Precursors and operating conditions for the metal-organic chemical vapor deposition of nickel films

The different precursors that have been tested or that are actually in use for the processing of thin films of nickel by the chemical vapor deposition technique are reviewed Applications of thin films of nickel are presented. Deposition conditions and characteristics of the films obtained from different precursors are detailed. Ni(CO)(4), NiCp2, Ni(MeCp)(2), Ni(hfa)(2), Ni(dmg)(2), and Ni(den)(2) appear as the most promising ones. The final choice of a precursor for the MOCVD of Ni films depends on requirements concerning the process (e.g. safety issues, deposition temperature, growth rate) and the purity of the deposited films.