Aerosol‐Assisted Chemical‐Vapour Deposition of Zinc Oxide from Single‐Source β‐Iminoesterate Precursors. Issue 22 (30th June 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Manzi, Joe A.; Knapp, Caroline E.; Parkin, Ivan P.; Carmalt, Claire J.
• Is Part Of: European journal of inorganic chemistry. Issue 22(2015)
• Page Start: 3658
• Page End: 3665
• Publication Date: 2015-06-30
• Subjects: Zinc oxide -- Thin films -- Chemical vapor deposition -- Single‐source precursors -- N, O ligands -- Precursor development; Chemistry, Inorganic -- Periodicals; Organometallic chemistry -- Periodicals; Bioinorganic chemistry -- Periodicals; Solid state chemistry -- Periodicals; 546
• DOI: 10.1002/ejic.201500416
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1434-1948

Abstract

Abstract: Single‐source zinc β‐iminoesterate precursors have been used for the first time in the aerosol‐assisted chemical‐vapour deposition (AACVD) of ZnO thin films. Depositions at 450 °C on silica‐coated glass substrates produced strongly adherent films with excellent coverage of the substrate. The zinc β‐iminoesterates [Zn(L1 )2 ] (1 ) and [Zn(L2 )2 ] (2 ) were synthesised by the reaction between ZnEt2 and 2 equiv. of a synthesised β‐iminoester ligand CH3 C[NHCH(CH3 )2 ]CHC(O)OCH2 CH3 (L1 ) and CH3 C(NHCH3 )CHC(O)OCH2 CH3 (L2 ). The synthesised complexes were isolated and characterised by 1 H and 13 C NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and thermal gravitational analysis (TGA). The structures of the compounds were determined by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. The ZnO films deposited from1 and2 were analyzed by glancing‐angle X‐ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and their optical properties determined by UV/Vis/NIR transmission spectroscopy. These results reveal that the organic ligand attached to the N moiety of the zinc complex has a significant effect on the level of carbon incorporated into the deposited thin film. Upon annealing, highly transparent hexagonal wurtzite ZnO thin films were produced. Abstract : The synthesis, isolation and characterisation of zinc β‐iminoesterate precursors of the type [Zn(CH3 C(NR)CHC(O)OCH2 CH3 )] are described, as well as their use for the first time in the aerosol‐assisted chemical‐vapour deposition (AACVD) of ZnO thin films at 450 °C. Results show that changing the R group on the N moiety of the precursors has a significant effect on carbon contamination in the films.