Silicon (Si) X-ray absorption edges

The Si $K$ edge is at 1,839 $eV$ . The tables list 7 absorption edges for silicon; $K$ and $L_{1}$ lie between 100 $eV$ and 100 $keV$ , the range the lab can scan.

Atomic number: $Z = 14$
Molar mass: 28.085 $g / mol$
Edges in the lab range: 2 of 7

Open silicon in the lab

Both load silicon as a pure sample with the formula $Si$ . Density is retained from your current settings because these X-ray tables have no density. Enter your sample's density on the Sample page before planning a thickness. To scan another edge, use the links in the table below.

Absorption edges of silicon

Energies, jump ratios and fluorescence yields as tabulated by Elam, Ravel and Sieber (2002). Scroll within the table to see every column.
Edge	Energy ( $eV$ )	Jump ratio	Fluorescence yield	In the lab
$K$	1,839	10.37	0.042911	ScanSoft X-ray
$L_{1}$	149.7	1.09471	0.00003	ScanSoft X-ray
$L_{2}$	99.8	1	0.00037	Outside range
$L_{3}$	99.2	1	0.00038	Outside range
$M_{1}$	8	1	0.00000588	Outside range
$M_{2}$	2	1	0	Outside range
$M_{3}$	2	1	0	Outside range

Jump ratio is the photoabsorption just above the edge divided by the photoabsorption just below it. Fluorescence yield is the probability that a core hole in that shell decays by emitting an X-ray. Both are dimensionless. The lab can scan across edges strictly between 100 $eV$ and 100 $keV$ ; other edges are listed for reference. A listed edge with jump ratio 1 has no step for thickness planning.

Transmission, fluorescence or electron yield

$K$ and $L_{1}$ are soft X-ray edges in the lab's classification (below 2 $keV$ ). Transmission generally needs thin films or membranes, so the planner suggests fluorescence or electron yield. The fluorescence yield at $K$ and $L_{1}$ is below 0.05, where the lab suggests considering total electron yield.

These are planning rules of thumb. Sample thickness, self-absorption and the beamline's energy range and detectors still matter. The lab simulates transmission; it does not simulate fluorescence or electron-yield detector counts.

Sample presets containing silicon

Quartz $Si O_{2}$ , 2.65 $g / cm^{3}$ , opens at the Si $K$ edge

These links load the preset's density and select silicon as the absorber. Check the density source on the Sample page and adjust it for your sample.

Values from XrayDB 9.2 (Elam, Ravel and Sieber, 2002), released into the public domain. These isolated-atom tables do not include chemical shifts, XANES or EXAFS fine structure. Methods and data sources