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.