Electron attachment to SF{sub 4}, SF{sub 6}; PF{sub 3}, and PF {sub 5}

Journal Article · Sat May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1993 · Bulletin of the American Physical Society

OSTI ID:281238

Miller, T M; Stevens Miller, A E; Paulson, J F

Intriguing comparisons may be drawn between SF{sub 4} and SF{sub 6} in their interactions with photons, electrons, ions, and molecules. We have found that the temperature dependence of the rate coefficient for electron attachment to SF{sub 4} closely parallels that for attachment to SF{sub 6} over the temperature range of 300-550 K, but the attachment process is less efficient for SF{sub 4} by approximately a factor of 10. Both reactions are dominated by non-dissociative attachment in this temperature range; we find an activation energy of 0.42 eV for the production of SF{sub 5}{sup -} from attachment to SF{sub 6}. Equally interesting is a comparison between PF{sub 3} and PF{sub 5}. PF{sub 3} apparently does not attach electrons (and PF{sub 3}{sup -} has never been observed), while PF{sub 5} is found to undergo non-dissociative electron attachment at a rate 700 times slower than for SF{sub 6}. Attachment rate coefficients for SF{sub 4}, SF{sub 6}, and PF{sub 5} are nearly independent of temperature in the range studied. A flowing-afterglow Langmuir-probe apparatus was used in this work.

• OSTI ID: 281238
• Report Number(s): CONF-9305421--
• Journal Information: Bulletin of the American Physical Society, Journal Name: Bulletin of the American Physical Society Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 38; ISSN BAPSA6; ISSN 0003-0503
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

66 PHYSICS
ELECTRON ATTACHMENT
ELECTRON-MOLECULE COLLISIONS
PHOSPHORUS FLUORIDES
SULFUR FLUORIDES
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE