Patent ID: 7442413

Claim:
A method for treating a work piece with one or more vaporous elements, the method comprising: introducing the work piece and a source of an element-containing material to an enclosure; heating the work piece to a first temperature; independent of the heating of the work piece, heating the source of the element-containing material to a temperature sufficient to volatilize the element and release an element-containing vapor into the enclosure; reacting at least some of the element-containing vapor with the work piece; regulating the temperature of the source of the element-containing material at a temperature sufficient to condense at least some of the element from the element-containing vapor on the source of the element-containing material; and cooling the work piece to provide an element-treated work piece; wherein regulating the temperature of the source of the element-containing material comprises cooling the source of the element-containing material wherein unreacted element-containing vapor condenses on the source of the element-containing material to provide at least a 90% utilization rate of the element; and wherein the utilization rate comprises a percent ratio of the amount of the element that condenses on the source to a difference of an amount of the element volatilized and an amount of element that reacts with the work piece.