NOVELTY - Precursor (I) comprising an oxygen free zirconium cyclopentadienyl compound is new.    USE - (I) is useful for atomic layer deposition of a zirconium oxide film, zirconium nitride film and a zirconium film (all claimed). (I) is useful: for forming high-k gate dielectric layers for silicon, germanium and carbon based group IV elemental semiconductors or for forming high-k gate dielectric layers for indium gallium arsenide, aluminum gallium arsenide, and other III-V high electron mobility semiconductors; for forming high-k capacitors for dynamic random access memory, flash and ferroelectric memory devices; as zirconium-based catalysts for gas purification, organic synthesis, fuel cell membranes and chemical detectors; in yttrium stabilized zirconia solid anode materials in fuel cells; and as super cooled zirconium based alloys that remain in liquid state at 100 degrees K.    ADVANTAGE - (I): is a oxygen free, solution based zirconium precursor; and deposits zirconium compound films in a self-limiting and conformal manner. (I): employs solid precursors for liquid solution based atomic layer deposition processes, hence a low thermal budget room temperature delivery is possible and thermal decomposition problems associated with standard liquid precursors are eliminated; are thermally stable; and eliminates the self growth that occurs with oxygen containing cyclopentadienyl precursors.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - INDEPENDENT CLAIMS are also included for:    (1) a zirconium oxide or zirconium nitride film deposited by atomic layer deposition using (I);    (2) a method of atomic layer deposition, comprising: introducing a first precursor comprising an oxygen free zirconium cyclopentadienyl compound dissolved in a solvent to a vaporizer; vaporizing the first precursor solution in the vaporizer; delivering the vaporized first precursor to a deposition chamber; forming a monolayer of a zirconium containing molecule by surface reaction on a substrate; purging the deposition chamber; introducing a second precursor comprising an oxygen or nitrogen containing compound to the deposition chamber; forming one monolayer of zirconium oxide or zirconium nitride by surface reaction on the substrate; and repeating the steps to produce a zirconium oxide or zirconium nitride film of predetermined thickness on the substrate;    (3) a zirconium film deposited by atomic layer deposition using (I);    (4) a method of atomic layer deposition, comprising: introducing a first precursor comprising an oxygen free zirconium cyclopentadienyl compound dissolved in a solvent to a vaporizer; vaporizing the first precursor solution in the vaporizer; delivering the vaporized first precursor to a deposition chamber; forming monolayer of a zirconium containing molecule by surface reaction on a substrate; purging the deposition chamber; introducing a second precursor comprising a reducing agent to the deposition chamber; forming one monolayer of zirconium metal by surface reaction on the substrate; and repeating the steps to produce a zirconium metal film of predetermined thickness on the substrate.