Striped domains at the pentacene:C60 interface

Scanning tunneling microscopy observations of the initial growth stages of the first layer of pentacene on a monolayer film of C60 on Ag(111) are presented. Pentacene films nucleate and grow with molecules standing up at the pentacene:C60 interface similar to thin film phases observed on weakly interacting substrates such as SiO2. Unlike reported thin film pentacene phases, those on 1 monolayer C60/Ag(111) exhibit a striated morphology with domains of 4 nm nominal width. This long range pattern of periodic pentacene displacements relative to the substrate is the response to stress induced in the pentacene film by its interaction with the rigid C60 support.