An X-ray structural study of thermally evaporated metal-free phthalocyanine thin films with various film thicknesses was performed. All samples studied had polycrystalline structure and the unit cell was found to be of the alpha-form. Variation of the deposition rate from 0.5 to 1 nm s(-1) had little effect on the structure. The films exhibit preferential orientation at low thickness; however, at higher thickness they become less orientated as additional peaks appear in the spectrum. The increase in the intensity of the first significant low angle peak with increasing thickness is attributed to the increased volume of the crystal probed during the X-ray exposure. The current density-voltage (J-V) characteristics of alpha-H2Pc films sandwiched between two aluminum electrodes showed ohmic behavior at low voltages and space-charge-limited conduction (SCLC) at higher voltages. For comparison, similar measurements of the current density as a function of voltage were performed on zinc phthalocyanine, ZnPc, thin films using aluminum electrodes, The J-V characteristics showed ohmic behavior at low voltages followed by SCLC dominated by an exponential trap distribution at higher voltages. Consequently, in both H,Pc and ZnPc films, aluminum electrodes act as if they are ohmic contacts. The implied provision of ohmic contacts using aluminum in this case is attributed to the formation of a thin Al2O3 layer during the deposition process. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.