C-60 submonolayers on the Si(111)-(7 x 7) surface: Does a mixture of physisorbed and chemisorbed states exist?

• We have carried out a combined X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy(UPS), and scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) study of the C-60-Si(1 1 1) interaction where the XPS/UPS spectrometer and STM are integrated on a single UHV system. This enables a direct comparison of the XPS/UPS spectra with the STM data and eliminates any uncertainty in C-60 coverage measurements. X-ray standing wave measurements and density functional theory calculations have been used to support and interpret the results of the XPS/UPS/STM experiments. Our data conclusively rule out models of C-60 adsorption which involve a mixture of physisorbed and chemisorbed molecules [K. Sakamoto, et al., Phys. Rev. B 60 (1999) 2579]. Instead, we find that all molecules, up to 1 monolayer coverage, bond to the surface via Si-C bonds which are predominantly of covalent character. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Scanning tunnelling microscopy

Interface

Silicon

C-60

Adsorption

Publication and Content Type

art (subject category)

ref (subject category)