Published in

Beilstein-Institut, Beilstein Journal of Nanotechnology, (11), p. 1492-1503, 2020

DOI: 10.3762/bjnano.11.132

Links

Tools

Export citation

Search in Google Scholar

Controlling the electronic and physical coupling on dielectric thin films

This paper is made freely available by the publisher.
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.

Full text: Download

Orange circle
Preprint: archiving restricted
Orange circle
Postprint: archiving restricted
Green circle
Published version: archiving allowed
Data provided by SHERPA/RoMEO

Abstract

Ultrathin dielectric/insulating films on metals are often used as decoupling layers to allow for the study of the electronic properties of adsorbed molecules without electronic interference from the underlying metal substrate. However, the presence of such decoupling layers may effectively change the electron donating properties of the substrate, for example, by lowering its work function and thus enhancing the charging of the molecular adsorbate layer through electron tunneling. Here, an experimental study of the charging of para-sexiphenyl (6P) on ultrathin MgO(100) films supported on Ag(100) is reported. By deliberately changing the work function of the MgO(100)/Ag(100) system, it is shown that the charge transfer (electronic coupling) into the 6P molecules can be controlled, and 6P monolayers with uncharged molecules (Schottky–Mott regime) and charged and uncharged molecules (Fermi level pinning regime) can be obtained. Furthermore, it was found that charge transfer and temperature strongly influence the orientation, conformation, and wetting behavior (physical coupling) of the 6P layers on the MgO(100) thin films.