Solid-Phase Interaction in Fullerite-Bismuth Films in the Process of Thermal Annealing

The changes in the structure, surface roughness, and phase composition of thin fullerite-bismuth films deposited onto substrates from oxidized single-crystal silicon under thermal action in vacuum are studied by means of atomic-force microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis. It is established that as-deposited bismuth films have a polycrystalline structure in the form of thin plates with an average arithmetic surface roughness of 13.72 nm. The thermal annealing of films at 490 K results in fractional recrystallization of the films and a decrease in the average arithmetic roughness to 12.74 nm. After thermal action at 540 K, the average arithmetic roughness of the films is 10.32 nm, the crystallites take the form of globules with an average size of 100 nm, new X-ray reflections appear on the X-ray patterns that indicate the formation of bismuth fulleride.