Interaction of yttrium atoms with a C-60 fullerite film

Using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) observation, interaction of yttrium (Y) atoms with the C-60 fullerite films has been studied. It has been found that adsorbed Y atoms avoid clustering and are incorporated in the C-60 film as individual atoms occupying the octahedral voids of the fullerite crystal. As a result of a charge transfer from the Y atom, the three neighboring surface fullerenes look more bright in the filled-state STM images. Yttrium atoms are tightly bound in their sites and neither move laterally nor float to the film surface upon subsequent overgrowth of C-60 layers.