NANOSCALE MANIPULATION OF C-60 WITH A SCANNING TUNNELING MICROSCOPE

Scanning tunneling microscope has been employed for nanoscale manipulation of C60 molecules on Si(111) clean surfaces at room temperature. It was demonstrated that C60 molecules were positioned by moving individual C60 molecules with a STM tip. There exists threshold height between the tip and the Si surface for moving the molecules. The difference in the threshold height between tungsten tip and platinum-iridium alloy tip was estimated to be 0.16 nm from planar electrode model. The mechanism of moving C60 molecules with STM tip can be explained by atomic forces between tip and molecule.