Modification of fullerene nanocolumn structure by accelerated C60 ions.

Crystalline C60 and amorphous graphite-like films of nanocolumn arrays fabricated by glancing angle deposition of C60 fullerene at substrate temperatures of -425 K were studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and atomic-force microscopy (AFM). Characteristic dimension of columns is 200-400 nm. We used co-deposition of C60 molecules and accelerated C60 ions to modify the structure and properties of nanocolumn arrays. Influence of incidence angle for C60 ions on formation of film morphology was revealed. Raman spectrum analysis showed that amorphous carbon nanocolumns consist of nanographite areas with average size of -1.5 nm. The films have high conductivity (close to graphite) and have no mechanical stresses. The carbon films were applied in all-solid-state rechargeable thin-film battery as an anode layer. The nanocolumn amorphous carbon film as anode electrode showed the discharge capacity of about 50 microAh cm(-2)microm(-1) and good cycling ability over 100 times in full cell system.

Synthesis, structure and properties of superhard nanostructured films deposited by the C60 ion beam.

In this work, we present results on study of DLC, nanocomposite and nanocrystal nanographite films synthesized utilizing mass-separated beam of C60-ions with energy in range from 2 to 6 keV (energy dispersions approximately 1 keV) and at Ts in the range of RT - 873 K. The dependence of the structure, mechanical and electrical properties from the ion energy and substrate temperature was revealed. We demonstrate a possibility to control the orientation of the base planes in the nanographite grains during the film growth. The dependence of mechanical properties of the films from the orientation of the base planes was defined. It is discussed a mechanisms of oriented growth for nanocrystal graphite. Possible applications of the textured nanocomposite and nanographite films are nanodevices, thin-filmed lithium batteries and field-emitter arrays.

Nanocrystalline diamond thin films deposited from C60 monoenergetic fullerene ion beam.

Carbon films 250 division by 500 nm in thickness deposited on Si wafers from mass-selected flow of accelerated C60 ions with energies of 5.0 +/- 0.1 keV at temperatures of 300 K and 673 K are characterized by TEM and nanoindentation. On the TEM images of the films deposited at 673 K, nanocrystalline graphite with the typical grain size of -6 nm is observed. The films deposited at 300 K are transparent in visible light. TEM study of these films has revealed structural elements with lattice spacing close to that of diamond and the grain size of about 4 nm. Nanohardness and elastic modulus of the films prepared at a substrate temperature of 300 K were 23.1 +/- 0.2 GPa and 200 +/- 1 GPa, respectively. Possible mechanisms of the carbon films structure formation are suggested in the framework of a hydrodynamic shock wave model.