Rare-Earth based Oxide and Nitride thin films employing volatile homoleptic guanidinate precursors.

The application of the metalorganic compound tris(N,N'-diisopropyl-2-dimethlyamidoguanidinato)gadolinium(III) (1) as a precursor for MOCVD of Gd2O3 is discussed. Depositions were carried out in the presence of oxygen at reduced pressure and varying the substrate temperature in the range 300 - 700{degree sign}C. Employing a multi-technique approach (XRD, SEM, AFM, EDX, RBS, SNMS, SE, C-V), variations of the growth characteristics and film properties with deposition temperature are studied in terms of crystallinity, structure, surface roughness, composition, optical and electrical properties. In addition, the use of 1 as single source precursor for the MOCVD of GdN thin films is also demonstrated.