Author(s)

Margarita Rivera¹, Brenda Reyes¹, María Elena Sánchez-Vergara^2*, Luis Humberto Mendoza-Huizar³

¹Instituto de Física, Departamento de Materia Condensada, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, D.F. México, México.
²Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Anáhuac México Norte, Huixquilucan, Estado de México, México.
³Centro de Investigaciones Químicas, Mineral de la Reforma, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo, Hidalgo, México.

Semiconductor molecular films based on a gallium phthalocyanine chloride (GaPcCl) and a bidentate amine were prepared by using vacuum thermal evaporation and electrochemical techniques in order to investigate the preferred conduction paths within the films. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) were employed to characterize the morphology of the films. The conductivity measurements were performed with two different methods in order to investigate preferential conduction directions. The film transverse conductivity was obtained by using scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) and the in-plane film conductivity was measured with a four-point probe system. From spectroscopy measurements, the tunneling conductance (dI/dV) was also obtained. From these results, it was found that the conductive nature of the films was strongly influenced by the deposition technique which in turn defined the morphological characteristics of the film. The evaporated method showed better conductivity response and provided semiconductor characteristics in the film transverse direction with an in-plane ohmic response. Finally, contact angle measurements were performed and showed hydrophobic characteristics in all cases.

Thin Films, Phthalocyanines, Electronic Properties, Electrical Conductivity

Rivera, M. , Reyes, B. , Sánchez-Vergara, M. and Mendoza-Huizar, L. (2016) Conductive Behavior and Morphology of Axially Modified Gallium Phthalocyanine Thin Films onto Indium Tin Oxide Substrates. Advances in Materials Physics and Chemistry, 6, 211-219. doi: 10.4236/ampc.2016.67021.