Modelling electrochemical current and potential oscillations at the Si electrode

Voltage- and Metal-assisted Chemical Etching of Micro and Nano Structures in Silicon: A Comprehensive Review

Sculpting silicon at the micro and nano scales has been game-changing to mold bulk silicon properties and expand, in turn, applications of silicon beyond electronics, namely, in photonics, sensing, medicine, and mechanics, to cite a few. Voltage- and metal-assisted chemical etching (ECE and MaCE, respectively) of silicon in acidic electrolytes have emerged over other micro and nanostructuring technologies thanks to their unique etching features. ECE and MaCE have enabled the fabrication of novel structures and devices not achievable otherwise, complementing those feasible with the deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) technology, the gold standard in silicon machining. Here, a comprehensive review of ECE and MaCE for silicon micro and nano machining is provided. The chemistry and physics ruling the dissolution of silicon are dissected and similarities and differences between ECE and MaCE are discussed showing that they are the two sides of the same coin. The processes governing the anisotropic etching of designed silicon micro and nanostructures are analyzed, and the modulation of etching profile over depth is discussed. The preparation of micro- and nanostructures with tailored optical, mechanical, and thermo(electrical) properties is then addressed, and their applications in photonics, (bio)sensing, (nano)medicine, and micromechanical systems are surveyed. Eventually, ECE and MaCE are benchmarked against DRIE, and future perspectives are highlighted.

On the origin of damped electrochemical oscillations at silicon anodes (revisited)

Electrochemical oscillations accompanying the formation of anodic silica have been shown in the past to be correlated with rather abrupt changes in the mechanical stress state of the silica film, commonly associated with some kind of fracture or porosification of the oxide. To advance the understanding on the origin of such oscillations in fluoride-free electrolytes, we have revisited a seminal experiment reported by Lehmann almost two decades ago. We thereby demonstrate that the oscillations are not stress-induced, and do not originate from a morphological transformation of the oxide in the course of anodisation. Alternatively, the mechanical features accompanying the oscillations can be explained by a partial relaxation of the field-induced electrostrictive stress. Furthermore, our observations suggest that the oscillation mechanism more likely results from a periodic depolarisation of the anodic silica.

Electrochemical engineering of hollow nanoarchitectures: pulse/step anodization (Si, Al, Ti) and their applications

Hollow nanoarchitectured materials with straight channels play a crucial role in the fields of renewable energy, environment and biotechnology due to their one-dimensional morphology and extraordinary properties. The current challenge is the difficulty on tailoring hollow nanoarchitectures with well-controlled morphology at a relatively low cost. As a conventional technique, electrochemistry exhibits its unique advantage on machining nanostructures. In this review, we present the progress of electrochemistry as a valuable tool in construction of novel hollow nanoarchitectures through pulse/step anodization, such as surface pre-texturing, modulated, branched and multilayered pore architectures, and free-standing membranes. Basic principles for electrochemical engineering of mono- or multi-ordered nanostructures as well as free-standing membranes are extracted from specific examples (i.e. porous silicon, aluminum and titanium oxide). The potential of such nanoarchitectures are further demonstrated for the applications of photovoltaics, water splitting, organic degradation, nanostructure templates, biosensors and drug release. The electrochemical techniques provide a powerful approach to produce nanostructures with morphological complexity, which could have far-reaching implications in the design of future nanoscale systems.

Electrochemically Formed Porous Silica

Controlled electrochemical formation of porous silica can be realized in dilute aqueous, neutral-pH, fluoride medium. Formation of a porous film is initiated by sweeping the potential applied to silicon to values higher than 20 V. Film formation, reaching a steady state, may be pursued in a wide range of potentials, including lower potentials. The origin of a threshold potential for porous film initiation has been explained quantitatively. All of the films appear mesoporous. Films grown at high potentials exhibit a variety of macrostructures superimposed on the mesoporosity. These macrostructures result from selective dissolution of silica induced by local pH lowering due to oxygen evolution. Films grown at potentials lower than 15 V appear uniform on the micrometer scale. However, all of the films also exhibit a stratified structure on the scale of a few tens of nanometres. This periodic structure can be traced back to the oscillatory behavior observed during the electrochemical dissolution of silicon in fluoride medium. It suggests that periodic breaking of the growing film may be responsible for this morphology.

Macroporous Semiconductors

Pores in single crystalline semiconductors come in many forms (e.g., pore sizes from 2 nm to > 10 µm; morphologies from perfect pore crystal to fractal) and exhibit many unique properties directly or as nanocompounds if the pores are filled. The various kinds of pores obtained in semiconductors like Ge, Si, III-V, and II-VI compound semiconductors are systematically reviewed, emphasizing macropores. Essentials of pore formation mechanisms will be discussed, focusing on differences and some open questions but in particular on common properties. Possible applications of porous semiconductors, including for example high explosives, high efficiency electrodes for Li ion batteries, drug delivery systems, solar cells, thermoelectric elements and many novel electronic, optical or sensor devices, will be introduced and discussed.

Irregular subharmonic cluster patterns in an autonomous photoelectrochemical oscillator

Unusual subharmonic cluster patterns are observed during the oscillatory electro-oxidation of n-Si(111) under illumination. 2D in situ imaging of the electrode by means of an ellipsometric setup allows local variations in the oxide layer thickness to be monitored. The local oscillators exhibit an irregular distribution of the amplitude with the extrema locked to the constant base frequency of the total current. In addition, Ising 2-phase clustering occurs at half the base frequency. This intrinsic dynamics is described by means of a modified complex Ginzburg-Landau equation.