Thin Films of Molecular Materials Grown on Silicon Substrates by Chemical Vapor Deposition and Electrodeposition

Abstract

Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and electrodeposition (ED) were applied to grow thin films of molecule-based magnets and conductors. Chemical vapor deposited films are illustrated by the M(TCNE)x (M=V, Cr, Nb, Mo) magnet series. V(TCNE)x and Cr(TCNE)x are room-temperature magnets. XANES/EXAFS studies on the air-stable Cr(TCNE)x have been performed to determine the chemical environment of the chromium within the polymeric network. Electrodeposition on a silicon working electrode was applied to process thin films of numerous molecule-based conductors, namely, non-integral oxidation state compounds, charge transfer complexes, and singlecomponent molecular conductors. Among the series of conductive thin films, TTF[Ni(dmit)2]2 and Ni(tmdt)2 exhibit a metal-like behavior.