A study of the threshold photoelectron spectra and the photoionisation yield curves of the silicon tetrahalides

Exploiting the Correlation between the 1s, 2s, and 2p Energies for the Prediction of Core-Level Binding Energies of Si, P, S, and Cl species

The binding energies (BEs) of the 1s, 2s, and 2p core electrons of third-period elements (Si, P, S, Cl) were calculated using Hartree-Fock (HF) and B3LYP, BH&HLYP, and LC-BOP ΔSCF, and the shifted KS ΔSCF methods. Linear relationships between two BEs were derived and compared with the Auger parameter. The derived lines are essentially parallel, with only the intercepts differing. The difference in intercepts is due to the lack of electron correlation effects in HF and the self-interaction errors (SIEs) of the functional. The slope is the slope of the linear relationship between the chemical shifts. The straight lines between the 2s and 2p BEs also coincided with the Auger parameter lines, which have a slope of 1 by definition and an intercept being the difference between the 2s and 2p BEs. The shifted KS ΔSCF scheme compensates for SIEs, yielding equations that are approximately invariant. The calculated average gaps for the 2s and 2p BEs are 51.21 eV for Si, 57.48 eV for P, 63.85 eV for S, and 70.48 eV for Cl. The straight lines representing the relationships between the BEs of the 1s and 2s and 1s and 2p electrons are also parallel to each other in ΔSCF and converge into a single line in the shifted ΔSCF scheme. However, these lines are steeper than the Auger parameter line. The derived relationships can be used to predict unknown BEs, which we have applied to many molecules. The results are highly accurate, with mean absolute errors (MAEs) of less than 0.2 eV compared to experimental values.

Experimental scaling of plane-Born cross sections and ab initio assignments for electron-impact excitation and dissociation of XF4 (X = C, Si, and Ge) molecules

Electron energy loss spectra of carbon tetrafluoride, silicon tetrafluoride, and germanium tetrafluoride molecules (CF₄, SiF₄, and GeF₄) have been measured for incident electron energies of 50-360 eV at 1.5°-15.5° and for 30 eV and 30° scattering angle, while sweeping the energy loss over the range 9.0-20.0 eV. Low-lying valence excited triplet and singlet states are investigated by quantum chemical ab initio calculations. The Rydberg series converging to the (lowest) ionisation energy limits of XF₄ (X = C, Si, Ge) are also identified and classified using the systematic behaviour according to the magnitude of the quantum defects. A generalized oscillator strength analysis is employed to derive oscillator strength f₀ value and the apparent Born integral cross sections from the corresponding differential cross sections by using the Vriens formula for the optically allowed transitions. The f₀ value is compared with the optical oscillator strength of the photoabsorption, pseudo-photon measurements, and theoretical values. The binary-encounter and f-scaled Born cross sections of the most intense optically allowed transitions have been also derived from the excitation threshold to the high energy region where the Born approximation is valid. Potential energy curves were obtained along the XF₃ + F coordinate with two different basis sets to lend support on electron impact dissociation processes yielding radical formation. We found that in CF₄, the lowest-lying dissociative character is due to intramolecular conversion from Rydberg 3s to valence character (σ*(C-F)), whereas in SiF₄ and GeF₄, an antibonding behaviour prevails.

K- and L-edge X-ray absorption spectrum calculations of closed-shell carbon, silicon, germanium, and sulfur compounds using damped four-component density functional response theory

X-ray absorption spectra of carbon, silicon, germanium, and sulfur compounds have been investigated by means of damped four-component density functional response theory. It is demonstrated that a reliable description of relativistic effects is obtained at both K- and L-edges. Notably, an excellent agreement with experimental results is obtained for L2,3-spectra-with spin-orbit effects well accounted for-also in cases when the experimental intensity ratio deviates from the statistical one of 2 : 1. The theoretical results are consistent with calculations using standard response theory as well as recently reported real-time propagation methods in time-dependent density functional theory, and the virtues of different approaches are discussed. As compared to silane and silicon tetrachloride, an anomalous error in the absolute energy is reported for the L2,3-spectrum of silicon tetrafluoride, amounting to an additional spectral shift of ∼1 eV. This anomaly is also observed for other exchange-correlation functionals, but it is seen neither at other silicon edges nor at the carbon K-edge of fluorine derivatives of ethene. Considering the series of molecules SiH4-XFX with X = 1, 2, 3, 4, a gradual divergence from interpolated experimental ionization potentials is observed at the level of Kohn-Sham density functional theory (DFT), and to a smaller extent with the use of Hartree-Fock. This anomalous error is thus attributed partly to difficulties in correctly emulating the electronic structure effects imposed by the very electronegative fluorines, and partly due to inconsistencies in the spurious electron self-repulsion in DFT. Substitution with one, or possibly two, fluorine atoms is estimated to yield small enough errors to allow for reliable interpretations and predictions of L2,3-spectra of more complex and extended silicon-based systems.

Methyl t-butyl ether and methyl trimethylsilyl ether ions dissociate near their ionization thresholds: a TPES, TPEPICO, RRKM, and G3 investigation

The threshold photoelectron spectra and threshold photoelectron photoion coincidence (TPEPICO) mass spectra of methyl t-butyl ether, (CH(3))(3)COCH(3) (MTBE), and methyl trimethylsilyl ether, (CH(3))(3)SiOCH(3) (MTMSE), have been measured using synchrotron radiation. The effect of silicon substitution on the unimolecular dissociation processes and the threshold photoelectron spectrum has been investigated. Both molecular ions dissociate at low internal energies. For ionized MTBE, the parent ion is no longer observed at an internal energy of only 0.2 eV. For this reason, it was not possible to fit the TPEPICO data to extract reliable thermochemical information. G3 level calculations place the molecular ion 5 kJ mol(-1) above the lowest-energy dissociation products, (CH(3))(2)COCH(3)(+) + (*)CH(3), suggesting the participation of an isomer, potentially the distonic ion (*)CH(2)(CH(3))(2)CO(+)(H)CH(3), in the dissociation. However, the calculations are not considered accurate enough to reliably determine the role this isomer plays, if any. RRKM modeling of the threshold region of the TPEPICO breakdown curves for ionized MTMSE leads to an E(0) for methyl loss of 63 +/- 2 kJ mol(-1), in good agreement with the G3 value of 66 kJ mol(-1). The resulting Delta(f)H(0) for (CH(3))(2)SiOCH(3)(+) of 384 +/- 10 kJ mol(-1) (Delta(f)H(298) = 361 +/- 10 kJ mol(-1)) is 28 kJ mol(-1) lower than the G3 value of 412 kJ mol(-1) due to the G3 Delta(f)H(0) for neutral MTMSE being 16 kJ mol(-1) higher than the previously reported value and the fact that the experimental IE(a) is 6 kJ mol(-1) lower than the G3 estimate. Appearance energy values for higher-energy fragmentation channels up to 36 (for MTBE) and 32 eV (for MTMSE) are reported and compared to literature values. An investigation of fragment ion peak broadening at high internal energy indicated that the two doubly charged molecular ions are not stable on the microsecond time scale. Each was found to dissociate into two singly charged ions along one or more neutral species.

Quasibound continuum states in SiF4 (D̃A12) photoionization: Photoelectron-vibrational coupling

The authors report a fully vibrationally resolved photoelectron spectroscopy investigation of a nonplanar molecule studied over a range of excitation energies. Experimental results for all four fundamental vibrational modes are presented. In each case significant non-Franck-Condon effects are seen. The vibrational branching ratio for the totally symmetric mode nu1+ is found to be strongly affected by resonant excitation in the SiF4+ (D2A1) photoionization channel. This is shown to be the result of two distinct shape resonances, which for the first time have been both confirmed by theoretical calculations. Vibrationally resolved Schwinger photoionization calculations are used to understand the vibronic coupling for the photoelectrons, both using ab initio and harmonic vibrational wave functions.

Low-energy electron stimulated desorption of neutrals from multilayers of SiCl4 on Si(111)

The interaction of low-energy electrons with multilayers of SiCl(4) adsorbed on Si(111) leads to production and desorption of Cl((2)P(32)), Cl((2)P(12)), Si, and SiCl. Resonant structure in the yield versus incident electron energy (E(i)) between 6 and 12 eV was seen in all neutral channels and assigned to dissociative electron attachment (DEA), unimolecular decay of excited products produced via autodetachment and direct dissociation. These processes yield Cl((2)P(32)) and Cl((2)P(12)) with nonthermal kinetic energies of 425 and 608 meV, respectively. The Cl((2)P(12)) is produced solely at the vacuum surface interface, whereas the formation of Cl((2)P(32)) likely involves subsurface dissociation, off-normal trajectories, and collisions with neighbors. Structure in the Cl((2)P(32)) yield near 14 and 25 eV can originate from excitation of electrons in the 2e, 7t(2) and 6t(2), 6a(1) levels, respectively. Although the 14 eV feature was not present in the Cl((2)P(12)) yield, the broad 25 eV feature, which involves complex Auger filling of holes in the 6t(2) and 6a(1) levels of SiCl(4), is observed. Direct ionization, exciton decay, and DEA from secondary electron scattering all occur at E(i)>14 eV. Si and SiCl were detected via nonresonant ionization of SiCl(x) precursors that are produced via the same states and mechanisms that yield Cl. The Si retains the kinetic energy profile of the desorbed precursors.