Abstract
Exposed B156 supericosahedra on a YB66(001) surface were found align periodically in a two-dimensional square lattice. On the YB66(001) surface, C60 molecules were deposited at room temperature. The initial stages of C60 thin-film growth on the YB66(001) surface were studied using a scanning tunneling microscope (STM). In the submonolayer regime, the C60 molecule adsorbed strongly on the surface to show the stripe pattern due to the inner molecule C=C bonds. The adsorbed layer had no long-range ordering. The C60 molecules did not favor the on-top site of the B156 supericosahedron. We propose a model that the C60 molecule adsorbs on triangular sites made up of the B12 icosahedra on each B156 supericosahedron on the surface. Due to size frustration, the C60 molecule occupies only one of two equivalent triangular sites. The model explains the characteristics of the adsorption site and the arrangement of the C60 molecules in the submonolayer regime. In the multilayer regime, the dangling bonds of the surface were passivated by the first layer, and overlayer growth was governed by van der Waals interaction between C60 molecules. An island, the top of which showed a hexagonal lattice, grew on the first layer. The hexagonal lattice was rotated by 10° with respect to the underlying square lattice of the YB66(001) surface.
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