title: High-pressure synthesis, amorphization, and decomposition of silane.
abstract: By compressing elemental silicon and hydrogen in a diamond anvil cell, we have synthesized polymeric silicon tetrahydride (SiH(4)) at 124 GPa and 300 K. In situ synchrotron x-ray diffraction reveals that the compound forms the insulating I4(1)/a structure previously proposed from ab initio calculations for the high-pressure phase of silane. From a series of high-pressure experiments at room and low temperature on silane itself, we find that its tetrahedral molecules break up, while silane undergoes pressure-induced amorphization at pressures above 60 GPa, recrystallizing at 90 GPa into the polymeric crystal structures.
authors.affiliation: European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Grenoble, France.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hanfland
authors.forename: John E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Proctor
authors.forename: Christophe L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Guillaume
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Degtyareva
authors.forename: Eugene
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gregoryanz