Atomic-Scale Mechanical Properties of Orientated C60 Molecules Revealed by Noncontact Atomic Force Microscopy

In this work, the mechanical properties of C-60 molecules adsorbed on Cu(111) are measured by tuning-fork-based noncontact atomic force microscopy (nc-AFM) and spectroscopy at cryogenic conditions. Site-specific tip-sample force variations are detected above the buckyball structure. Moreover, high-resolution Images obtained by nc-AFM show the chemical structure of this. molecule and describes unambiguously its orientations on the surface.