Published online by Cambridge University Press: 22 February 2011
A series of volatile heterodinuclear organometallic compounds of the general formula L(CO)nM-ER1R2(D) (L = CO, η5-C5H5, P(CH3)3; n = 1–4; M = Mn, Fe, Co, Ni; E = Al, Ga, In; R = H, alkyl; D = O- or N-donor ligand) was syndiesized and characterized. These compounds exist either as low melting solids or liquids with vapor pressures typically around 10–50 mTorr at room temperature. The possibility to grow bimetallic thin films ME (e.g. CoAl, CoGa, Coin, Niln etc.) from those single source molecular precursors by thermally induced low pressure OMCVD was investigated. It was shown that the thin film composition, namely the metal stoichiometry, can be controlled by the ligand set at the metal atoms.