summary of investments
Percentage of ownership, equity method (in hundredths)							39.00%
Nanjing JinMei Gallium Co., Ltd
Summary of investments
Number of new board representatives \| employee							2
Nanjing JinMei Gallium Co., Ltd \| Beijing Tongmei Xtal Technology
Summary of investments
Percentage of Equity Issued on Conversion of Non Controlling Interests							0.38%
Beijing Boyu Semiconductor Vessel Craftwork Technology Co Ltd
Summary of investments
Number of new board representatives \| employee							2
Beijing Boyu Semiconductor Vessel Craftwork Technology Co Ltd \| Beijing Tongmei Xtal Technology
Summary of investments
Percentage of Equity Issued on Conversion of Non Controlling Interests							7.59%
Majority-Owned Subsidiaries
Summary of investments
Investments, consolidated method							$ 3,758,000	3,758,000
Nanjing JinMei Gallium Co., Ltd Investment
Summary of investments
Investments, consolidated method							$ 592,000	592,000
Additional percentage of ownership, consolidated method	12			3	2
Purchase of subsidiary shares from noncontrolling interest	$ 1,400,000			$ 413,000	$ 252,000
Number of installments \| installment	2
Payment of first installment	$ 163,000
Payment of second installment				$ 1,200,000
Noncontrolling interests												$ 0
Number of persons on board \| employee					1
Nanjing JinMei Gallium Co., Ltd Investment \| Nanjing JinMei Gallium Co., Ltd Investment
Summary of investments
Percentage of ownership, consolidated method (in hundredths)	95.00%						100.00%									95.00%	83.00%
Chaoyang JinMei Gallium Co., Ltd[member]
Summary of investments
Investments, consolidated method							$ 1,820,000	1,820,000
Percentage Of Ownership Interest Sold			8.50%
Purchase of subsidiary shares from noncontrolling interest			$ 396,000
Chaoyang JinMei Gallium Co., Ltd[member] \| Chaoyang JinMei Gallium Co., Ltd[member]
Summary of investments
Percentage of ownership, consolidated method (in hundredths)			91.50%				100.00%				100.00%
Percentage Of Ownership Interest Sold			8.50%
Proceeds from sale of previously consolidated subsidiary shares			$ 396,000
Beijing BoYu Semiconductor Vessel Craftwork Technology Co., Ltd Investment
Summary of investments
Investments, consolidated method							$ 1,346,000	$ 1,346,000
Additional percentage of ownership, consolidated method							4
Purchase of subsidiary shares from noncontrolling interest							$ 1,600,000
Gain (loss) from equity transaction		$ 0
Beijing BoYu Semiconductor Vessel Craftwork Technology Co., Ltd Investment \| 3rd party investor
Summary of investments
Percentage ownership from issuance of shares		10.00%
Additional percentage of ownership, consolidated method							4
Purchase of subsidiary shares from noncontrolling interest							$ 1,600,000
Raised additional capital		$ 2,000,000
Beijing BoYu Semiconductor Vessel Craftwork Technology Co., Ltd Investment \| Beijing BoYu Semiconductor Vessel Craftwork Technology Co., Ltd Investment
Summary of investments
Percentage of ownership, consolidated method (in hundredths)		63.00%					100.00%											70.00%