Thin films of an organic nonlinear optical (NLO) material, N,N-dimethyl-p-(2,2-dicyanovinyl) aniline (DCVA), have been grown in space aboard the USA Space Shuttle Endeavour on STS (Space Transportation System) -59 and STS-69. Similar experiments have been conducted in the laboratory as ground controls and have produced single crystals only. In this paper, preliminary results of the space grown film characterization using the differential scanning calorimetry, differential interference contrast microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, visible reflection spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, second harmonic generation, and stylus profilometry are presented. These techniques have implied that ordered, 3.7 i thick, DCVA films, have been grown on disordered substrates.
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