Tetrasilylmethane, C(SiH₃)₄, the Si/C‐Inverse of Tetramethylsilane, Si(CH₃)₄

Abstract

Better precursors are required for plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition of amorphous silicon and silicon carbide in order to prepare solar cells and optoelectronic materials. Silylmethanes, in which the central C atom is bonded exclusively to Si atoms, are particularly promising. Tetrasilylmethane ( 4 ) has now been synthesized from phenylchlorosilane ( 1 ) via intermediates 2 and 3 . SiC bond cleavage in the last step affords, in addition, trisilylmethane. equation image