Implantation and annealing effects in molecular organic films

Ion implantation and annealing effects on the surface of phthalocyanine thin films have been studied by means of atomic force microscopy and electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis. Both the topology and the chemical composition of the surface are affected by irradiation. The influence of the irradiation dose is shown. The chemical degradation of the layer results mainly in the decrease of atomic concentration of nitrogen and chlorine, and in the increase of atomic concentration of oxygen. At highest dose, carbonization becomes important. Furthermore, N 1s, C 1s and Cl 2p core levels testify that the formation of new chemical species occurs in implanted pthalocyanine films. All these processes are modified by subsequent heat treatment in different ways, depending on the applied implantation fluence. © 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.