The effects of solvent vapor annealing to the crystalline structure of perylene diimide derivative aggregates on PMMA films

Thin and uniform PMMA films were created using spin coating and then subjected to solvent vapor annealing (SVA) in order to further improve the uniformity of the coatings. After a reliably successful method was found, Perylene Diimide (PDI)-C3 solution was drop cast on the layer of PMMA and the entire sample was treated using SVA, with the goal being to align the PDI-C3 aggregates. In order to measure the uniformity of the PMMA films, ellipsometry data were taken across the surface of the samples before and after SVA. The ordered aggregates were then characterized by image analysis with a polarized light microscope and photoluminescence spectra.