Method for the preparation of intermetallic compounds

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR PREPARING A CRYSTALLIZED INTERMETALLIC COMPOUND IN THE VAPOR PHASE AT A TEMPERATURE BELOW ITS DECOMPOSITION TEMPERATURE BY BRINGING INTO CHEMCIAL REACTION STIOCHIOMETRIC AMOUNTS OF (A) A CATIONIC ELEMENT SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF GROUP II AND GROUP III OF THE PERIODIC TABLE AND (B) AN ANIOMIC ELEMENT SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF GROUP V AND GROUP VI OF THE PERIODIC TABLE, SAID ELEMENTS BEING PRESENT IN STOICHIOMETRIC AMOUNTS, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF: INCORPORATING INTO AN AMPOULE MAINTAINED SUBSTANTIALLY UNDER VACUUM STOICHIOMETRIC AMOUNTS OF (A) SAID CATIONIC ELEMENT AND (B) SAID ANIONIC ELEMENT; HEATING THE CONTENTS IN SAID AMPOULE TO A TEMPERATURE SUFFICIENTLY HIGH TO BOTH VAPORIZE SAID ANIONIC ELELMENT AND TO MELT, BUT NOT TO VAPORIZE, THE SAID CATIONIC ELEMENT; MAINTAINING SAID INITIAL TEMPERATURE WHEREBY INTERMETALLIC COMPOUND FORMS, SOLIDIFIES AND BLANKETS THE SAID MOLTEN CATIONIC ELEMENT; LOCALLY APPLYING SUFFICIENT HEAT TO A PORTION OF SAID AMPOULE TO INSURE THE VAPORIZATION, BUT NOT THE DECOMPOSITION, OF THE FORMED INTERMETALLIC COMPOUND SURROUNDING SAID MOLTEN CATIONIC ELEMENT; CRYSTALLIZING THE LATTER VAPORIZED INTERMETALLIC COMPOUND FROM THE SURFACE OF THE MOLTEN CATIONIC ELEMENT IN A NON-LOCALLY HEATED PORTION OF SAID AMPOULE; AND CONTINUING TO HEAT THE AMPOULE LOCALLY AT THE LATTER TEMPERATURE UNTIL THE MOLTEN CATIONIC ELEMENT THEREIN HAS BEEN TOTALLY CONSUMED.