ABSTRACTThe mechanism of metal film deposition from carbonyls as precursors is discussed in detail. It is shown that different species produced by UV laser irradiation in the gas phase contribute to film growth. Highly reactive species such as metal atoms may be important during the nucleation phase, whereas more stable carbonyls are responsible for the main growth process. This indicates that the main decarbonylation effect occurs at the surface. The higher level of impurity incorporation in chromium films in comparison with nickel films is explained by the relative position of the Fermi level in the d-band of Ni and Cr with respect to the 2π* level of CO, which favors CO bond dissociation in the case of chromium.
Front Cover: Reductive Activation of Small Molecules by Anionic Coinage Metal Atoms and Clusters in the Gas Phase (Chem. Asian J. 21/2019)