Noble metal thin films (Pt and Ru) were grown at 250 degrees C, using commercially available precursors, by the pulsed spray evaporation chemical vapor deposition (PSE-CVD) technique. The growth process relies on the thermally activated reaction of ethanol with the metal acetylacetonate precursors. The synthesized polycrystalline films are pure metal phase and crystallize in hexagonal (Ru) and cubic (Pt) structures. The formation of an interfacial suicide phase was noticed in the case of the Pt growth on silicon substrates. The films are smooth, continuous and show a steady growth without any noticeable incubation time. The single-step growth of Pt-based alloys, Pt-Co and Pt-Cu, with controlled composition was performed by simply adjusting the composition of the liquid feedstock. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.