Organic molecular films on metal and graphene surfaces studied with LEEM

One of the grand goals of materials science is to be able to design, build, and understand functional materials with a precision that is equal to the size of the smallest possible entity, i.e. the size of an atom. This atomic‐scale engineering of materials is a difficult, if not impossible, feat to achieve in three dimensions. In two dimensions, it is already challenging enough. The large‐scale, controlled positioning, application, and patterning of individual atoms and molecules on a substrate remains an elusive goal to this day Several techniques exist, but each has its drawbacks with respect to homogeneity of the fabricated structures, the defect density, or other relevant properties. In this work, we explore a novel approach to the functionalization of substrates. The noncovalent patterning and functionalization of substrates is investigated to establish its effectiveness for future applications. The aim of our work is to directly image the formation of the patterns, and to expose and quantify the relevant thermodynamic growth parameters. Features that are relevant to the positioning of the self‐assembling entities can also be identified through this approach. In the formation of the final patterns, we aim to exploit long‐range interactions that are normally present in self‐assembling systems.