HARD AMORPHOUS-CARBON COATINGS ON SOFT EPITAXIAL FULLERITE FILMS BY FULLERENE BEAM DEPOSITION

The technique of energetic cluster impact is used to coat epitaxial fu llerite films with amorphous carbon. The energetic all-carbon beam whi ch forms the amorphous carbon is achieved by evaporating, ionizing, an d accelerating fullerene powder. Diffraction patterns obtained with a transmission electron microscope show that the lattice structure of th e coated fullerite film and its epitaxial relationship to the substrat e are maintained during the coating process. Raman spectra give very s trong evidence that diffusion of oxygen into the fullerite film is pro hibited by the coating.