Orderly growth of copper phthalocyanine on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) at high substrate temperatures

The growth of an ordered thin film of copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite at high substrate temperatures was studied. High-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy investigation revealed that the CuPc molecules remained lying flat on the substrate throughout the growth from monolayer to multilayer. Scanning tunneling microscopy and X-ray diffraction measurements showed the CuPc thin film assumed a dense-packed structure in the horizontal direction and a face-to-face stacking mode in the surface normal direction. The totality of the results presented a clear view of the orderly growth process of CuPc molecules.