A system and method for associating payments with spending vehicles so that an individual who is entitled to receive periodic or special payments, such as tax refunds or social security checks, receives in place of the payment a spending vehicle, such as a debit card, pre-paid credit, or other card having funds stored thereon. proprietary inbred maize varieties. In one case the oxidized nanocrystals are removed to expose the substrate at those locations and selective epitaxial germanium is then grown at those exposed substrate locations. Furthermore, the laser gain medium is pressure-clamped to a rigid, cooled substrate, which allows it to maintain a prescribed shape even when experiencing significant thermal load.