On the unimolecular decay and mechanism of formation of Sin+ cluster ions

Dependences of the emission and fragmentation of sputtered Si n + clusters with n =1–11 on the oxygen pressure near the surface are studied using secondary-ion mass spectrometry under Xe + -ion bombardment of a silicon surface. It is shown that taking into account the mutual reversibility of reactions of formation and unimolecular decay, the formation of Si n + clusters under ion sputtering can be described within the framework of a mechanism of combinatorial synthesis.