Characterization of deposits produced by TEA CO2 pulsed laser ablation of silicon mono- and dioxide

Silicon based deposits were prepared by TEA CO2 pulsed laser ablation (PLA) of SiO and SiO2 targets in the atmosphere of selected gases (N2, He, Ne, Ar, Kr). These deposits possess high specific area of several hundreds m2 per gram. Owing to the high specific area, some chemical groups and hydrogen related radical were detected by means of FTIR and EPR analyses and theoretical calculations: silyl (E′ center) Si, silylen Si:, silanon SiO, POL (peroxy linkage) SiOOSi and/or NBOHC (non-bridging oxygen hole center) SiO, POR (peroxy radical) SiOO and dioxysilirane Si(O)2. In SiO2 deposits the concentration of silyl Si resp. POR SiOO was determined to be 5.8 × 1018/g resp. 6.2 × 1019/g. In SiO deposits the ratio [Si:]:[Si] = (3.1-5.7) × 1019/g: (5.3-9.8) × 1019/g was measured. Estimated concentration of [Si] in deposits was increased nearly five times in comparison with SiO target. After exposure of the SiO deposits to H2 EPR doublet with hyperfine splitting of 7.7 mT was observed. The best agreement between calculated theoretical and experimental values was found for the model [(HO)3SiO]2HSi. FTIR measurements and calculations of the silanol theoretical model clusters enabled us to discuss the chemical surroundings of the silanol and to determine the defects in the deposits.