Chemical vapor deposition of Pd/Cu alloy films from a new single source precursor

•Cu/Pd alloy films have been obtained by MOCVD method.•Nontoxic single source bimetallic complex was used as precursor.•Films composition appeared suitable to prepare membrane materials for hydrogen separation.•VUV-stimulated deposition technique was used to optimize the deposition process.•Variation in films phase and elemental composition was observed at different deposition temperatures.

Cu/Pd alloys were deposited onto Si(100) and SiO2 (fused silica) substrates by MOCVD from PdL2×CuL2, (L=2-methoxy-2,6,6-trimethylheptane-3,5-dionate), a new single source bimetallic precursor. Deposition was performed at 10 Torr in a temperature range between 200 °C and 350 °C and was assisted by vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) irradiation of the precursor vapor from an excimer Xe-lamp. It was shown that the elemental and phase composition of the films can be controlled by varying the deposition temperature and by stimulating by VUV the precursor decomposition. The bulk compositional properties of the obtained films confirmed the feasibility of proposed approach and precursor to prepare Pd alloy membrane materials by the CVD method.