Abstract
Recently, the preparation of nano-films through chemical vapor deposition (CVD) has been investigated extensively. A suitable precursor plays a key role in a successful CVD process. However, the majority of reported CVD precursors so far suffer from unsatisfactory stability to air and moisture, which severely restricts the further development of film fabrication by CVD technology. Based on this background, this work focuses on Ni-CVD system and develops a nickel precursor (N,N,N′,N′-tetramethylethylenediamine) [bis(2,4-pentanedionato)] nickel(II) [Ni(acac)2(tmeda)] with the characteristics of excellent stability at low temperatures (off) and high reactivity at high temperatures (on), while also possessing high volatility and thermal stability. The applicability of this precursor in CVD was evaluated through thin film deposition experiments, and the morphology, chemical composition, and crystalline structure of the deposited films were studied.