The vacuum-UV and visible spectroscopy of SiF4 using fluorescence excitation and dispersed emission techniques is reported, The fluorescence excitation spectrum has been recorded following excitation with synchrotron radiation from the BESSY I, Berlin source in the energy range 10-30 eV with an average resolution of similar to 0.05 eV. By comparison with vacuum-UV absorption and electron energy loss spectra, all the peaks in the Rydberg spectra that photodissociate to a fluorescing state of a fragment have been assigned, Dispersed emission spectra have been recorded at the energies of all the peaks in the excitation spectra. Four different decay channels are observed : (a) SiF3 fluorescence in the range 350-650 nm for photon energies around 13.0 eV, (b) SiF2 (a) over tilde(3)B(1)-(X) over tilde(1)A(1) phosphorescence in the range 360-440 nm for photon energies in the range 15.2-18.0 eV, (c) SiF2 (A) over tilde(1)B(1)-(X) over tilde(1)A(1) fluorescence in the range 210-270 nm for photon energies in the range 17.0-20.0 eV, and (d) emission from the (D) over tilde(2)A(1) State of SiF4+ predominantly in the range 280-350 nm for photon energies greater than 21.5 eV. These assignments are confirmed by action spectra in which the excitation energy of the vacuum-UV radiation is scanned with detection at a specific (dispersed) wavelength. Using the single-bunch mode of the synchrotron, lifetimes of all the emitting states have been measured, The lifetimes of the unassigned emitting state in SiF3, the (A) over tilde(1)B(1) stale of SiF2, and the (D) over tilde(2)A(1) State of SiF4+ are 3.9 +/- 0.7, 11.2 +/- 1.5, and 9,16 +/- 0.02 ns, respectively. This is the first measurement of the lifetimes of these excited stares in SiF, and SiF2. The decay from the (a) over tilde(3)B(1) State of SiF2 has a fast component of 2.6 +/- 0.4 ns. We conclude that the lifetime of the (a) over tilde(3)B(1) State of SiF2, is either as low as 2.6 ns or too high (tau>similar to 200 ns) to measure with the timing profile of the single-bunch made of BESSY 1. If the latter interpretation is correct, as seems likely for st spin-forbidden phosphorescence to the (1)A(1) ground stale, the 2.6 ns component could be the lifetime of intersystem crossing from higher vibrational levels of the (a) over tilde(3)B(1) state of SiF2 into its ground state.