Epitaxial Ge and Si films have been grown by primary ion deposition from laser‐induced plasmas. The plasmas were formed by focusing 15 ns, 107–108 W cm−2, pulses of 5 eV photons from a KrF excimer laser onto Ge or Si single crystal wafer targets. Time‐of‐flight, current‐voltage, and film‐thickness distribution measurements established that neutral atoms and ions were emitted from Ge targets with mean velocities of 1.0–1.6×106 cm s−1 (corresponding to average kinetic energies of 40 to 100 eV) in a distribution that was strongly peaked in the direction normal to the target surface. Macroscopic (∼1 μm diam) particles were also emitted. A shutter, synchronously triggered with the laser pulses through a delay circuit, was used as a velocity filter for removing from the beam particles with velocities up to 1.2×104 cm s−1. Epitaxial Ge films were grown on semi‐insulating (100) GaAs substrates at temperatures between 300 and 450 °C and epitaxial Si was grown on (100) Si at 700 °C. Deposition rates were typically ...