Structure of Thin Films of [6] and [7]Phenacene and Impact of Potassium Deposition

• Published in: Advanced optical materials 2021-07, Vol.9 (14), p.n/a
• Main Authors: Zwadlo, Matthias, Hagara, Jakub, Duva, Giuliano, Hagenlocher, Jan, Gerlach, Alexander, Zaluzhnyy, Ivan, Hodas, Martin, Hinderhofer, Alexander, Siffalovic, Peter, Schreiber, Frank
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Benzene; Crystal structure; Deposition; doping; Electronic devices; Materials science; molecular packing; Molecular structure; Optical properties; Optics; Organic semiconductors; phenacene; Potassium; Silicon substrates; thin film morphology; thin film structure; Thin films; Unit cell
• ISSN: 2195-1071; 2195-1071
• DOI: 10.1002/adom.202002193

Organic semiconductors offer a flexibility in band gap tuning through different molecular lengths and have shown to be promising candidates for high‐performance electronic devices. While electronic properties have been extensively studied in many publications, the topic of thin film structure and molecular packing is still quite neglected. In this work, the thin film crystal structure of [6]phenacene (Fulminene) and [7]phenacene deposited on silicon substrates using the OMBD method as well as further studies with potassium deposition on [6]phenacene are investigated. Ex‐situ X‐ray and optical methods are employed to obtain an insight into the crystal structure and optical properties. The orientation of the molecules and the unit cell structure is calculated from the measured reciprocal space maps. Additionally, the influence of a possible interfacial doping mechanism by deposition of potassium on top of [6]phenacene is investigated. Thin films of [6]phenacene show a high crystallinity with a standing‐up configuration and a similar molecular structure and symmetry compared to [4]phenacene. [7]phenacene features two different apparently thickness‐dependent polymorphs (H and L) with a structure similar to [5]phenacene. These results reveal that odd/even parity, that is, even or odd number of benzene rings, directly influences the phenacene thin film structure. Phenacenes show a great potential for optoelectronic applications. While their electronic properties are extensively studied, thin film structure is often overlooked. In this study, the unit cell size and symmetry of [6]phenacene and [7]phenacene thin films prepared by organic molecular beam deposition is investigated. Potassium deposition on [6]phenacene is explored as a viable method for a structure/morphology modification.