Low temperature condensate adherence method

A process for low temperature deposition of metal vapor condensate in a system including a first set of collection plates, a source of metal vapor in spaced adjacency to said first set of collection plates and operative to produce metal vapor particles for deposition upon activation of said vapor source, and at least one second collection plate in spaced adjacency with said first set of collection plates and further removed from said metal vapor source than said first set of collection plates, comprising the steps of:

• preheating said at least one second collection plate to a first predetermined temperature for a predetermined time interval prior to activation of said source of metal vapor;
• activating said source of metal vapor to produce a vapor comprising metal vapor particles for deposition on said first and second plates;
• maintaining said at least one second collection plate at a temperature no lower than said first temperature following activation of said source of metal vapor;
• and
• cooling said first set of plates by radiation of heat energy thereof to said at least one second collection plate to maintain said first set of plates at a predetermined temperature above said first temperature during a period of deposition of metal vapor particles on said first and second plates following activation of said source of metal vapor.

A method for facilitating stripping of vapor deposited metallic material from a substrate comprising the steps of:

• providing a substrate having a contoured rough surface;
• depositing metallic material on said substrate by directing vapors of the metallic material to be deposited toward the substrate surface obliquely to form a deposit thereon and create a network of microscopic channels between the substrate and the deposited metallic material;
• and
• exposing the substrate with deposited metallic material thereon to an environment which penetrates said microscopic channels and interacts with the deposited metallic material at the interface with the substrate to promote separation of the deposited material from said substrate.

A method for vapor deposition of metallic material in a system having a vapor source for producing a hot metal vapor, a first deposition structure adjacent said vapor source and, a second deposition structure, said first deposition structure being adjacent said second deposition structure and between said vapor source and said second structure comprising the steps of:

• depositing components of said hot metal vapor onto said first and second deposition structures;
• cooling the second structure to a temperature no lower than the lower temperature limit at which metallic vapor depositions will adhere thereto;
• and
• cooling the first structure by radiative cooling to said second structure adjacent said first structure to a temperature which prevents significant separation of metallic depositions therefrom during temperature cycling.