In this study Cu-phthalocyanine (CuPc) films have been investigated by scanning tunneling microscopy to get quantitative insight into the morphology of the films from the micrometer range down to nanometer resolution to see the arrangement of the molecules. The molecules on the surface have been found to be arranged in a slipped stacking order rather than in the expected zig-zag orientation normally found for CuPc crystals. The cystal structure could be identified to be an a-polymorph. The STM image of the individual molecules on the surface is in good agreement with calculations of the charge density of the LUMO for an isolated molecule. A model for the growth of the crystals was derived from this study. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.