Publication

Na-Promoted Oxidation of Si - the Specific Oxidation Mechanism

Giorgio Margaritondo
1994
Journal Articles

Abstract

The dramatic enhancement of the silicon room-temperature oxidation rate by a Na overlayer has been attributed to the spectator catalytic action of the alkali metal. In contrast, we show evidence that Na participates in the oxidation process binding an oxygen atom in a substoichiometric intermediate oxidation state. This causes preferential saturation of the semiconductor dangling bonds on the surface and a subsequent promotion of the oxide growth. We have, in fact, detected the Na 2p photoemission chemical shifts when bonds with an oxygen atom are established in a hybrid configuration.

Official source

https://infoscience.epfl.ch/entities/publication/3fb00a26-f50a-4315-b08c-617aea28a3d4

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Giorgio Margaritondo
1994
Journal Articles

Abstract

Official source

https://infoscience.epfl.ch/entities/publication/3fb00a26-f50a-4315-b08c-617aea28a3d4

About this result

Related concepts (32)

Ethylene oxide

Ethylene oxide is an organic compound with the formula . It is a cyclic ether and the simplest epoxide: a three-membered ring consisting of one oxygen atom and two carbon atoms. Ethylene oxide is a colorless and flammable gas with a faintly sweet odor. Because it is a strained ring, ethylene oxide easily participates in a number of addition reactions that result in ring-opening. Ethylene oxide is isomeric with acetaldehyde and with vinyl alcohol. Ethylene oxide is industrially produced by oxidation of ethylene in the presence of a silver catalyst.

Alkali metal

The alkali metals consist of the chemical elements lithium (Li), sodium (Na), potassium (K), rubidium (Rb), caesium (Cs), and francium (Fr). Together with hydrogen they constitute group 1, which lies in the s-block of the periodic table. All alkali metals have their outermost electron in an s-orbital: this shared electron configuration results in their having very similar characteristic properties. Indeed, the alkali metals provide the best example of group trends in properties in the periodic table, with elements exhibiting well-characterised homologous behaviour.

Oxygen

Oxygen is the chemical element with the symbol O and atomic number 8. It is a member of the chalcogen group in the periodic table, a highly reactive nonmetal, and an oxidizing agent that readily forms oxides with most elements as well as with other compounds. Oxygen is Earth's most abundant element, and after hydrogen and helium, it is the third-most abundant element in the universe. At standard temperature and pressure, two atoms of the element bind to form dioxygen, a colorless and odorless diatomic gas with the formula O2.