Abstract: A method of coating a material surface with thin film silicon comprises dissolving silicon in a metal solvent to form a solution and subsequently deposited the dissolved silicon from the solution by controlling the temperature of the solution and thereby depositing a layer of silicon onto the material surface. The metal solvent is preferably a mixture of gold and a metal or metals which either have a melting point below the deposition temperature range or which form a eutectic with gold and have a eutectic temperature below the deposition temperature range. The temperature of the solution is controlled so that the silicon becomes super saturated in the solution and is deposited out of solution onto the material surface.

Abstract: A method of growth according to which a layer of a material having apertures is made on the surface of a substrate. A material is deposited in each aperture. When this material is liquid, it can absorb the material to be grown. Then, the growth is done in vapor phase. The material of the layer is chosen in such a way that there is neither growth nor nucleation on its surface during the growth in vapor phase. The disclosed method can be applied to the making of crystal whiskers positioned with precision, and to the making of tip type microcathodes.