AVS 45th International Symposium
    Organic Electronic Materials Topical Conference Tuesday Sessions
       Session OE+BI+EM-TuA

Paper OE+BI+EM-TuA7
Growth, Modification, and Control of the Structures of Mixed Composition Organic Monolayers

Tuesday, November 3, 1998, 4:00 pm, Room 327

Session: Organic Thin Film Growth
Presenter: L.A. Bumm, The Pennsylvania State University
Authors: T.D. Dunbar, The Pennsylvania State University
T.P. Burgin, The University of South Carolina
J.M. Tour, The University of South Carolina
D.L. Allara, The Pennsylvania State University
L.A. Bumm, The Pennsylvania State University
Correspondent: Click to Email
Control of the molecular-scale structure of multi-component self-assembled of organic thiols on Au(111) can be achieved by selecting a combination of deposition and processing techniques. These include competitive adsorption (growth) and subsequent exchange (modification). The effects of this processing on the molecular-scale structure have been studied by conventional and AC scanning tunneling microscopy. Lateral epitaxy has been observed where a growing domain of one molecular species is grafted onto an existing crystalline lattice of a different molecular species with no lattice mismatch. In other examples, the limited substrate access afforded by structural defects in the films has been utilized to insert single molecules for further use or study. We also use these mixed composition monolayers to gain insight into the mechanism by which these films can be imaged and the extent to which organic molecules conduct. By analyzing images and local spectra of isolated and aggregated molecules, we can determine the extent to which neighboring molecules contribute to these processes. We believe that none of the structures we obtain are equilibrium structures. We discuss relevant considerations for stabilizing the nanometer-scale structures created.