Laser-induced tuning of crystallization in tetracene thin films

Abstract

This study explores how laser light affects the morphology of tetracene films, and it presents novel strategies for improving the creation of thin films used in (opto-)electronic devices. We demonstrate that laser light (532 nm, 1.1 W mm⁻²), applied during tetracene deposition, not only increases grain size but also induces photoalignment. The observed effects arise from enhanced molecular diffusion, resulting from energy transferred by light to the molecules after adsorption, but not from heating the substrate surface underneath. We observe that linearly polarized light promotes photoalignment, while increased crystallite sizes occurs with both linear and circular polarizations. We propose an Ostwald ripening process facilitated by laser illumination, where smaller crystallites get optically heated and dissolve, allowing molecules to surmount step-edge barriers and assemble into larger crystallites. Importantly, the crystallite sizes achieved with laser illumination surpass those attainable by substrate heating alone. The study demonstrates that laser illumination acts as a promising new parameter for controlling thin film properties and is distinct from growth control via substrate temperature and growth rate. Light control also includes the ability for lateral patterning, with implications for the future of molecular materials and their manufacturing technologies.