Journal of Physical Chemistry B, Vol.109, No.17, 8513-8518, 2005
Vibronic spectroscopy of single C-60 molecules and monolayers with the STM
A scanning tunneling microscope is used to study the differential conductance (dI/dV) of single C-60 molecules in isolation and in monolayers adsorbed on NiAl(110) and on an ultrathin alumina film grown on the NiAl(110) surface. On the oxide layer, the electronic bands in the dI/dV spectra display a series of equally spaced features, attributed to the vibronic states of the molecules, which are absent when the molecules are adsorbed on the metal. A comparison between the molecular spectra measured on the oxide film reveals the effect of adsorption temperature and geometry, as well as intermolecular interactions on the vibronic features.