General aspects of surface chemistry of metal beta-diketonates

Chemical reactions of metal P-diketonates, which are conventional CVD precu rsors, on hot surface, have been considered. Extensive experimental data on thermal behaviour of metal beta -diketonate vapours obtained by high-tempe rature mass spectrometry have been generalized. The influence of different gas reagents on thermal stability of the compounds has been discussed. The main mechanisms of the decomposition of compounds under investigation, lead ing to metal and oxide formation on hot surface, have been established. App lication of mass spectrometric data to the optimization of CVD processes (p recursor choice, temperature range of deposition) has been shown. A possibi lity to predict film. composition using the data on gaseous decomposition p roducts has been considered.