Copper–cobalt heterobimetallic ceramic oxide thin film deposition: Synthesis, characterization and application of precursor

Thin films of halide free Cu–Co mixed metal oxide have been prepared at 390 °C from the heterobimetallic complex Co4(THF)4(TFA)8(μ-OH)2Cu2(dmae)2 · 0.5C7H8 (1) [dmae = N,N-dimethylaminoethanol ((CH3)2NCH2CH2O−), TFA = triflouroacetate (CF3COO−), THF = tetrahydrofurane (C4H8O)] which was prepared by the reaction of [Cu(dmae)Cl]4 and Co(TFA)2 · 4H2O. The precursor was characterized for its melting point, elemental composition, FTIR and X-ray single crystal structure determination. Thin films grown on glass substrate by using AACVD out of complex 1 were characterized by XRD and SEM. TGA and AACVD experiments reveal it to be a suitable precursor for the deposition of halide free Cu–Co mixed-metal oxide thin films at relatively low temperatures.