Lead dioxide thin films were grown by atomic layer deposition on Si(100) substrates. Lead diethyl-dithiocarbamate (Pb(dedtc)(2)), lead 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5-heptadione (Pb(thd)(2)) and tetraphenyl-lead (Ph4Pb) were used as lead precursors, and ozone as oxygen source. The depositions were carried out at 300-350 degrees C, 150-300 degrees C and 185-400 degrees C for Pb(dedtc)(2), Pb(thd)(2) and Ph4Pb, respectively. Attempts to use Pb(dedtc)(2) as a lead-containing precursor for lead oxide thin films resulted in lead sulphate films, which reacted with the substrate and formed lead silicate during annealing. According to X-ray diffraction, films deposited from Pb(thd)(2)/O-3 or from Ph4Pb/O-3 were crystalline either orthorhombic or tetragonal lead dioxide. Surface morphology of the films were characterized by atomic force microscopy while time-of-flight elastic recoil detection analysis was used to analyse stoichiometry and possible impurities. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V All rights reserved.