Mechanism-Based Design of Precursors for MOCVD

A chemistry-based approach to designing precursors for the deposition of inorganic films requires consideration of the physical properties of the precursor compound (e.g., volatility for transport in the reactor) and its probable decomposition pathways, both in the gas phase and on the surface during growth. We have been using Aerosol-Assisted Chemical Vapor Deposition of tungsten carbonitride (WNxCy) films from tungsten imido complexes and tungsten hydrazido complexes as a model system to investigate the relationship between data obtained from conventional organometallic mechanistic study of the precursors and the resulting film deposition kinetics and film properties. Among the typical techniques for the elucidation of decomposition pathways in organometallic compounds that will be discussed in this context are NMR kinetics, mass spectrometry, DFT calculations, and single crystal X-ray diffractometry.