Time-resolved laser-induced fluorescence measurements indicate that Zn atoms excited to the 4 3PJ metastable state react rapidly with group-VI molecules O2, CS2, and H2S. Rate constants for these processes are presented. Based on these data, a method for deposition of thin films of the ZnO or ZnS products of these reactions is demonstrated, wherein the Zn atoms are both sputtered from a target and excited to the 4 3PJ state by near-resonant radiation from a pulsed XeCl laser.