The present status of selective area deposition of thin films by laser CVD was reviewed with empha-sis on its relation with reaction mechanisms. When gas-phase photolysis of source gases is utilized, area selectivity is lost because of diffusion of its products over a wide area; this feature may work advan-tageously for such applications as step coverage, however. Deposits with a size comparable with a laser beam can be obtained when surface photolysis is used. Even better localization, a size smaller than the beam size, can be achieved when pyrolytic reactions take place at laser-heated substrate surfaces. To obtain patterned film deposition both direct writing and pattern transfer are available. As an application of area selectivity by laser CVD, fabrication of microlens is explained. Many problems, including the effect of surface migration, are to be clarified before the full capability of laser CVD as an area selective deposition technique is exploited.
