Patent ID: 6921707

Claim:
A process for the formation of a metal oxide comprising: establishing a continuously flowing stream of a vapor phase mixture with a substantially constant composition at a substantially constant feed rate to a reaction zone, said reaction zone being maintained at a reduced pressure, said vapor phase mixture comprising ozone, and a carbon free metal precursor compound; maintaining said reduced pressure at less than approximately 50 torr; maintaining the concentration of ozone below the explosive limit at all locations in said process; maintaining the feed rate of said vapor phase admixture to said reaction zone at a rate of from approximately 100 to 2000 liters per hour at standard conditions of 20 degrees Centigrade and 1 bar; exposing said vapor phase mixture in said reaction zone to an effective level of photo-energy, said photo-energy having wave lengths that excite the ozone to generate atomic oxygen, and the metal precursor compound to generate a vapor phase carbon free reactive metal containing molecule; allowing said vapor phase reactive metal containing molecule and said atomic oxygen to react to form a metal oxide; and recovering said metal oxide from the reaction zone.