Interaction of Gas-phase Atomic Hydrogen with Chemisorbed Oxygen Atoms on a Silicon Surface

Abstract

The reaction of gas-phase atomic hydrogen with oxygen atoms chemisorbed on a silicon surface is studied by use of the classical trajectory approach. We have calculated the probability of the OH formation and energy deposit of the reaction exothermicity in the newly formed OH in the gas-surface reaction H(g) + O(ad)/Si → OH(g) + Si. All reactive events occur in a single impact collision on a subpicosecond scale, following the EleyRideal mechanism. These events occur in a localized region around the adatom site on the surface. The reaction probability is dependent upon the gas temperature and shows the maximum near 1000 K, but it is essentially independent of the surface temperature. The reaction probability is also independent upon the initial excitation of the O-Si vibration. The reaction energy available for the product state is carried away by the desorbing OH in its translational and vibrational motions. When the initial excitation of the O-Si vibration increases, translational and vibrational energies of OH rise accordingly, while the energy shared by rotational motion varies only slightly. Flow of energy between the reaction zone and the solid has been incorporated in trajectory calculations, but the amount of energy propagated into the solid is only a few percent of the available energy released in the OH formation.