Binary cluster ions with compositions of silicon and another nonmetal element such as carbon, phosphorus, sulfur or oxygen were produced from laser ablation of appropriate samples. Their time-of- flight mass spectra were recorded and analyzed. The geometries of the cluster ions were found to be varied with the composition of the nonmetal elements but all valent electrons were found to be involved in the bonding so that there is no dangling bond in the species.

Key words: SULFUR, OXYGEN, SILICON, PHOSPHORUS, CARBON, LASER, TIME-OFF FLIGHT MASS SPECTROMETRY