The complexes [Co 3 (CO) 9 CCl], [Co 3 (CO) 9 CH], [Co 2 (CO) 6 (HCtCPh)] and [Co 2 (CO) 6 (HCtC t -Bu)] are shown to be excellent precursors for CVD of pure cobalt films, when using hydrogen as carrier gas. These compounds all possess good air and moisture stability, have high volatility, and are easy to prepare, store, and handle. Using these precursors and the known palladium and platinum precursors [Pd(hfac) 2 ] and [PtMe 2 (COD)], it has been shown that bilayer films glass/Co/Pd, glass/Pd/Co, glass/Co/Pt, and glass/Pt/Co can be grown easily. There is a sharp boundary and good adhesion between the two metal layers, suggesting that this method may be suitable for the formation of bilayer films for magnetooptical applications.