Structural and optical properties of thermally evaporated zinc phthalocyanine thin films

Thermally evaporated zinc phthalocyanine (ZnPc) films in the as deposited condition were identified to be as-amorphous. It undergoes structural transformation upon annealing up to 613 K. The optical properties and spectral behavior of as deposited and annealed thin films of ZnPc were studied using spectrophotometric measurements of the transmissivity and reflectivity at normal incidence of light in the wavelength range 200–2500 nm. The refractive index, n, and absorption index, k, were calculated and it was found that they are independent of film thickness in the thickness range 205–530 nm. Annealing at 613 K increases absorbance of films by 5–6 times in comparison with absorbance of as deposited ones and shifts peak positions of all bands towards low energy side of spectra except the peak position of N-band is shifted towards high energy side of spectra. The absorption spectra in the UV–VIS. region has been analyzed in terms of both molecular orbital and band theories. Indirect allowed transitions near the onset and fundamental absorption edges were observed. The energy at the onset was obtained and equals to 1.45 and 1.51 eV for as deposited and annealed films, respectively. The fundamental energy gap was obtained and equals to 2.94 and 2.88 eV for as deposited and annealed films, respectively. The absorption spectra shows four absorption bands. The oscillator strength, f, the electric dipole strength, q², the molar extinction coefficient, ζ_molar, were calculated for as deposited and annealed ZnPc thin films.