Abstract
Metal oxide films have been successfully prepared from carboxylate, alkoxide, mixed alkoxide/carboxylate precursors. The formation of molecular clusters in these systems offers significant advantages in the preparation of multi-component ceramic thin films, in terms of processing temperature, homogeneity, and stoichiometry control. Alkoxide precursors have been known for network formation in the solution by hydrolysis and polymerization, while carboxylate precursors do not normally show such tendencies. The objective of this work was to study the cluster formation in the carboxylate and mixed alkoxide/carboxylate systems using a variety of analytical techniques, including FT-IR, Mass Spectroscopy, and NMR. Results indicate such clusters do form under controlled conditions, and likewise aid the formation of highly homogeneous films at low temperature. The deposition of oxide films on a variety of substrates from various liquid precursors is becoming a proven technology with attractive possibilities for low cost fabrication. Understanding and control of solution chemistry is critical to its success.
