Thin Films of Molecular Materials Grown on Silicon Substrates by Chemical Vapor Deposition and Electrodeposition

Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and electrodeposition (ED) were applied to grow thin films of molecule-based magnets and conductors. Chemical vapor deposited films are illustrated by the M(TCNE) _x (M = V, Cr, Nb, Mo) magnet series. V(TCNE) _x and Cr(TCNE) _x are room-temperature magnets. XANES/EXAFS studies on the air-stable Cr(TCNE) _x have been performed to determine the chemical environment of the chromium within the polymeric network. Electrodeposition on a silicon working electrode was applied to process thin films of numerous molecule-based conductors, namely, nonintegral oxidation state compounds, charge transfer complexes, and single-component molecular conductors. Among the series of conductive thin films, TTF[Ni(dmit₂)]₂ and Ni(tmdt)₂ exhibit a metal-like behavior.