Recent years an increasing attention has been paid to the developmentof new submicron optical elements. The progress in this area in many respects is determined by photonic material technologies. From the various technological approaches the methods ensuring the self-organizing photon templates, such as the technology of artificial opal systems, are the most perspective. These activities in Russia started in "Almaztechnocrystal" ("Opalon") in 1991. Now our materials syntesis ensure the highly controlled formation of f.c.c. lattice of mono-disperse (<3% diameter variation) silica spheres whose diameter can be chosen between 200 and 600 nm. The long-range crystalline order extends over the volume up to 0.1 mm3 (cub. mm). We are now developing technologies of the opal templates infiltrating with semiconductive, superconductive, photoelastic, biomolecular and other materials, such as Si, Ti, GaAs, ZnS, CdS, CdTe, MgO, GaN, InN, InPb etc. For these aims we use such techniques as CVD, vapor and chemical transport, hydrothermal processing, processing by heats and pressure etc. The application of nanocomposite materials with opal templates opens the new frontier in 3D-elements for nanoelectronics and photonics. Thus, from artificial opals the elements with new waveguide properties can be developed, in particular, the waveguides with very sharp bendings. The opal voids with submicron dimensions can be used for a creation of superdense memory cells. Also, the opal templates can find applications for development of different types of the optical lasers and amplifiers, optical switches and sensors.