Thin Films and Interfaces of Electroactive Organic Materials: The Surface Science Approach

 We highlight the importance of interfacial properties in determining the performance of devices based on electroactive organic materials. Investigations of the interfaces of benzene with Al(111) and In₂O₃ are presented as a model of interface properties for devices based on complex aromatic molecules. At both interfaces the binding is shown to be electrostatic, with the resulting interface dipole determining the band alignment. It is also argued that chemical modification of substrates can be used to tailor both electronic and structural properties.