The kinetics for the desorption of H-2 from silicon are examined. The
hydrogen coverage is generated during silicon epitaxy using SiH4 in a
rapid thermal chemical vapor deposition reactor. The hydrogen coverage
could be ''frozen out'' completely on the surface by the rapid cooldo
wn and pump down of the reactor up to temperatures of about 845 K. The
activation energy for the desorption of hydrogen is 49+/-3 kcal mol(-
1) and the pre-exponential for desorption is 8x10(13+/-1) s(-1). The p
resence of defect sites due to quenching the growth may influence the
subsequent desorption kinetics of H-2.