1,3-Dialkyltriazenides are isolobal to amidinates, and both ligands are popular in atomic layer deposition. Given our recent success with the N,N'-diisopropylacetamidinate (DIA) ligand in surface organometallic chemistry, we investigated the 1,3-tert-butyltriazenide (DTZ) ligand to stabilize Ni- and Pd-allyl complexes for the generation of supported nanoparticles. Using the analogous synthetic pathway employed for allyl-amidinate complexes, the formation of dinuclear structures was obtained, where two triazenide ligands bridge the metal centers. Grafting on SiO2-700 was almost quantitative for {Ni(eta 3-allyl)(mu -DTZ)}2 while only partial for {Pd(eta 3-allyl)(mu -DTZ)}2 (ca. 50%), contrasting what was observed for the corresponding amidinate derivatives that grafted almost quantitatively for both Ni and Pd. Heat treatment of the grafted materials under a flow of H2 yielded supported nanoparticles (Ni: 1.1 nm, Pd: 1.3 nm) that were significantly smaller than those obtained with the respective amidinate complexes and feature very narrow size distribution (standard deviation sigma = 0.2 nm for Ni, 0.3 nm for Pd). Hence, the presented complexes are viable precursors for the generation of small and narrowly dispersed supported nanoparticles.

Group 11 thin films are desirable as interconnects in microelectronics. Although many M-N-bonded Cu precursors have been explored for vapor deposition, there is currently a lack of suitable Ag and Au derivatives. Herein, we present monovalent Cu, Ag, and Au 1,3-di-tert-butyltriazenides that have potential for use in vapor deposition. Their thermal stability and volatility rival that of current state-of-the-art group 11 precursors with bidentate M-N-bonded ligands. Solution-state thermolysis of these triazenides yielded polycrystalline films of elemental Cu, Ag, and Au. The compounds are therefore highly promising as single-source precursors for vapor deposition of coinage metal films.

Indium and gallium nitride are important semi-conductor materials with desirable properties for high-frequency and power electronics. We have previously demonstrated high-quality ALD grown InN and GaN using the hexacoordinated 1,3-diisopropyltriazenide In(III) and Ga(III) precursors. Herein we report the structural and thermal properties their analogues employing combinations of isopropyl, sec-butyl and tert-butyltriazenide alkyl groups on the exocyclic nitrogen of the triazenide ligand. The new triazenide compounds were all found to be volatile (80-120 degrees C, 0.5 mbar) and showed very good thermal stability (200 and 300 degrees C). These new triazenide analogues provide a set of precursors whose thermal properties are determined and can be accordingly tailored by strategic choice of exocyclic nitrogen alkyl substituents.

Indium oxide (In2O3) is an important transparent conducting material widely used in optoelectronic applications. Herein, we study the deposition of In2O3 by thermal atomic layer deposition (ALD) using our recently reported indium(iii) triazenide precursor and H2O. A temperature interval with self-limiting growth was found between similar to 270 and 385 degrees C with a growth per cycle of similar to 1.0 angstrom. The deposited films were polycrystalline cubic In2O3 with In : O ratios of 1 : 1.2, and low levels of C and no detectable N impurities. The transmittance of the films was found to be >70% in visible light and the resistivity was found to be 0.2 m omega cm. The high growth rates, low impurities, high optical transmittance, and low resistivity of these films give promise to this process being used for ALD of In2O3 films for future microelectronic displays.

Low temperature deposition of high-quality epitaxial GaN is crucial for its integration in electronic applications. Chemical vapor deposition at approximately 800 °C using SiC with an AlN buffer layer or nitridized sapphire as substrate is used to facilitate the GaN growth. Here, we present a low temperature atomic layer deposition (ALD) process using tris(dimethylamido)gallium(III) with NH3 plasma. The ALD process shows self-limiting behaviour between 130–250 °C with a growth rate of 1.4 Å per cycle. The GaN films produced were crystalline on Si (100) at all deposition temperatures with a near stochiometric Ga/N ratio with low carbon and oxygen impurities. When GaN was deposited on 4H-SiC, the films grew epitaxially without the need for an AlN buffer layer, which has never been reported before. The bandgap of the GaN films was measured to be ∼3.42 eV and the Fermi level showed that the GaN was unintentionally n-type doped. This study shows the potential of ALD for GaN-based electronic devices.