Abstract

Based on its importance in the thermal and photochemical decomposition of silane, the reactive species silyene (SiH₂) has been postulated as a potentially important intermediate in the glow discharge deposition of amorphous hydrogenated silicon.^1,2 Using the novel technique of frequency modulation (FM) absorption spectroscopy,³ we have unambiguously detected SiH₂ in dc glow discharges using its known electronic absorption spectrum.⁴ In all, 99 single rotational lines of the 2-0 and 1-0 vibronic bands have been assigned with a rms deviation of 0.03 cm⁻¹ from the known⁴ line positions. Figure 1 shows a 1-cm⁻¹ scan through two lines belonging to a K-doublet of the 2-0 band.

© 1984 Optical Society of America