Nano-porous silicon layers obtained by anodic dissolution

The book reviews and investigates the characteristics of nanoporous silicon structures that are fabricated by anodic etching of silicon wafers. Porous silicon introduces new material properties which differ from those of bulk silicon, these new properties are of interest and are applicable in various fields such as optics, optoelectronics, sensor technology and biomedicine. Understanding the dynamics and mechanism involved in the etching process such as cause and effect relations, internal wafer properties and external anodic conditions of the etching process are thus vital in order to aid technologists fabricate desired porous structures for different intended purposes. Various silicon wafers of different properties are etched in a controlled environment with varying external conditions such as current density, electrolyte solutions, surface surfactants and etching time. Relations and dependencies such as etched porous layer thickness, etching rate and degradation rate of structures and surface morphology on external anodic conditions are established.