Scanning Electron Microscopic Characterization of Copper (II) Phthalocyanine Nanocrystallites Thin Films Deposited on Technologically Important Substrates

Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) demonstrates spectacular changes in the morphology of thin films of copper (II) phthalocyanine (CuPc) deposited on gold coated quartz substrates at different substrate temperatures, and on indium tin oxide (ITO) substrates at room temperature followed by post deposition annealing at various temperatures under normal atmosphere. The nature of substrates, the film deposition as well as annealing temperature play an important role in the molecular organization of CuPc molecules on the substrates resulting in nanoparticles, nanoflowers, nanocabbages, nanoribbons, nanorods etc. The single crystalline nature of the CuPc nanoribbon has been indicated from the SAED pattern obtained from Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM). The long nanoribbons of β-phase CuPc grow along the stacking axis of the CuPc molecules. Using the FESEM images, the fractal dimension of the assembly of nanostructures in the films has been estimated. The effects of substrates, substrate temperature, and annealing temperature on the surface morphology and fractal dimension have been discussed