Chemical Vapor Infiltration. A process similar to chemical vapor deposition (CVD) but, in this case, the process commences by placing a crystalline powder of the required substance in a mold. Additionally, thin posts, or columns, can be pre-formed in the mold, and the powder can be deposited around them. When exposed to the same plasma as used in the CVD technique, the powder coalesces into a polycrystalline mass. After the CVI process has been performed, the posts can be dissolved leaving holes through the crystal for use in creating vias. CVI processes can produce layers twice the thickness of those obtained using CVD techniques at a fraction of the cost.