Overview
Project 01
Project 02
Project 04
Project 06
Project 07
Project 08
Project 10
Project 11
Project 12
Project 13
Project 14

Project 08 – Structural studies of ordered organic films starting from the first monolayer

Roland Resel, a.o.Univ.Prof.Dr.

The goal of the present project is the structural characterisation of highly ordered organic films produced and characterised by NFN-partners. Molecules like sexiphenyl, sexithiophene, pentacene, metal-phthalocyanine, porphyrines will be investigated and their structural order on metal surfaces like Au(111), Al(111), Cu(110) and on dielectric surfaces like TIO₂(110), oxidised silicon and SAM treated surfaces will be determined. By in-situ growth studies as well as ex-situ studies of the molecular arrangement at surfaces, the development of epitaxial order in bulk films and the order at the interfaces will be investigated in detail.

The studies should reveal the basic mechanisms for the formation of molecular epitaxy starting from an ordered 2-dimensional monolayer to epitaxial order in 3-dimensional crystalline films. The appearance of polymorph crystal structures and specific growth morphologies will be related to the structural properties of the films. Mainly x-ray diffraction methods – performed with laboratory equipment as well as with synchrotron sources – will be used. Transmission electron microscopy/diffraction will be applied to relate crystallographic structure with film morphology. The planned work will be performed in close collaboration with surface science projects, thin film growth studies and with strong theoretical support. In a further step – within the second period of this NFN project - the internal morphologies (e.g. interface roughness, grain morphology, interfacial area of heterostructures) of organic thin films, multilayers and whole devices will be characterised.