Exploratory Synthesis and Reactivity of Volatile Transition Metal Complexes and Use as Molecular Precursors

化学气相沉积（CVD）是一种生产高质量、高性能固体材料的方法。例如，CVD被半导体工业用于形成许多电子设备功能所必需的各种物质的薄膜。由于对新型薄膜的需求普遍存在，因此对可用于CVD的新化合物的需求持续存在。为了满足这一需求，伊利诺斯大学香槟分校的Gregory S. Girolami教授得到了美国国家科学基金会化学分部化学合成项目的支持，开发可用于形成金属和金属氧化物薄膜的新化合物。制备加热后变成蒸汽的金属化合物，并评估其在受热表面上的分解情况。目标是设计更好的方法来沉积计算机芯片组件的电线和绝缘体。这项工作涉及吉罗拉米教授的研究小组与微电子公司IBM和英特尔之间的合作。该项目有助于教育和培训不同群体的本科生和研究生。此外，吉罗拉米教授还撰写简短的广播节目（TinyTech），重点介绍公众感兴趣的最新科学进展。开发新的和更好的分子前驱体用于化学气相沉积（CVD）薄膜是一个持续的需求。本项目制备过渡金属的新型挥发性化合物，研究其化学反应性，并将其用作薄膜前体。其中一些目标是合成和表征配合物，这些配合物含有通过氧、氮或硼氢键与金属结合的配位基团。合成后，对新化合物的CVD薄膜制备进行了评价。一个不同的本科生和研究生群体参与了这个项目，它位于无机化学和材料化学的界面。包括制作和播放TinyTech广播节目的外展活动。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is a method to produce high quality, high-performance solid materials. For example, CVD is used by the semiconductor industry to form thin films of a variety of substances that are necessary for the functioning of many electronic devices. Since there is pervasive need for new types of films, there is a continuing demand for new compounds that can be used in CVD. To meet this need, Professor Gregory S. Girolami of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is supported by the Chemical Synthesis Program of the Chemistry Division of the National Science Foundation to develop new compounds that can be used to form films of metals and metal oxides. Metal compounds that become vapors when heated are prepared and their decomposition on heated surfaces evaluated. The goal is to design better ways to deposit the wires and insulators that are components of computer chips. The work involves cooperation between Professor Girolami’s research group and microelectronic companies, IBM and Intel. The project contributes to the education and training of a diverse group of undergraduate and graduate students. In addition Professor Girolami writes short radio spots (TinyTech) highlighting recent scientific advances of interest to the public. The development of new and better molecular precursors for the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of thin films is a continuing need. This project prepares new volatile compounds of the transition metals, investigates their chemical reactivities, and utilities them as thin film precursors. Some of the objectives are the synthesis and characterization of complexes containing coordinating groups that bind to metals through oxygen, nitrogen, or boron-hydrogen bonds. Upon their synthesis, the new compounds are evaluated for the CVD preparations of thin films. A diverse group of undergraduate and graduate students are involved in the project that lies at the interface of inorganic and materials chemistry. Outreach activities involving the production and broadcast of TinyTech radio spots.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.