Process for production of ultrathin protective overcoats

A process of forming a coating on a substrate, the process comprising steps of:

• a) forming a coating on the substrate comprising a plurality of layers of fullerene molecules;
• b) adjusting a beam generator to produce a beam arranged to break the fullerene-to-fullerene intermolecular bond of the coating and inadequate to break the fullerene-to-substrate association/bond of the coating;
• and
• c) directing the beam at the coating to break the fullerene-to-fullerene intermolecular bond while maintaining a temperature of the substrate at no more than about 200 degrees C., leaving an approximate monolayer coating of fullerene molecules on the substrate.

A process of forming a coating on a substrate, the process consisting essentially of the steps of:

• a) forming a coating on the substrate comprising a plurality of layers of fullerene molecules;
• b) applying a solvent to the coating at no more than about 200 degrees C. for a period of time adequate to break the fullerene-to-fullerene intermolecular bond of the coating and inadequate to break the fullerene-to-substrate association/bond of the coating to thereby remove the fullerene molecules from the coating that are not bonded to the substrate;
• and
• c) removing the solvent leaving an approximate monolayer coating of fullerene molecules on the substrate.