Characterization of organic thin films with resonant soft X-ray scattering and reflectivity near the carbon and fluorine absorption edges

Abstract

Abstract. The use of soft X-rays near the carbon absorption edge (∼270-300 eV) for small angle X-ray scattering and X-ray reflectivity experiments has significantly expanded the scientific capabilities to investigate thin films of soft matter that are primarily composed of carbon and low Z heteroatoms. In this perspective, we will delineate the basic operating principles and underlying physics of these methods and exemplify their impact by discussing a few recent applications. An extension of these methods to the fluorine edge is also included, demonstrating that the general concepts are also applicable to absorption edges of hetero atoms in soft matter. A short perspective of some future developments is provided.

Comparative study of the X-ray reflectivity and in-depth profile of a-C, B4C and Ni coatings at 0.1–2 keV

“…Among them, C and B 4 C appear to be more preferable from a technological point of view since they possess a very high sublimation and melting point, respectively. Using soft X-rays near the carbon edge (270-300 eV) greatly enhances the study of biological objects (Kirz et al, 1995) and soft matter (Ade, 2012), which consist primarily of carbon and other elements with small Z, and characterization of organometallic molecules and carbon-based materials (Minasian et al, 2013), in which the physics and chemistry of many important processes are determined by the electronic structure of chemical bonds of light atoms (C, N and O).…”

Thickness Optimization and Photovoltaic Properties of Bulk Heterojunction Solar Cells Based on PFB–PCBM Layer

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We report on the fabrication and study of bulk heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells based on a novel combination of a donor-acceptor poly(9,9-dioctylfluorenyl-2,7-diyl)-co-(N,N0-diphenyl) -N,N di(p-butyl-oxy-pheyl)-1,4-diamino-benzene) (PFB) and [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) blend composed of 1:1 by volume. indium tin oxide (ITO)/poly(3,4-ethylenediox ythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS)/PFB-PCBM/Ag BHJ solar cells are fabricated by a facile cost-effective spin-coating technique.

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Reprint of: Combining theory and experiment for X-ray absorption spectroscopy and resonant X-ray scattering characterization of polymers

“…RSoXS and RSoXR take advantage of the unique core-level absorption profiles of polymers to provide statistically averaged characteristic length scales related to many factors including but not limited to, phase separation or molecular orientation [52]. As discussed in section 2.1, there are important connections between the real (δ) and imaginary (β) parts of the complex index of refraction that need to be understood.…”