NOVELTY - The method comprises: providing a mold (101) with an external surface (102) temperature and a core temperature, where the external surface temperature is greater than the core temperature; providing a molten semiconducting material (104) at a temperature, where the melting temperature is greater than the core temperature; coating the external surface of the mold with particles; and immersing the mold in the molten semiconducting material for a period of time sufficient to form a solid layer of the semiconducting material over the external surface of the mold.    USE - The method is useful for making an unsupported article of a semiconducting material such as single-crystal and polycrystalline silicon ingots, which is useful: for manufacturing switching elements such as transistors in electronic devices e.g. processors formed on semiconductor wafers; and in solar cell manufacturing to convert solar radiation into electrical energy through the photovoltaic effect.    ADVANTAGE - The method is capable of effectively making the unsupported article of the semiconducting material with improved productivity and without contamination.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - The method comprises: providing a mold (101) with an external surface (102) temperature and a core temperature, where the external surface temperature is greater than the core temperature; providing a molten semiconducting material (104) at a temperature, where the melting temperature is greater than the core temperature; coating the external surface of the mold with particles; immersing the mold in the molten semiconducting material for a period of time sufficient to form a solid layer of the semiconducting material over the external surface of the mold; withdrawing the mold with the solid layer of semiconducting material from the molten semiconducting material; and separating the solid layer of semiconducting material from the mold to form the unsupported article of semiconducting material. The melting temperature is greater than the external surface temperature, which is 10-700 degrees C less than that of the melting temperature. The core temperature is 50-200 degrees C. The unsupported article: has a thickness of 100-400 mu m; and comprises a dopant dispersed throughout the semiconducting material. A distance from the core of the mold to the external surface of the mold ranges is 0.05-0.5 cm. The mold is immersed in the molten semiconducting material. INDEPENDENT CLAIMS are included for:    (1) a method of controlling the nucleation rate of crystals of semiconducting material and/or stability of grain growth when making an unsupported article of a semiconducting material during formation of the unsupported article; and    (2) a method of increasing the efficiency of a solar cell formed from an article of semiconducting material.    DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING(S) - The diagrams show a schematic view of a method for making an unsupported article of semiconducting material.    Mold (101)    External surface (102)    Core (103)    Molten semiconducting material (104)    Crucible. (105)