Self-Organized Cohesion of Organic Molecular Dots on Chemically Patterned Surface

Self-organized pattern formation of nonpolymeric amorphous molecules on substrates, which have nanometer-scale chemical patterns, is demonstrated. It is observed that droplet-like molecular dots deposited by vacuum evaporation cohere selectively onto hydrophilic regions by annealing processes. This selective cohesion of organic dots is thought to be attributable to Ostwald ripening which drives selective growth of dots on hydrophilic region on which the organic dots have large radius of curvatures at the expense of the small dots on hydrophobic regions.