Patent ID: 7559969

Claim:
A method for producing a solid metallic alloy composition, comprising: (a) reacting a gaseous metal halide with a reducing agent in a manner effective to form a nonsolid reaction product, wherein the gaseous metal halide has a formula MXi, wherein M is a metal selected from a transition metal of the periodic table, aluminum, silicon, boron, and combinations thereof, X is a halogen, i is greater than 0, the reducing agent is a gaseous reducing agent selected from hydrogen, a compound that releases hydrogen, and combinations thereof, and the reacting is carried out in a presence of an alloying agent or a precursor thereof; and (b) solidifying the nonsolid reaction product, thereby forming a metallic alloy composition comprising M that is substantially free from halides, wherein the nonsolid reaction product is deposited on a surface of a substrate during step (b).