Cobalt thin films were prepared by a low-temperature atmospheric-pressure chemical vapor deposition method. The raw material was cobaltous acetate which is nontoxic and easy to handle. At a reaction temperature of 300-degrees-C, [111]-oriented polycrystalline films can be obtained on amorphous substrates. Increasing the H-2 partial pressure over the requirement for both the highest deposition rate and lowest resistivity promotes the crystallization with [111] preferential orientation of the film without affecting the crystallite size. Cobaltous acetate appears to offer a viable alternative to cobalt acetylacetonate for low-temperature cobalt film production.
