ELECTRON TRANSMISSION THROUGH THIN ORGANIZED ORGANIC FILMS

The interaction between electrons and organized organic thin films was investigated by measuring the energy distribution of photoelectrons i njected from a thin sliver film coated with thin organic layers. Elect rons with energy above similar to 0.8 eV were transmitted ballisticall y through an organic layer that contains up to five monolayers, each s imilar to 2 nm thick. Elastic scattering processes contribute signific antly to the electron energy distribution only for thicker layers. The transmission of low-energy electrons is controlled mainly by an elect rostatic barrier perpendicular to the surface. A signature of a band s tructure in the organic layer was observed when the electrons were tra nsmitted through 13 layers. (C) 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.