Fabrication and characterization of vacuum deposited fluorescein thin films

Simple vacuum evaporation technique for deposition of dyes on various solid surfaces has been developed. The method is compatible with conventional solvent-free nanofabrication processing enabling fabrication of nanoscale optoelectronic devices. Thin films of fluorescein were deposited on glass, fluorine–tin–oxide (FTO) coated glass with and without atomically layer deposited (ALD) nanocrystalline 20 nm thick anatase TiO2 coating. Surface topology, absorption and emission spectra of the films depend on their thickness and the material of supporting substrate. On a smooth glass surface the dye initially forms islands before merging into a uniform layer after 5 to 10 monolayers. On FTO covered glass the absorption spectra are similar to fluorescein solution in ethanol. Absorption spectra on ALD-TiO2 is red shifted compared to the film deposited on bare FTO. The corresponding emission spectra at λ = 458 nm excitation show various thickness and substrate dependent features, while the emission of films deposited on TiO2 is quenched due to the effective electron transfer to the semiconductor conduction band.