Adsorption and desorption of fullerene on graphene/SiC(0001)

Adsorption and desorption of fullerene on a single layer of graphene grown on SiC(0001) were investigated by photoemission spectroscopy (PES). No significant change in the band structure of graphene was observed after fullerene deposition on the graphene layer under vacuum conditions, and subsequent exposure to the air. After annealing the fullerene layer at 275 °C in a vacuum, complete desorption of fullerene was observed without any resulting damage to the graphene structure. The desorption temperature of fullerene was significantly higher than that of pentacene, indicating that fullerene layers show higher stability than pentacene as protection layers of graphene-based devices.