| abstract |
A first metal, an alcohol, and a carboxylic acid are reacted to form a metal alkoxycarboxylate which is then reacted with an alkoxide and/or a carboxylate of a second metal to form a precursor. Alternatively, a metal carboxylate and a metal alkoxide are combined and heated to form a precursor. In either alternative, the precursor includes all or most of the metal-oxygen-metal bonds of a desired metal oxide and a carboxylate ligand. The precursor is applied to a substrate (18, 38, 47, 75), dried and annealed to form the metal oxide (12, 30, 48, 60), such as BST. The metal-oxygen-metal bonds in the precursor permit the desired metal oxide (12, 30, 48, 60) to be formed from the precursor in one step, providing excellent thin films suitable for integrated circuits. The carboxylate ligand provides stability to the precursor allowing it to be stored for periods common in large scale manufacturing. |