Desorption of H from Si(111) by Resonant Excitation of the Si-H Vibrational Stretch Mode

Past efforts to achieve selective bond scission by vibrational excitation have been thwarted by energy thermalization. Here we report resonant photodesorption of hydrogen from a Si(111) surface using tunable infrared radiation. The wavelength dependence of the desorption yield peaks at 0.26 electron...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 2006-05, Vol.312 (5776), p.1024-1026
Main Authors: Liu, Zhiheng, Feldman, L. C., Tolk, N. H., Zhang, Zhenyu, Cohen, P. I.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adsorption and desorption kinetics
evaporation and condensation
Chemical reactions
Chemistry
Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties
Desorption
Electric fields
Exact sciences and technology
Fluence
Hydrogen
Infrared radiation
Photons
Physics
Resonance
Room temperature
Silicon
Solid-fluid interfaces
Sorption
Surfaces and interfaces
thin films and whiskers (structure and nonelectronic properties)
Terraces
Vibration mode
Wavelengths
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Summary:Past efforts to achieve selective bond scission by vibrational excitation have been thwarted by energy thermalization. Here we report resonant photodesorption of hydrogen from a Si(111) surface using tunable infrared radiation. The wavelength dependence of the desorption yield peaks at 0.26 electron volt: the energy of the Si-H vibrational stretch mode. The desorption yield is quadratic in the infrared intensity. A strong H/D isotope effect rules out thermal desorption mechanisms, and electronic effects are not applicable in this low-energy regime. A molecular mechanism accounting for the desorption event remains elusive.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.1124529