Graphoepitaxy of sexithiophene on thermally oxidized silicon surface with artificial periodic grooves

Graphoepitaxial growth of a sexithiophene (6T) thin film was achieved on a thermally oxidized silicon surface with artificial periodic grooves. The surface structure was fabricated by electron beam lithography and the thin film was grown by molecular beam deposition. A well-pronounced, in-plane oriented component ([010](6T)parallel to grooves) was identified by grazing incidence x-ray diffraction, though there also existed some randomly oriented 6T grains. Presence of the graphoepitaxial component was also confirmed by results of the orientational analysis of atomic force microscopy images. It was shown that the in-plane orientation control of organic semiconductors is possible using graphoepitaxy. (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics.