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Small Organic Molecules on Surfaces pp 79–106Cite as

Ehrlich-Schwoebel Barriers and Island Nucleation in Organic Thin-Film Growth

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Part of the book series: Springer Series in Materials Science ((SSMATERIALS,volume 173))

Abstract

In inorganic epitaxy, intra- and interlayer surface diffusion processes—which are significantly influencing island nucleation and morphology evolution when growing under conditions far from equilibrium—are well understood. Using the rod-like organic molecule para-hexaphenyl, it is demonstrated that experimental and theoretical concepts developed to reveal the underlying atomic diffusion processes for inorganic systems can be applied to understand the growth of crystalline organic films. Here, we focus on the one hand on the determination of step-edge barriers, so-called Ehrlich-Schwoebel barriers, resulting in terraced growth mounds. On the other hand, we explore the island nucleation applying various approaches developed for inorganic systems. Compared to atomic systems, the anisotropy and complexity of the molecular building blocks yield a richer spectrum of diffusion processes resulting in novel phenomena as, e.g., level-dependent step-edge barriers for interlayer diffusion and peculiarities in the size of the critical nucleus.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Note that Eq. (3) in Ref. [12] is incorrect.

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Acknowledgements

We wish to thank P. Frank, O. Lengyel, S. Lorbek, D. Nabok, T. Potocar, R. Resel, Q. Shen, and L. Tumbek for sample preparation and contributions to the measurements. This work was financially supported by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) under Projects No. P19197, S9707, and S9714.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Physics, Montanuniversitaet Leoben, Franz-Josef-Straße 18, 8700, Leoben, Austria

    Christian Teichert

  2. Physics of Interfaces and Nanomaterials, MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, PO Box 217, 7500AE, Enschede, The Netherlands

    Gregor Hlawacek

  3. Institute of Solid State Physics, Graz University of Technology, Petersgasse 16, 8010, Graz, Austria

    Adolf Winkler

  4. Chair of Atomistic Modelling and Design of Materials, Montanuniversitaet Leoben, Franz-Josef-Straße 18, 8700, Leoben, Austria

    Peter Puschnig & Claudia Draxl

  5. Institute of Physics, Karl-Franzens University Graz, Universitätsplatz 5, 8010, Graz, Austria

    Peter Puschnig

  6. Physics Department, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Zum Großen Windkanal 6, 12489, Berlin, Germany

    Claudia Draxl

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  1. Christian Teichert
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  2. Gregor Hlawacek
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Correspondence to Christian Teichert .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Experimentalphysik, Abt. Festkörperphysik, Universität Linz, Linz, 4040, Austria

    Helmut Sitter

  2. , Department Materials Physics, Montanuniversität Leoben, Franz Josef Straße 18, Leoben, 8700, Austria

    Claudia Draxl

  3. , Institut für Physik, Karl-Franzens-Universität, Universitätsplatz 5, Graz, 8010, Austria

    Michael Ramsey

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Teichert, C., Hlawacek, G., Winkler, A., Puschnig, P., Draxl, C. (2013). Ehrlich-Schwoebel Barriers and Island Nucleation in Organic Thin-Film Growth. In: Sitter, H., Draxl, C., Ramsey, M. (eds) Small Organic Molecules on Surfaces. Springer Series in Materials Science, vol 173. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-33848-9_4

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