Effect of the experimental parameters on the shape and formation kinetics of SiNWs formed by electroless chemical etching in aqueous AgNO₃/HF/H₂O₂ solution

Abstract

is an open access repository that collects the work of Arts et Métiers ParisTech researchers and makes it freely available over the web where possible. The discovery at the beginning of 1990 of carbon nanotubes awaked the interest for one-dimensional (1D) nanostructures. Currently, silicon nanowires (SiNWs) formed by electroless chemical etching in aqueous Ag-NO 3 /HF/H 2 O 2 solution, arouse great interest due to their physical properties and potential applications. The understanding of physical-chemical phenomena that occur during the formation of SiNWs, the effect of etching parameters on their morphology, the formation mechanism and formation kinetic raise many questions. In this paper, we investigate the effect of etching parameters; namely AgNO 3 concentration, HF concentration, etching time and the volume of H 2 O 2 on the shape of obtained nanostructures. The formation kinetic was investigated by studying the effect of the etching time on the morphology of obtained nanostructures. SiNWs studied in this work were formed on a P type and (100) oriented monocrystalline silicon substrate. Characterization of formed SiNWs was performed using a scanning electron microscope (SEM).