Abstract: Relatively cool chemical vapor deposition precursor particles are desorbed from a target by increasing the temperature of a selected target area at a heating rate of at least about 106 K/sec such that heat energy causes the desorption of at least one CVD precursor particle intact from the target, such that intermediate bonds between the precursor particles and adjacent particles are heated at a higher rate than the precursor's internal bonds, or such that a substantial portion of heat energy is not transferred to the internal modes of the CVD precursor particle.