Carbon Superatom Thin Films

We report on quantum molecular dynamics simulations of ${\mathrm{C}}_{28}$ deposition on a semiconducting surface. Our results show that under certain deposition conditions ${\mathrm{C}}_{28}$'s act as building blocks on a nanometer scale to form a thin film of nearly defect-free molecules. The ${\mathrm{C}}_{28}$'s behave as carbon superatoms, with the majority of them being threefold or fourfold coordinated, similar to carbon atoms in amorphous systems. The microscopic structure of the deposited film supports recent suggestions about the stability of a new form of carbon, the hyperdiamond solid.