Benzoylpivaloylmethanide Precursors for the Chemical Beam Epitaxy of Oxide Thin Films. 1. Synthesis, Characterization, and Use of Yttrium Benzoylpivaloylmethanide

The new complex yttrium benzoylpivaloylmethanide and its acetonitrile adduct have been characterized by IR, NMR, mass spectroscopy, X-ray structure analysis, and thermogravimetric/differential thermal analysis. In situ flux measurements and mass spectroscopic studies have been performed to test the suitability of this compound as a precursor for the deposition of complex oxide thin films under molecular beam conditions. Finally it has been used to deposit epitaxial Y2O3 (001) thin films on SrTiO3 (001) substrates.