Abstract: A method and apparatus for the rapid and economical deposition of uniform and high quality films upon a substrate for subsequent use in producing electronic devices, for example. The resultant films are either epitaxial (crystalline) or amorphous depending upon the incidence rate and the temperature and structure of the substrate. The deposition is carried out in a chamber maintained at about 10.sup.-6 Torr. A gaseous source of the material for forming the deposit is injected into the deposition chamber in the form of a pulsed supersonic jet so as to obtain a high incidence rate. The supersonic jet is produced by a pulsed valve between a relatively high presure reservoir, containing the source gaseous molecules, and the deposition chamber; the valve has a small nozzle orifice (e.g., 0.1-1.0 mm diameter). The type of deposit (crystalline amorphous) is then dependent upon the temperature and structure of the substrate.