Pyridine Adducts of Nickel(II) Xanthates as Single-Source Precursors for the Aerosol-Assisted Chemical Vapor Deposition of Nickel Sulfide

Abstract

Compounds of the type [Ni(S2COnBu)2·(py)2] (py = pyridine derivative) have been synthesized and studied as single-source precursors for the fabrication of phase-pure thin films of rhombohedral (Millerite) NiS by aerosol-assisted chemical vapor deposition. The films have been characterized by XRD, SEM, EDX, and AFM and have been found to display a substrate-dependent morphology that is effectively independent of the precise identity of the precursor complex, regardless of minor variations in thermal stability.