Adsorption, desorption, contact and thermal transformation of a molecular C60 at Ta (100)

Adsorption, desorption, initial film growth, contact and thermal transformation of molecular C60 at Ta(100) substrate are studied at 300-2000 K in ultra high vacuum. It is shown that C60 molecules from the first adsorbed layer undergo the essential transformation even at room temperature, producing a noncompact monolayer. The following growth takes place in the Stravinsky-Krastanov mode with compact fullerite islands. Ranges of the thermal stability for fullerite film on Ta(100) are found. It is shown that the film is decomposed at 850-900 K mainly not due to thermal desorption, but owing to the molecular break up induced by the catalytically active surface