Low-energy electron mean free path in thin films of copper phthalocyanine

The formation of thin organic films of copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) deposited onto the surface of gold-coated quartz crystal resonator was studied in situ under ultrahigh vacuum conditions by means of total electron-beam-induced current spectroscopy in combination with deposit thickness determination by piezocrystal microbalance technique. Variations in the fine structure of the total current spectra of CuPc layers of var-ious thicknesses in the 0–8 nm interval have been analyzed and the electron mean free path in thin CuPc films was determined as a function of the electron energy. For electron energies of 5.0, 7.2, 14.4, and 18.0 eV above the Fermi level, the mean free path is 6.4, 3.9, 2.6, and 2.3 nm.