Phthalocyanine thin films on Si(111)

The growth of organic films on silicon represents a very interesting and up-to-date field of research in both fundamental science and in regard of possible applications. As silicon still is the element of choice in semi-conductor technology, methods to modify the properties of silicon surfaces become increasingly important with a modification by organic overlayers representing a very promising approach. Phthalocyanines represent a family of semiconducting molecules based on a it-conjugated macrocycle ring and are already successfully employed in various applications, e.g. in (opto-)electronic devices. In addition, their structure and therewith their properties can be easily modified at various positions, making them ideal candidates for tailor-made silicon surface modifications. Regarding Si(111), a variety of different phthalocyanines on clean and modified surfaces was investigated within the last decades. In the current review, an overview on these works is presented.

Automated summary

The growth of organic films on silicon is a significant research field with both scientific and application importance. Phthalocyanines, a family of semiconducting molecules, are ideal candidates for modifying silicon surfaces due to their easily modifiable structure and properties. Various phthalocyanines on Si(111) surfaces have been studied in the past decades.