Analysis of Fullerite C₆₀ Electron Induced Modification in Terms of Effective Destruction Cross-section

Abstract

Effective cross-sections σ_D(E) of fullerite C₆₀ modification by electrons in the energy range E = 0.25–3000 eV were obtained using electron energy loss spectroscopy. Comparison of σ_D(E) with cross-section σ_F(E), describing fragmentation of individual fullerenes C₆₀ in the gas state and known from literature, revealed several orders of magnitude difference between the absolute values of these cross-sections and the inverse behavior of their energy dependencies. This fact evidences that the mechanism of electron-induced destruction of fullerite C₆₀ drastically differs from the one implied by the model of successive fragmentation of separate fullerenes and that condensed fullerenes C₆₀ are radically more stable than it was considered earlier.

Keywords:

• Fullerene C₆₀ fragmentation
• fullerite C₆₀ modification
• electron nano-lithography
• e-beam resist

Acknowledgments

The research was supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research, Project № 10-07-00508-а.