Abstract: A processing apparatus includes a virtualization control unit configured to virtualize hardware, and a network providing unit configured to provide a network function by using a resource virtualized by the virtualization control unit.

Abstract: Thin epitaxial layers of Group III-V semiconductor materials are grown from solution with improved thickness reproducibility and surface smoothness by a method including the steps of preparing an ideally saturated solution of the semiconductor material in a metal melt preferably by keeping an undersaturated solution in contact with the crystalline semiconductor material at a predetermined temperature, supercooling the saturated solution and then bringing the supercooled solution into contact with a substrate. A growth boat assembly for this method has at least one set of two boats slidably stacked one upon another, wherein the upper boat has a solution reservoir and the lower boat has two depressions respectively for receiving therein the substrate and the crystalline semiconductor material as the source material at the saturation step, arranged such that a solution contained in the reservoir can selectively be contacted with either of the source material and the substrate and isolated from both.