Crystal growth of rubrene in ionic liquids by vacuum vapor deposition

The crystal growth and unique morphological changes of organic semiconductor rubrene, fabricated by ionic liquid (IL)-assisted vacuum vapor deposition, were investigated. The texture and structure of rubrene films strongly depended on the thickness of IL films on substrates, namely, three-dimensional dendrites in 3D-ILs, two-dimensional microfibrils in 2D-ILs, and two-dimensional spherulites in 0D-ILs. The growth of two-dimensional spherulites would be promoted by the supersaturation of ILs, minutely controlling the rate and total amount of rubrene deposition. The growth mechanisms of rubrene fabricated by IL-assisted vacuum vapor deposition were different from that of the conventional one in terms of the nucleation and growth modes.