Imaging of crystal morphology and molecular simulations of surface energies in pentacene thin films

We have investigated the crystal growth of the organic semiconductor pentacene by complementing molecular simulations of surface energies with experimental images of pentacene films. Pentacene thin films having variations in thickness and grain size were produced by vacuum sublimation. Large (approximately 20 microm) faceted crystals grew on top of the underlying polycrystalline thin film. The films were characterized using optical microscopy (OM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Single crystals most commonly grew in a truncated diamond shape with the largest crystal face, (001), growing parallel to the substrate. Crystal morphologies and surface energies were calculated using force field-based molecular simulations. The (001) surface was found to have the lowest energy, at 76 mJ/m(2), which was consistent with experimental observations of crystal face size. It was demonstrated that the morphology of the large faceted crystals approached the equilibrium growth shape of pentacene. From contact angle measurements, the critical surface tension of textured pentacene thin films in air was determined to be 34 mJ/m(2).