Reaction of Methylcyclopentadienyl Manganese Tricarbonylon Silicon Oxide Surfaces: Implications for Thin Film Atomic LayerDepositions.

Thethermal chemistry of methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl(MeCpMn(CO)3) on silicon oxide surfaces was characterizedby a combination of analytical techniques, including gas chromatography/massspectrometry (GC–MS), temperature-programmed desorption (TPD),infrared absorption spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS). The compound was found to be fairly stable, but to be ableto dissociatively chemisorb on the surface via the loss of one ormore carbonyl ligands followed by the oxidative addition of a surfacesilanol group. Further activation leads to the loss of the aromaticligand, at temperatures above approximately 575 K. This takes placeprimarily via the addition of a hydrogen atom to the MeCp ligand toform methylcyclopentadiene, which is released to the gas phase, buta small competing channel starts at slightly lower temperatures thatyields fulvene, and/or possibly benzene, after molecular rearrangement.The clean nature of the chemistry seen here for the methylcyclopentadienylMn complex makes it a good candidate as a precursor in the chemicaldeposition of metal thin films. However, the high stability and thehigh temperatures required for its decomposition do introduce somelimitations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]