The CVD of silver selenide films from dichalcogenophosphinato and imidodichalcogenodiphosphinatosilver(I) single-source precursors

Abstract

A series of dichalcogenophosphinato [Ag(Se₂PⁱPr₂)] (1), [Ag(SSePⁱPr₂)]₄ (2), and imidodichalcogenodiphosphinatosilver(I) [Ag{ⁱPr₂P(S)NP(Se)ⁱPr₂}]₃ (3) [Ag{(SePⁱPr₂)₂N}]₃ (4) complexes were synthesised; (2) and (3) were characterised by X-ray single crystallography. Complex (2) has a tetrahedral arrangement of four silver atoms with four thioselenophosphinate ligands along the edges, (3) is a trimer. The compounds (1), (2), (3) and (4) were employed as single-source precursors (SSPs) in aerosol assisted chemical vapour deposition (AACVD) and low pressure (LP) CVD. All precursors gave silver selenide (Ag₂Se) films by AACVD, whereas only (3) and (4) deposited Ag₂Se films by LPCVD. The as-obtained films were characterised by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) methods.