Adsorption and transformation of C60 molecules at the (100) Si surface

The adsorption of C60 molecules, the initial stages of the growth of the films composed of these molecules, and the transformation of C60 films at the (100) Si surface in the temperature range of 300–1400 K were studied under ultrahigh-vacuum conditions. It is shown that the C60 molecules retain their structure in the adsorbed state at temperatures as high as 700 K and these molecules decompose gradually at higher temperatures. The carbon atoms released at ∼1300 K “forget” completely about their origin and form silicon carbide, which grows and threads into the bulk of the sample. At room temperature, the fullerite film grows according to a mechanism similar to that suggested by Stranski and Krastanov and is accompanied by the formation of crystallites over the monolayer coating. The crystallites occupy 50–60% of the surface area, which depends only slightly on the deposition time.