Films of metal oxides have been deposited from vaporized precursor mixtures of metal beta-diketonates and, optionally, oxygen or other sources of oxygen. For example, a liquid mixture formed of the mixed aluminum beta-diketonates has derived a mixture of the ligands 2,6-dimethyl-3,5-heptanedione; 2,7-dimethyl-3,5-heptanedione; 2,6-dimethyl-3,5-octanedione; 2,2,6-trimethyl-3,5-heptanedione; 2,8-dimethyl-4,6-nonanedione; 2,7-dimethyl-4,6-nonanedione; 2,2,7-trimethyl-3,5-octanedione; and 2,2,6-trimethyl-3,5-octanedione. This liquid mixture may be nebulized into nitrogen gas preheated to 180 degrees Celsius. The resulting vapor mixture may be mixed with an equal flow rate of preheated dry air, and flowed over substrates heated to around 600 degrees Celsius.