Microstructural study of codeposited pentacene:perfluoropentacene grown on KCl by TEM techniques

Abstract Transmission electron microscopy techniques have been used as a research tool to derive information on structure and orientation of organic semiconductor blends. Within this work, we have studied the structure and morphology of pentacene (PEN, C 22 H 14 ) and perfluoropentacene (PFP, C 22 F 14 ) blends grown with [2:1] and [1:2] mixing ratios on KCl substrates. The [2:1] mixture exhibits a uniform layer on the substrate with domains that are rotated in-plane by 90° towards each other. Electron diffraction experiments revealed that these domains are formed by a crystalline mixed phase (consisting of PEN and PFP) and a PEN phase in excess whose lattice parameters are rather similar. By contrast, in the [1:2] blend, two different arrangements were found. The majority of the sample exhibits some spicular fibers on a background layer lying on top of the KCl substrate. The microstructural characterization revealed that these fibers consist of pure PFP in excess while the background layer is formed by the mixed phase. The other arrangement, which is present to a lesser extent, consists of a PFP film that is in direct contact with the KCl substrate. Using electron diffraction experiments, the orientation of the different phases with respect to each other and in some cases relative to the KCl substrate has been determined.