Growth dynamics of ZnPc and TiOPc thin films: Effect of crystallinity on anomalous scaling behavior

The surface morphology evolution and scaling behavior of zinc phthalocyanine (ZnPc) and titanyl phthalocyanine (TiOPc) thin films have been studied using atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction and height difference correlation function analysis. In contrast to the large growth exponent (β) values and anomalous scaling behavior previously reported for other crystalline molecular thin films, significantly small β and anomaly values were observed for amorphous TiOPc thin films. The relatively small anomaly value of ZnPc thin films, though larger than that of TiOPc thin films, is also rationalized by the lack of crystallographic ordering at the initial stage of growth.