A semiconductor wafer forms on a mold containing a dopant. The dopant dopes a melt region adjacent the mold. There, dopant concentration is higher than in the melt bulk. A wafer starts solidifying. Dopant diffuses poorly in solid semiconductor. After a wafer starts solidifying, dopant cannot enter the melt. Afterwards, the concentration of dopant in the melt adjacent the wafer surface is less than what was present where the wafer began to form. New wafer regions grow from a melt region whose dopant concentration lessens over time. This establishes a dopant gradient in the wafer, with higher concentration adjacent the mold. The gradient can be tailored. A gradient gives rise to a field that can function as a drift or back surface field. Solar collectors can have open grid conductors and better optical reflectors on the back surface, made possible by the intrinsic back surface field.

The present invention relates to a nintedanib diethanesulfonate salt A-type crystal represented by formula (II), and also relates to a crystalline composition and pharmaceutical composition comprising the crystal, and preparation method and use thereof. An X-ray powder diffraction spectrum of the nintedanib diethanesulfonate salt A-type crystal of the present invention has a diffraction peak at about 14.64, 18.79, 19.31, 20.11, 21.20, 22.45 and 26.71 when represented via a 2 value. The nintedanib diethanesulfonate salt A-type crystal of the present invention has a stable property, is non-hygroscopic and difficult to degrade, and is particularly suitable for medicine production. ##STR00001##

The present invention relates to a nintedanib diethanesulfonate salt A-type crystal represented by formula (II), and also relates to a crystalline composition and pharmaceutical composition comprising the crystal, and preparation method and use thereof. An X-ray powder diffraction spectrum of the nintedanib diethanesulfonate salt A-type crystal of the present invention has a diffraction peak at about 14.64, 18.79, 19.31, 20.11, 21.20, 22.45 and 26.71 when represented via a 2 value. The nintedanib diethanesulfonate salt A-type crystal of the present invention has a stable property, is non-hygroscopic and difficult to degrade, and is particularly suitable for medicine production. ##STR00001##

A self-supporting substrate includes a first nitride layer grown by a hydride vapor deposition method or ammonothermal method and comprising a nitride of one or more elements selected from the group consisting of gallium, aluminum and indium; and a second nitride layer grown by a sodium flux method on the first nitride layer and comprising a nitride of one or more elements selected from the group consisting of gallium, aluminum and indium. The first nitride layer includes a plurality of single crystal grains arranged therein and extending between a pair of main faces of the first nitride layer. The second nitride layer includes a plurality of single crystal grains arranged therein and extending between a pair of main faces of the second nitride layer. The first nitride layer has a thickness larger than a thickness of the second nitride layer.

A self-supporting substrate includes a first nitride layer grown by a hydride vapor deposition method or ammonothermal method and comprising a nitride of one or more elements selected from the group consisting of gallium, aluminum and indium; and a second nitride layer grown by a sodium flux method on the first nitride layer and comprising a nitride of one or more elements selected from the group consisting of gallium, aluminum and indium. The first nitride layer includes a plurality of single crystal grains arranged therein and extending between a pair of main faces of the first nitride layer. The second nitride layer includes a plurality of single crystal grains arranged therein and extending between a pair of main faces of the second nitride layer. The first nitride layer has a thickness larger than a thickness of the second nitride layer.

A lithium metal negative electrode for an electrochemical cell for a secondary lithium metal battery includes a polycrystalline metal substrate having a major facing surface with a defined crystallographic texture. An epitaxial lithium metal layer is formed on the major facing surface of the polycrystalline metal substrate. The epitaxial lithium metal layer exhibits a predominant crystal orientation. The predominant crystal orientation of the epitaxial lithium metal layer is derived from the defined crystallographic texture of the major facing surface of the polycrystalline metal substrate.

A lithium metal negative electrode for an electrochemical cell for a secondary lithium metal battery includes a polycrystalline metal substrate having a major facing surface with a defined crystallographic texture. An epitaxial lithium metal layer is formed on the major facing surface of the polycrystalline metal substrate. The epitaxial lithium metal layer exhibits a predominant crystal orientation. The predominant crystal orientation of the epitaxial lithium metal layer is derived from the defined crystallographic texture of the major facing surface of the polycrystalline metal substrate.

Disclosed is a self-supporting zinc oxide substrate composed of a plate composed of a plurality of zinc-oxide-based single crystal grains, wherein the plate has a single crystal structure in an approximately normal direction, and the zinc-oxide-based single crystal grains have a cross-sectional average diameter of greater than 1 m. This substrate can be manufactured by a method comprising providing an oriented polycrystalline sintered body; forming a layer with a thickness of 20 m or greater composed of zinc-oxide-based crystals on the oriented polycrystalline sintered body so that the layer has crystal orientation mostly in conformity with crystal orientation of the oriented polycrystalline sintered body; and removing the oriented polycrystalline sintered body to obtain the self-supporting zinc oxide substrate. The present invention can provide a self-supporting zinc oxide substrate being inexpensive and also suitable for having a large area as a preferable alternative material for a zinc oxide single crystal substrate.

Disclosed is a self-supporting zinc oxide substrate composed of a plate composed of a plurality of zinc-oxide-based single crystal grains, wherein the plate has a single crystal structure in an approximately normal direction, and the zinc-oxide-based single crystal grains have a cross-sectional average diameter of greater than 1 m. This substrate can be manufactured by a method comprising providing an oriented polycrystalline sintered body; forming a layer with a thickness of 20 m or greater composed of zinc-oxide-based crystals on the oriented polycrystalline sintered body so that the layer has crystal orientation mostly in conformity with crystal orientation of the oriented polycrystalline sintered body; and removing the oriented polycrystalline sintered body to obtain the self-supporting zinc oxide substrate. The present invention can provide a self-supporting zinc oxide substrate being inexpensive and also suitable for having a large area as a preferable alternative material for a zinc oxide single crystal substrate.

There is provided a self-supporting polycrystalline gallium nitride substrate having excellent characteristics such as high luminous efficiency and high conversion efficiency when used for devices, such as light emitting devices and solar cells. The self-supporting polycrystalline gallium nitride substrate is composed of gallium nitride-based single crystal grains having a specific crystal orientation in a direction approximately normal to the substrate, and has a top surface and a bottom surface. The crystal orientations of individual gallium nitride-based single crystal grains as determined from inverse pole figure mapping by electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) analysis on the top surface are distributed at various tilt angles from the specific crystal orientation, in which the average tilt angle thereof is 0.1 or more and less than 1 and the cross-sectional average diameter D.sub.T of the gallium nitride-based single crystal grains at the outermost surface exposed on the top surface is 10 m or more.