The crystallographic order in sexiphenyl thin films on dielectric surfaces (like thermally oxidized silicon,
KCl(100), TiO2(110)
mica (001)) and on metallic surfaces (like Au(111), Al(111)) are summarized. The
combination of the surface science studies considering the first molecular layers on the
substrate surfaces with crystallographic studies on sexiphenyl films reveals the influence of
the first molecular layers on the thin-film structure. The interaction strength of the
molecules with the substrate has a large influence on the preferred orientation of the
crystallites relative to the substrate surface. In the case of metallic surfaces, the orientation
of the molecules at the first monolayer determines the alignment of the crystallites in
the thin film. In the case of dielectric surfaces, other types of preferred crystal
orientations are observed, which is connected with the increasing importance of
the intermolecular interaction strength in the first monolayers. Generally, it is
observed that the bulk crystal structure is already present in thin films with a
nominal thickness slightly larger than the monolayer thickness. The orientation and
alignment of the initial crystal clusters at the surface determine the layer growth.
The thin films show specific morphologies: depending on the orientation of the
molecules relative to the substrate surface, either terraced islands or needle-like
structures appear. The crystallite size parallel to the surface varies in a range from
nanometres up to several tens of microns, depending on the type of substrate and
the thin-film growth conditions. In the case of terraced islands, the crystallite
size perpendicular to the surface is comparable with the nominal film thickness.