Rhodium pyrazolate complexes as potential CVD precursors.

Reaction of 3,5-(CF(3))(2)PzLi with [Rh(μ-Cl)(η(2)-C(2)H(4))(2)](2) or [Rh(μ-Cl)(PMe(3))(2)](2) in Et(2)O gave the dinuclear complexes [Rh(η(2)-C(2)H(4))(2)(μ-3,5-(CF(3))(2)-Pz)](2) (1) and [Rh(2)(μ-Cl)(μ-3,5-(CF(3))(2)-Pz) (PMe(3))(4)] (2) respectively (3,5-(CF(3))(2)Pz = bis-trifluoromethyl pyrazolate). Reaction of PMe(3) with [Rh(COD)(μ-3,5-(CF(3))(2)-Pz)](2) in toluene gave [Rh(3,5-(CF(3))(2)-Pz)(PMe(3))(3)] (3). Reaction of 1 and 3 in toluene (1 : 4) gave moderate yields of the dinuclear complex [Rh(PMe(3))(2)(μ-3,5-(CF(3))(2)-Pz)](2) (4). Reaction of 3,5-(CF(3))(2)PzLi with [Rh(PMe(3))(4)]Cl in Et(2)O gave the ionic complex [Rh(PMe(3))(4)][3,5-(CF(3))(2)-Pz] (5). Two of the complexes, 1 and 3, were studied for use as CVD precursors. Polycrystalline thin films of rhodium (fcc-Rh) and metastable-amorphous films of rhodium phosphide (Rh(2)P) were grown from 1 and 3 respectively at 170 and 130 °C, 0.3 mmHg in a hot wall reactor using Ar as the carrier gas (5 cc min(-1)). Thin films of amorphous rhodium and rhodium phosphide (Rh(2)P) were grown from 1 and 3 at 170 and 130 °C respectively at 0.3 mmHg in a hot wall reactor using H(2) as the carrier gas (7 cc min(-1)).