One or more coating precursors are selected from metal or silicon
compounds at a temperature above their melting points but substantially
below their standard vaporization temperature, thereby causing the
coating precursors to be in the form of a liquid. A vaporization chamber
has a structure for continually injecting the liquid coating precursor
into the chamber to produce a vapor. A seal-less, magnetically driven
portion rotates a structure for distributing the liquid coating precursor
in the vaporization chamber. In one embodiment, a barrier gas is injected
adjacent the chamber at a velocity greater than the diffusion velocity of
the vapor to prevent the vapor from communicating with the magnetically
driven portion. In another embodiment, a first portion of the
magnetically driven portion is connected to a structure for distributing
the liquid coating precursor in the vaporization chamber. The second
portion, located adjacent the first portion, but outside the vaporization
chamber, magnetically couples with and rotates the first portion.