The present invention relates to a method for reducing lateral growth as well as growth of the bottom surface of crystals in a crystal growing process, wherein before the crystal seed undergoes a growing process the method includes a step of wrapping the crystal seed with metal foil so that all the side surfaces as well as the bottom surface of the crystal seed are surrounded by the foil.

Materials containing picocrystalline quantum dots that form artificial atoms are disclosed. The picocrystalline quantum dots (in the form of born icosahedra with a nearly-symmetrical nuclear configuration) can replace corner silicon atoms in a structure that demonstrates both short range and long-range order as determined by x-ray diffraction of actual samples. A novel class of boron-rich compositions that self-assemble from boron, silicon, hydrogen and, optionally, oxygen is also disclosed. The preferred stoichiometric range for the compositions is (B.sub.12H.sub.w).sub.xSi.sub.yO.sub.z with 3≤w≤5, 2≤x≤4, 2≤y≤5 and 0≤z≤3. By varying oxygen content and the presence or absence of a significant impurity such as gold, unique electrical devices can be constructed that improve upon and are compatible with current semiconductor technology.

An alumina grain has a single-crystal structure and has an approximate regular octahedral stereoscopic morphology. Eight sides of the alumina grain belong to the {111} family of crystal planes of γ-state alumina, and the grain size is 5-100 μm. The alumina grain is unique in crystal plane exposure and distribution, simple and feasible in preparation, and low in cost, and has higher operability, and thus has good application prospect in the field of catalysis and adsorption.

An alumina grain has a single-crystal structure and has an approximate regular octahedral stereoscopic morphology. Eight sides of the alumina grain belong to the {111} family of crystal planes of γ-state alumina, and the grain size is 5-100 μm. The alumina grain is unique in crystal plane exposure and distribution, simple and feasible in preparation, and low in cost, and has higher operability, and thus has good application prospect in the field of catalysis and adsorption.

The present invention relates to single crystalline RbUO.sub.3, hydrothermal growth processes of making such single crystals and methods of using such single crystals. In particular, Applicants disclose single crystalline RbUO.sub.3 single crystalline RbUO.sub.3 in the Pm-3m space group. Unlike other powdered RbUO.sub.3, Applicants' single crystalline RbUO.sub.3 has a sufficient crystal size to be characterized and used in the fields of neutron detection, radiation-hardened electronics, nuclear forensics, nuclear engineering photovoltaics, lasers, light-emitting diodes, photoelectrolysis and magnetic applications.

The present invention relates to single crystalline RbUO.sub.3, hydrothermal growth processes of making such single crystals and methods of using such single crystals. In particular, Applicants disclose single crystalline RbUO.sub.3 single crystalline RbUO.sub.3 in the Pm-3m space group. Unlike other powdered RbUO.sub.3, Applicants' single crystalline RbUO.sub.3 has a sufficient crystal size to be characterized and used in the fields of neutron detection, radiation-hardened electronics, nuclear forensics, nuclear engineering photovoltaics, lasers, light-emitting diodes, photoelectrolysis and magnetic applications.

A gallium oxide single crystal particle according to the present invention is an α-Ga.sub.2O.sub.3 single crystal particle and has a diameter and a height that exceed 100 μm.

A gallium oxide single crystal particle according to the present invention is an α-Ga.sub.2O.sub.3 single crystal particle and has a diameter and a height that exceed 100 μm.

An object is to provide a nonpolar or semipolar GaN substrate having improved size and crystal quality. A self-standing GaN substrate has an angle between the normal of the principal surface and an m-axis of 0 degrees or more and 20 degrees or less, wherein: the size of the projected image in a c-axis direction when the principal surface is vertically projected on an M-plane is 10 mm or more; and when an a-axis length is measured on an intersection line between the principal surface and an A-plane, a low distortion section with a section length of 6 mm or more and with an a-axis length variation within the section of 10.0×10.sup.−5 Å or less is observed.

High quality ammonothermal group III metal nitride crystals having a pattern of locally-approximately-linear arrays of threading dislocations, methods of manufacturing high quality ammonothermal group III metal nitride crystals, and methods of using such crystals are disclosed. The crystals are useful for seed bulk crystal growth and as substrates for light emitting diodes, laser diodes, transistors, photodetectors, solar cells, and for photoelectrochemical water splitting for hydrogen generation devices.