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The use of low-energy electrons to enhance the rate of the reaction between H2 and Si to produce SiHx has been investigated. Etching was accomplished by steady-state application of H2 and electrons, with quadrupole mass spectrometer (QMS) detection of etch products. After etching, low-energy electron diffraction (LEED) was used to check for surface damage. Ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy and thermally stimulated desorption were used to determine the surface composition after etching. Experiments of this type have been conducted with electron energies from 200–1000 eV, hydrogen flux held constant, and the sample at room temperature. All have shown qualitatively similar results: the QMS detected species do not represent the fragmentation pattern of SiH4, the thermodynamically predicted product, and LEED shows that the surface has not been damaged.

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