Molecular Orientation and Electronic Interactions in Organic Thin Films Studied by Spectroscopic Ellipsometry

In this work the molecular growth mode of several organic molecules was studied using a combination of variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry (VASE) and Infrared spectroscopy (IR) as investigations tools. As organic systems several Phthalocyanine molecules, 3,4,9,10-perylenetetracarboxylic dianhydride (PTCDA), tris-(8-hydroxyquinoline)-aluminum(III) (Alq3) / N,N’-Di-[(1-naphthyl)-N,N’-diphenyl]-(1,1’-biphenyl)-4,4’-diamine (a-NPD) were investigated. The ordered growth of the Pcs and PTCDA and their intrinsic optical anisotropy of their planar molecular structure give rise to highly anisotropic layers. In contrast with the planar molecules, Alq3 and a-NPD form homogenous isotropic films with a very low surface roughness. As a non-destructive and very surface sensitive technique, ellipsometry allows the thickness, the surface roughness and optical constants to be accurately determined. From the strong in-plane /out-of-plane anisotropy of the dielectric function the average molecular orientation angle of the Pc’s molecules was determined. The knowledge of the molecular orientation combined with the information accessible from the shape of the Q-band of the Pc can provide an insightful picture of the molecular growth. While the Pc layers grown on HV condition grow with the b-axis (stacking axis) perpendicular to the substrate and F16PcVO lies on the KBr substrates, the Pc samples prepared in UHV adopt a parallel to the substrate b-axis configuration. These results were confirmed by reflection IR measurements performed in s and p polarization. The ellipsometric studies on heterostructures proved that PTCDA has a template effect on the Pc growth and the interaction between this two molecules affects the optical response at the interfaces. In contrast with this system where rough interfaces were assumed in the model, the combination Alq3 / a-NPD gives sharp optical interfaces. The in-situ measurements performed at BESSY proved that sub-monolayer sensitivity can be achieved in the VUV range using spectroscopic ellipsometry and moreover the dielectric function of these ultra-thin films can be determined. A spectral shift towards higher energies of the Alq3 and a-NPD features was observed for sub-monolayers on silicon substrate when compared with the bulk reference. The smaller shift observed for the Alq3 sub-monolayers on ZnO substrate indicate that the effect of the silicon substrate has to be taken into account when explaining the spectral behaviour of the sub-monolayers.In dieser Arbeit wurde das Wachstum von organischen Molekülschichten mit Hilfe einer Kombination aus spektroskopischer Ellipsometrie mit variablem Einfallswinkel "Variable Angle Spectroscopic Ellipsometry (VASE)" und Infrarotspektroskopie (IR) untersucht. Als organische Systeme wurden verschiedene Phthalocyaninmoleküle (Pc), 3,4,9,10-Perylentetracarbonsäure Dianhydrid (PTCDA) und tris-(8-hydroxochinolin)-Aluminium(III) (Alq3) / N,N’-Di-[(1-naphthyl)-N,N’-diphenyl]-(1,1’-biphenyl)-4,4’-diamin (α-NPD) betrachtet. Das geordnete Wachstum der Pcs und von PTCDA führt, bedingt durch die intrinsische optische Anisotropie der planaren organischen Moleküle, zu hochgradig anisotropen Schichten. Im Gegensatz zu den planaren Molekülen bilden Alq3 und α-NPD homogene isotrope Filme mit einer sehr geringen Oberflächenrauigkeit aus. Als eine nicht destruktive und sehr oberflächensensitive Technik, erlaubt es die Ellipsometrie, die Dicke, die Oberflächenrauigkeit und die optischen Konstanten genau zu bestimmen. Aus der starken in-plane / out-of-plane Anisotropie der dielektrischen Funktion wurde der mittlere molekulare Orientierungswinkel der Pc-Moleküle bestimmt. Die Kenntnis der molekularen Orientierung, verknüpft mit der in der Form des Q-Bandes der Pc-Moleküle enthaltenen Information, gewährt Einblick in das molekulare Wachstumsverhalten. Während die Pc-Schichten unter Hochvakuumbedingungen mit der b-Achse (Stapelachse) senkrecht zum Substrat wachsen und F16PcVO sich flach auf die KBr-Substrate legt, nehmen die unter Ultrahochvakuumbedingungen hergestellten Pc-Proben eine parallel zum Substrat liegende b-Achsenanordnung ein. Diese Ergebnisse wurden mit IR-Messungen bestätigt, welche in s- und p-Polarisation durchgeführt wurden. Die ellipsometrischen Untersuchungen an Heterostrukturen haben bewiesen, dass PTCDA einen Template-Effekt auf das Wachstum der aufwachsenden Pc-Schicht hat und dass die Wechselwirkung zwischen diesen beiden Molekülen die Reaktion an der Grenzflächenschicht beeinflusst. Im Gegensatz zu diesem System, bei dem raue Grenzflächen im Modell verwendet wurden, ergibt die Kombination Alq3 / α-NPD scharfe Grenzflächen. Die in-situ-Messungen, welche bei BESSY durchgeführt wurden, bewiesen, dass Submonolagensensitivität im Vakuum-ultravioletten Spektralbereich mit Hilfe der spektroskopischen Ellipsometrie erreicht und zudem die dielektrische Funktion bestimmt werden kann. Verglichen mit dicken Schichten als Referenz, wurde auf Siliziumsubstraten für Submonolagen eine spektrale Verschiebung der Alq3- and α-NPD-Absorptionsbanden zu höheren Energien beobachtet. Die kleinere Verschiebung, die für Alq3-Submonolagen auf ZnO-Substraten beobachtet wurde, deutet an, dass der Einfluss des Siliziumsubstrates in Betracht gezogen werden muss, wenn man das spektrale Verhalten der Submonolagen erklären will

Comprehensive Raman study of epitaxial silicene-related phases on Ag(111)

The investigation of the vibrational properties of epitaxial silicene and two-dimensional (2D) Si structures on the silver(111) surface aims for a better understanding of the structural differences and of the simplification of the seemingly complex phase diagrams reported over the last years. The spectral signatures of the main silicene phases epitaxially grown on Ag(111) were obtained using in situ Raman spectroscopy. Due to the obvious 2D nature of various epitaxial silicene structures, their fingerprints consist of similar sets of Raman modes. The reduced phase diagram also includes other Si phases, such as amorphous and crystalline silicon, which emerge on the Ag surface at low and high preparation temperatures, respectively. The Raman signatures obtained along with their interpretations provide the referential basis for further studies and for potential applications of epitaxial silicene

Microfluidic setup for on-line SERS monitoring using laser induced nanoparticle spots as SERS active substrate

A microfluidic setup which enables on-line monitoring of residues of malachite green (MG) using surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is reported. The SERS active substrate was prepared via laser induced synthesis of silver or gold nanoparticles spot on the bottom of a 200 μm inner dimension glass capillary, by focusing the laser beam during a continuous flow of a mixture of silver nitrate or gold chloride and sodium citrate. The described microfluidic setup enables within a few minutes the monitoring of several processes: the synthesis of the SERS active spot, MG adsorption to the metal surface, detection of the analyte when saturation of the SERS signal is reached, and finally, the desorption of MG from the spot. Moreover, after MG complete desorption, the regeneration of the SERS active spot was achieved. The detection of MG was possible down to 10−7 M concentration with a good reproducibility when using silver or gold spots as SERS substrate

Interaction of One-Dimensional Photonic Crystals and Metal Nanoparticle Arrays and Its Application for Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy

We introduce a new concept to localize and strongly enhance electromagnetic fields by covering one-dimensional photonic crystals with ordered metal nanoparticles arrays. When designed properly, the combined photonic–plasmonic composite shows a significant interaction of the plasmonic resonance and the photonic band gap. For this purpose we fabricated one-dimensional photonic crystals based on porous silicon by electrochemical etching of silicon in hydrofluoric acid and deposited a silver nanoparticle array on top by nanosphere lithography. The composite structure was designed in such a way that the plasmonic resonance coincides with the photonic band gap, leading to highly confined electromagnetic fields at the interface between both structures. The samples were characterized using spectroscopic ellipsometry and reflectance measurements and were modeled using effective medium theories and finite-element methods. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy measurements of this unique photonic–plasmonic hybrid system show extraordinary enhancement factors that can be explained only by an interaction mechanism. The optical properties of the composite structure are very versatile, providing a promising platform for improved sensing applications and superior substrates for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Photoluminescence emission and Raman response of monolayer MoS2, MoSe2, and WSe2

We mechanically exfoliate mono- and few-layers of the transition metal dichalcogenides molybdenum disulfide, molybdenum diselenide, and tungsten diselenide. The exact number of layers is unambiguously determined by atomic force microscopy and high-resolution Raman spectroscopy. Strong photoluminescence emission is caused by the transition from an indirect band gap semiconductor of bulk material to a direct band gap semiconductor in atomically thin form.Published versio

2D vibrational properties of epitaxial silicene on Ag(111)

International audienceThe two-dimensional silicon allotrope, silicene, could spur the development of new and original concepts in Si-based nanotechnology. Up to now silicene can only be epitaxially synthesized on a supporting substrate such as Ag(111). Even though the structural and electronic properties of these epitaxial silicene layers have been intensively studied, very little is known about its vibrational characteristics. Here, we present a detailed study of epitaxial silicene on Ag(111) using in situ Raman spectroscopy, which is one of the most extensively employed experimental techniques to characterize 2D materials, such as graphene, transition metal dichalcogenides, and black phosphorous. The vibrational fingerprint of epitaxial silicene, in contrast to all previous interpretations, is characterized by three distinct phonon modes with A and E symmetries. Both, energies and symmetries of theses modes are confirmed by ab initio theory calculations. The temperature dependent spectral evolution of these modes demonstrates unique thermal properties of epitaxial silicene and a significant electron-phonon coupling. These results unambiguously support the purely two-dimensional character of epitaxial silicene up to about 300 degrees C, whereupon a 2D-to-3D phase transition takes place. The detailed fingerprint of epitaxial silicene will allow us to identify it in different environments or to study its modifications