Structure and morphology in thin films of perfluorinated copper phthalocyanine grown on alkali halide surfaces (001)

Thin films from the monolayer range to the thickness of 40 nm of the perfluorinated copper phthalocyanine (F16PcCu) were prepared by physical vapor deposition on freshly cleaved (001) faces of the alkali halides NaCl, KCl and KBr. The different lattice constants of the substrates provided sufficient difference to trigger the growth of differently ordered phases of F16PcCu. Electron diffraction, Atomic Force Microscopy and UV-vis spectroscopy were used to characterize the structure for F16PcCu monolayers and for films of increasing average film thickness towards bulk films. A square lattice of flat-lying F16PcCu is proposed for the first monolayers. In the bulk films, phases already described for F16PcCu on other substrates were formed, but also a new phase was discovered.