The paper briefly summarizes the results of the 14th All-Russian Youth Conference on Semiconductor and Nanostructure Physics and Semiconductor Opto- and Nanoelectronics (St. Petersburg, on November 26 – 30, 2012). The titles of students’ and post-graduate students’ reports diplomaed and awarded prizes are presented. The introductory part reviews works on composite materials as a new direction of nanotechnology development.