Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. A method for forming a palladium sulfide film on a substrate, the method comprising:applying a palladium sulfide precursor to the substrate, wherein the palladium sulfide precursor comprises a palladium organothiolate; andheating the palladium sulfide precursor in an atmosphere to decompose the palladium sulfide precursor to form the palladium sulfide film, where the atmosphere includes hydrogen or a sulfur-containing gas. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the palladium sulfide precursor has the formula Pd(SR)2, wherein R is a hydrocarbon group having from about 4 to about 20 carbon atoms and wherein R and is selected from the group consisting of an alkyl group, an alkenyl group and an aromatic group. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein R is an alkyl group having from 8 to 16 carbon atoms. 4. The method of claim 2, wherein the palladium sulfide precursor is selected from the group consisting of palladium octanethiolate and palladium hexadecylthiolate. 5. The method of claim 1, further comprising applying the palladium sulfide precursor by:dissolving a solution of the palladium sulfide precursor in a solvent to produce a solution;applying the solution to the substrate; andevaporating the solvent to produce a dry film. 6. The method of claim 5, further comprising spinning the substrate to distribute the solution across the substrate. 7. The method of claim 5, further comprising dissolving the solution in a solvent selected from the group consisting of ethanol and toluene. 8. The method of claim 1, further comprising applying the palladium sulfide precursor to a substrate fabricated from a material selected from the group consisting of silicon, glass, silica, alumina, metal, ceramic and polymer. 9. The method of claim 1, further comprising applying the palladium sulfide precursor to a flexible substrate. 10. The method of claim 1, further comprising applying the palladium sulfide precursor to a curved substrate. 11. The method of claim 1, further comprising patterning the palladium sulfide precursor. 12. The method of claim 11, further comprising patterning the palladium sulfide precursor by electron beam patterning. 13. The method of claim 11, further comprising patterning the palladium sulfide precursor by at least one of micromolding the precursor in capillaries, offset printing, inkjet printing, or silkscreen printing. 14. The method of claim 1, further comprising heating the palladium sulfide precursor in an atmosphere of flowing hydrogen in a reaction chamber and wherein the reaction conditions include a temperature of from about 180 degrees C. to about 300 degrees C. and a reaction time of from about 100 minutes to about 200 minutes, and the palladium sulfide film comprises single phase, crystalline Pd4S. 15. The method of claim 1, further comprising heating the palladium sulfide precursor in an atmosphere of flowing sulfur-containing gas in a reaction chamber and wherein the reaction conditions include a temperature of from about 180 degrees C. to about 300 degrees C. and a reaction time of from about 100 minutes to about 200 minutes, and the palladium sulfide comprises PdS. 16. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to applying the palladium sulfide precursor, coating the substrate with a gold layer. 17. The method of claim 16, further comprising patterning the palladium sulfide precursor. 18. The method of claim 17, further comprising etching at least some of the gold layer. 19. The method of claim 18, further comprising depositing a metal on the palladium sulfide film. 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the metal is selected from the group consisting of gold, silver and copper. 21. A method for forming a crystalline, single phase, electrically conductive Pd4S film on a substrate, the method comprising:applying a palladium alkanethiolate to a substrate;patterning the palladium alkanethiolate to form a patterned precursor, andheating the patterned precursor with hydrogen in a reaction chamber at a temperature of from about 180 degrees C. to about 300 degrees C., and for about 100 minutes to about 200 minutes, to form the Pd4S film on the substrate. 22. The method of claim 21, further comprising patterning the palladium alkanethiolate by at least one of micromolding the palladium alkanethiolate in capillaries, offset printing, inkjet printing, or silkscreen printing. 23. A method for forming a palladium sulfide film on a substrate, the method comprising:applying a palladium sulfide precursor to the substrate, wherein the palladium sulfide precursor comprises a palladium organothiolate; andheating the palladium sulfide precursor in an atmosphere of flowing argon in a reaction chamber and the palladium sulfide comprises Pd16S7. 24. The method of claim 23, wherein the conditions in the reaction chamber include a temperature of from about 180 degrees C. to about 300 degrees C. and a reaction time of from about 100 minutes to about 200 minutes. 25. A method for forming a palladium sulfide film on a substrate, the method comprising:applying a palladium sulfide precursor to the substrate, wherein the palladium sulfide precursor comprises a palladium organothiolate; andheating the palladium sulfide precursor to decompose the palladium sulfide precursor to form Pd4S. 26. The method of claim 25, wherein the Pd4S is a single phase, crystalline Pd4S.