Deposition and structural characterization of high quality textured C₆₀ thin films

We present some features of the growth of C₆₀ thin films on different substrates at temperatures up to 573 K. The crystalline structure of the films was studied by X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy and scanning tunneling microscopy. An effect of selective C₆₀ deposition on an Ag/glass substrate held at 523-573 K is demonstrated. C₆₀ was found to be deposited only on the glass part of the substrate but not on the part of the same substrate which had been predeposited with an Ag or Au layer. The potential use of such selective deposition for micro- and nanoscopic C₆₀ pattering and fabrication of C₆₀-based devices is suggested. We report, for the first time, on the possibility of extremely rapid (10-20 angstrom/s) growth of high quality 〈111〉-textured C₆₀ films onto Ag and Au substrates held at 523-573 K using a simple vacuum deposition technique. Temperature-resolved XRD experiments revealed that textured C₆₀ films undergo a first order phase transition at 250 K.