BIONANO FRONTIER VOL. I, ISSUE 1, NOV. 2007 1 GROWTH OF SEMICONDUCTOR THIN FILMS AND NANOPARTICLES USING SINGLE-SOURCE PRECURSORS: AN OVERVIEW Sujit D. Disale, Yogesh S. Niwate, and Shivram S. Garje* Department of Chemistry, University of Mumbai, Vidyanagari, Santacruz (East), Mumbai-400098 Email: ssgarje@chem.mu.ac.in Abstract : The growth of semiconductor thin films and nanoparticles is an important aspect in view of their technological applications.There are various methods for their growth .However,use of single source precursors offer convenient route for the deposition of thin films and the growth of nanoparticles.In this review, a brief overview of use of single - source precursors for their growth is given. Key Words : Semiconductors,Thin films,Nanoparticles, Single-source precursors. INTRODUCTION: Semiconductor thin films and nanoparticles are areas of much current research interest of materials scientists. The word ‘nano’ is fascinating word in today’s scientific society. The field of nanoscience and nanotechnology deals with preparation of nanodimensional materials and their subsequent use in various applications. There is no rigid defination for nanoparticles. Particles having at least one dimension less than 100 nm are considered as nanoparticles. However, particles with several hundred nanometers can also be included. Novel optical and electronic properties of nanoparticles are results of quantum size effects and surface effects. These properties can be tuned by having particles of desired size and morphology. This has stimulated research in the field of nanotechnology. Semiconductor thin films and nanoparticles have been investigated to study their technological applications. They are widely used in solar cells, optoelectronics, thermoelectric device, etc. The nanoparticles size and morphology can greatly affect their properties which can be useful to device a specific nanodevices. Hence efforts are being made to prepare nanoparticles of desired size and shape. Moreover, preparation of monodisperesed nanoparticles is important. Semiconductor thin films are of technological importance because they are suitable (a) to device electronic components, (b) for miniaturization of the devices and (c) protective coatings. Efforts are being made for deposition of thin films containing nanoparticles. This will be useful for the fabrication of nanostructured devices having properties of both nanoparticles and thin films. The present review deals with use of single source precursors (SSP) also known as single- molecule precursors for the growth of semiconductor thin films and nanoparticles. SSPs are preferred over multiple sources as they have some distinct advantages including (a) low toxicity, (b) no or limited pre-reactions, (c) control on stoichiometry, (d) volatility can be controlled by using suitable ligands, etc. Single-source precursors contain desired elements in a single molecule. For example, the molecules containing chalcogen donor ligands like xanthates, dithiocarbamates, *Corresponding author