An oxychloride infrared nonlinear optical crystal and the preparation method and use thereof, the optical crystal has a general chemical formula of Pb.sub.2+xOCl.sub.2+2x, therein 0<x<0.139 or 0.141<x<0.159 or 0.161<x0.6. The crystal is non-centrosymmetric, belongs to orthonormal system with space group of Fmm2, cell parameter is a=35.4963(14)0.05 , b=5.8320(2)0.05 , c=16.0912(6)0.05 . The crystal is prepared by high temperature melt method or flux method. The crystal has a strong second harmonic generation efficiency of 4 times that of KDP (KH.sub.2PO.sub.4) tested by Kurtz method, it is phase machable, transparent in the range of 0.34-7 m. The laser damage threshold is 10 times that of the current commercial infrared nonlinear optical crystal AgGaS.sub.2. No crystalline water exists in lead oxychloride, and it is stable in the air and has good thermal stability.

Methods for large-scale manufacturing of semipolar gallium nitride boules are disclosed. The disclosed methods comprise suspending large-area single crystal seed plates in a rack, placing the rack in a large diameter autoclave or internally-heated high pressure apparatus along with ammonia and a mineralizer, and growing crystals ammonothermally. A bi-faceted growth morphology may be maintained to facilitate fabrication of large area semipolar wafers without growing thick boules.

Methods for large-scale manufacturing of semipolar gallium nitride boules are disclosed. The disclosed methods comprise suspending large-area single crystal seed plates in a rack, placing the rack in a large diameter autoclave or internally-heated high pressure apparatus along with ammonia and a mineralizer, and growing crystals ammonothermally. A bi-faceted growth morphology may be maintained to facilitate fabrication of large area semipolar wafers without growing thick boules.

The invention relates to a lithium metaborate crystal and a preparation method and use thereof. The crystal has a chemical formula of LiBO.sub.2, a molecular weight of 49.75, and is a member of the monoclinic crystal system. The crystal has a P2.sub.1/c space group and lattice constants of a=5.85(8) , b=4.35(7) , c=6.46(6) , =115(5), and Z=4. The crystal can be applied in wavelengths of infrared-visible-deep ultraviolet, and is grown by utilizing a melt crystallization method or a flux method. The crystal obtained using the method described in the invention is easily grown and processed, and can be used in the manufacture of a polarizing beam splitting prism such as a Glan prism, a Wollaston prism, a Rochon prism or a beam-splitting polarizer, and other optical components, enabling crucial applications in the fields of optics and communication.

An epitaxial substrate for semiconductor elements is provided which suppresses the occurrence of current collapse. The epitaxial substrate for the semiconductor elements includes: a semi-insulating free-standing substrate formed of GaN doped with Zn; a buffer layer adjacent to the free-standing substrate; a channel layer adjacent to the buffer layer; and a barrier layer provided on an opposite side of the buffer layer with the channel layer therebetween, wherein the buffer layer is a diffusion suppressing layer formed of Al.sub.pGa.sub.1-pN (0.7p1) and suppresses diffusion of Zn from the free-standing substrate into the channel layer.

An epitaxial substrate for semiconductor elements is provided which suppresses the occurrence of current collapse. The epitaxial substrate for the semiconductor elements includes: a semi-insulating free-standing substrate formed of GaN doped with Zn; a buffer layer adjacent to the free-standing substrate; a channel layer adjacent to the buffer layer; and a barrier layer provided on an opposite side of the buffer layer with the channel layer therebetween, wherein the buffer layer is a diffusion suppressing layer formed of Al.sub.pGa.sub.1-pN (0.7p1) and suppresses diffusion of Zn from the free-standing substrate into the channel layer.

A nonlinear optical crystal of cesium fluorooxoborate, and a method of preparation and use thereof. The crystal has a chemical formula of CsB.sub.4O.sub.6F and a molecular weight of 291.15. It belongs to an orthorhombic crystal system, with a space group of Pna2.sub.1, crystal cell parameters of a=7.9241 , b=11.3996 , c=6.6638 , and ===90, and a unit cell volume of 601.95 .sup.3. A melt method, high temperature solution method, vacuum encapsulation method, hydrothermal method or room temperature solution method is used to grow the crystal of CsB.sub.4O.sub.6F.

In a method for manufacturing a group 13 nitride crystal, a seed crystal made of a group 13 nitride crystal is arranged in a mixed melt containing an alkali metal and a group 13 element, and nitrogen is supplied to the mixed melt to grow the group 13 nitride crystal on a principal plane of the seed crystal. The seed crystal is manufactured by vapor phase epitaxy. At least a part of contact members coming into contact with the mixed melt in a reaction vessel accommodating the mixed melt is made of Al.sub.2O.sub.3. An interface layer having a photoluminescence emission peak whose wavelength is longer than the wavelength of a photoluminescence emission peak of the grown group 13 nitride crystal is formed between the seed crystal and the grown group nitride crystal.

In a method for manufacturing a group 13 nitride crystal, a seed crystal made of a group 13 nitride crystal is arranged in a mixed melt containing an alkali metal and a group 13 element, and nitrogen is supplied to the mixed melt to grow the group 13 nitride crystal on a principal plane of the seed crystal. The seed crystal is manufactured by vapor phase epitaxy. At least a part of contact members coming into contact with the mixed melt in a reaction vessel accommodating the mixed melt is made of Al.sub.2O.sub.3. An interface layer having a photoluminescence emission peak whose wavelength is longer than the wavelength of a photoluminescence emission peak of the grown group 13 nitride crystal is formed between the seed crystal and the grown group nitride crystal.

A crystal substrate 1 includes an underlying layer 2 and a thick film 3. The underlying layer 2 is composed of a crystal of a nitride of a group 13 element and includes a first main face 2a and a second main face 2b. The thick film 3 is composed of a crystal of a nitride of a group 13 element and provided over the first main face of the underlying layer. The underlying layer 2 includes a low carrier concentration region 5 and a high carrier concentration region 4 both extending between the first main face 2a and the second main face 2b. The low carrier concentration region 5 has a carrier concentration of 10.sup.17/cm.sup.3 or lower and a defect density of 10.sup.7/cm.sup.2 or lower. The high carrier concentration region 4 has a carrier concentration of 10.sup.19/cm.sup.3 or higher and a defect density of 10.sup.8/cm.sup.2 or higher. The thick film 3 has a carrier concentration of 10.sup.18/cm.sup.3 or higher and 10.sup.19/cm.sup.3 or lower and a defect density of 10.sup.7/cm.sup.2 or lower.