Design of a physical vapor transport cell for time controlled deposition of nucleation phase organic thin films.

A portable high vacuum chamber has been designed to implement a solenoid operated shutter used as a substrate cache during short duration deposition of organic thin films via the physical vapor transport (PVT) method. This PVT cell was designed for the study of gravity effects on nucleation phase organic thin films obtained in laboratory unit g conditions and especially low g conditions found onboard parabolic flights. The design challenges met were, notably, the timely control of deposition on the substrate during parabolas and maintenance of the experimental cell pressure during operation of the shutter. Nucleation phase thin films of the organic hole transporting semiconductor N,N' -bis(3-methylphenyl)-N,N' -bis(phenyl)benzidine (TPD), obtained with the use of the PVT cells, show that the moving shutter has an effect on the convective PVT gas flow; however, as convection is reduced, this effect is observed to be equally reduced.