Molecular cascade Auger decays following Si KL23L23 Auger transitions in SiCl4

Abstract

Cascade Si LVV Auger electron spectra at the photoexcitation of the Si 1s electron in a SiCl4 molecule have been measured using an electron spectrometer combined with monochromatized undulator radiation. In the instance of the resonant excitation of the Si 1s electron into the vacant molecular orbital a peak with high yield is observed at about 106 eV, an energy considerably higher than the energies of the normal LVV Auger electron. This peak is presumed to originate from the participator decay from the state with two 2p holes and one excited electron into the state with one 2p hole and one valence hole. Following the normal KL23L23 Auger transition, the cascade spectrum shows several peak structures, e.g. 63 eV, 76 eV and 91 eV. The peak at 91 eV is probably assigned to the second step Auger decay into states having a 2p hole together with two valence holes. These findings are similar to experimental results of SiF4. The former two peaks (63 eV and 76 eV) are ascribed to Auger transitions of Si atomic ions produced through molecular ion dissociation after the first step cascade decays, although the peak heights of atomic ions are lower than those of SiF4.