Trimethylindium

Trimethylindium (abbr: TMI or TMIn), In(CH₃)₃, (CAS #: 3385-78-2) is the preferred organometallic source of indium for metalorganic vapour phase epitaxy (MOVPE) of indium-containing compound semiconductors, such as InP, InAs, InN, InSb, GaInAs, InGaN, AlGaInP, AlInP, AlInGaNP, etc. TMI is a white, crystalline and sublimable solid, with melting point 88 °C. TMI is pyrophoric (ignites spontaneously upon contact with air), and its decomposition is often found to be uncontrollable as the temperature of its surrounding exceeds its melting point (i.e. > 88 °C) and reaches 101 °C and above. TMI is also reported to exhibit autocatalytic behavior during its thermal decomposition. TMI therefore needs to be handled with the utmost care and caution, e.g. stored in preferably cool, dry place at 0-25 °C, and operating temperatures under 50 °C in order to avoid deterioration. TMI also reacts extremely violently with oxidizers and polyhalogenated compounds (such as CCl₄ or CBrCl₃), with which TMI is therefore incompatible. Hence, mixtures of TMI with oxidizers and/or polyhalogenated compounds must be avoided as they are potentially dangerous and explosive.