Synthesis and characterization of fluorinated β-ketoiminate zinc precursors and their utility in the AP-MOCVD growth of ZnO:F

A novel family of zinc bis beta-ketoiminate complexes 2b-2h have been synthesized by reaction of the isolated free ligands (1a-h) with dimethylzinc. The isolated zinc complexes were characterized by elemental analysis, NMR spectroscopy, and in the case of 2b-d and 2f-h, the molecular structures of the complexes were determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction which reveals the compounds to be pseudo-octahedral 6-coordinate, monomeric homoleptic complexes in the solid state. TG analysis showed complexes 2b-f all to have residual masses at 400 °C of 10% or less, well below the value for ZnO and thus indicative of volatility. Of these systems 2b [Zn{MeC(O)CHC(NCH2CH2OMe)CF3}2] has been investigated for its utility in the AP-MOCVD growth of F –doped ZnO (ZnO:F) in the absence of additional oxidant at 400 °C on glass and silicon substrates.