Chemical vapor deposition using single-source organosilicon precursors is one of the most effective ways to produce multifunctional SiCxNy films. It is worth mentioning that the precursor molecule design affects both the composition and properties of films. Four organosilicon compounds containing a phenyl substituent (namely, trimethylphenylsilane, trimethyl(phenylamino) silane, trimethyl(benzylamino) silane and bis(trimethylsilyl)phenylamine) have been synthesized and characterized as potential CVD precursors for SiCxNy films synthesis. The compounds have been shown to be volatile and stable enough to be used in chemical vapor deposition of SiCxNy films. Thermodynamic modeling of the film deposition from the gaseous mixture of trimethylphenylsilane and ammonia in Si-C-N-H system has demonstrated that SiCxNy films can be deposited, and there is an opportunity to determine the area of appropriate deposition conditions. (c) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.