University of Chemistry and Technology researchers measure silane cation splitting time

An international research team, including Vít Svoboda from the Institute of Physical Chemistry at the University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague, has successfully measured the splitting time of a silane cation following photoionization.

Using ultra-short X-ray pulses of less than one femtosecond, the researchers observed the time-resolved progress of Jahn-Teller splitting. The study, published in Nature Communications, utilized advanced theoretical molecular dynamics calculations to interpret 3D absorption spectra. The findings reveal two distinct reaction pathways: a dissociation into SiH3+ occurring in 23 femtoseconds, and a stochastic decay into SiH2+ and H2 that occurs 11 femtoseconds later.

Understanding these ultra-fast processes is critical for industrial applications, such as the production of high-purity silicon layers used in modern transistors and photovoltaic cells.