A solvent composition for liquid delivery chemical vapor deposition of metal organic precursors, to form metal-containing films such as SrBi.sub.2 Ta.sub.2 O.sub.9 (SBT) films for memory devices. An SBT film may be formed using precursors such as Sr(thd).sub.2 (pmdeta), Ta(OiPr).sub.4 (thd) and Bi(thd).sub.3 (pmdeta) which are dissolved in a solvent medium comprising one or more alkanes. Specific alkane solvent compositions may advantageously used for MOCVD of metal organic compound(s) such as .beta.-diketonate compounds or complexes, compound(s) including alkoxide ligands, and compound(s) including alkyl and/or aryl groups at their outer (molecular) surface, or compound(s) including other ligand coordination species and specific metal constituents.