Temperature dependence of the reaction of SiH/sub 2/ with D/sub 2/

A laser flash photolysis/laser absorption technique has been used to generate and monitor SiH/sub 2/ radicals in real time. The authors present preliminary results of a study of the rate of removal of SiH/sub 2/ radicals in the presence of D/sub 2/ in the temperature interval 268-330 K. The removal rate coefficient is found to be temperature independent in this range with a value (1.88 /plus minus/ 0.17) x 10/sup -12/ cm/sup 3/ molecule/sup -1/ s/sup -1/. The implications of this result for the temperature dependence of the reaction of SiH/sub 2/ with H/sub 2/ are discussed.