Electron-impact ionization cross-sections of silane

Area of Science:

• Atomic and Molecular Physics
• Plasma Science
• Chemical Physics

Background:

• Silane (SiH4) is a crucial molecule in semiconductor manufacturing and plasma processing.
• Understanding electron-impact ionization is vital for modeling plasma environments containing silane.

Purpose of the Study:

• To calculate the total ionization cross-sections of silane molecules due to electron impact.
• To investigate single ionization events and identify resulting fragment ions.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the theoretical model developed by Jain and Khare.
• Calculated electron-impact ionization cross-sections (EIICS) from the ionization threshold up to 1400 eV.
• Identified and quantified cross-sections for six product ions: SiH3(+), SiH2(+), SiH(+), Si(+), H2(+), and H(+).

Main Results:

• Presented EIICS for silane for all six observed fragment ions.
• The calculated cross-sections cover the energy range from the ionization threshold to 1400 eV.
• Demonstrated good agreement between the predicted EIICS and previously reported theoretical and experimental data.

Conclusions:

• The Jain and Khare model provides accurate predictions for silane electron-impact ionization.
• The study contributes valuable data for understanding silane behavior in various applications.
• Confirms the validity of the theoretical approach for calculating ionization cross-sections of small molecules.