Epitaxial growth of quaterphenyl thin films on gold(111)

The crystal structure and molecular arrangement of para-quaterphenyl (4P) grown on single crystalline Au(111) was investigated over a wide thickness range. The molecular arrangement in the first monolayer, as investigated with low energy electron diffraction, shows a highly regular structure. This wetting layer is defined by adsorbate-substrate interactions and forms a prestage for the epitaxial growth of 4P single crystalline islands, as observed in x-ray diffraction. Two similar orientations of the 4P bulk phase are observed, with the (211) and (311) planes parallel to the Au(111) surface. The alignment of the molecules was kept unchanged from the first monolayers up to a film thickness of 200 nm. (C) 2003 American Institute of Physics.