Electron impact ionization cross-sections of plasma relevant and astrophysical silicon compounds: SiH4, Si2H6, Si(CH3)4, SiO, SiO2, SiN and SiS

Total cross-sections (TCSs) for collisions of electrons having energies from ∼10 to 2000 eV are calculated for atomic silicon and its compounds SiH4, Si2H6, Si(CH3)4, SiO, SiO2, SiN and SiS, important in plasma and astrophysical applications. In each case total inelastic cross-sections are determined in the complex potential formalism and are partitioned into discrete and continuum excitation contributions in order to derive total ionization cross-sections. The present total (complete) cross-sections and total ionization cross-sections are found to be in a good general agreement with the previous data available for Si, SiH4, Si2H6 and Si(CH3)4. This paper also reports the first theoretical ionization cross-sections for new targets SiO, SiO2, SiN, and SiS for which almost no work of this kind has appeared in literature so far.