The Adsorption and Thermal Decomposition of Trimethylamine Alane on Aluminum and Silicon Single Crystal Surfaces: Kinetic and Mechanistic Studies.

The mechanism and kinetics of the thermal decomposition of trimethylamine alane (TMAA) on aluminum and silicon single crystal surfaces in ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) are reported. The products obtained are elementally pure aluminum thin films and gas phase hydrogen and trimethylamine. On an Al(100) substrate epitaxial growth is observed. On Si(111), polycrystalline growth is noted although LEED studies suggest the initial growth is heavily (111) textured.