Films of the fluorescently labeled phospholipid molecule DPPE-NBD (dipalmitoylphosphatidylethanolamine-nitrobenzoxadiazole) have been deposited and characterized by FTIR spectroscopy, ellipsometry, and low-angle X-ray diffraction. A combination of these techniques is required to give a reliable picture of the molecular structure of the film since there are a number of possible conformations which could account for the measured d spacing. We have used FTIR spectroscopy to distinguish these different conformations and have shown that the data are consistent with an angle of approximately 150-degrees between the head group and the hydrocarbon tail. The P=O bonds of the head group are parallel to the surface, and the benzene ring is arranged in a perpendicular manner. The molecular arrangement implied by our measurements is consistent with data derived from isotherms and from molecular modeling.