Stain Etching and Elemental Composition of Nanostructured Silicon

Abstract

Nanostructured silicon layers were obtained by stain etching (chemical etching) of initial and textured monocrystalline silicon. The surface morphology of nanostructured silicon was studied using a scanning electron microscope and a scanning tunneling microscope. The ratio of chemical elements on the surface and at a depth of nanostructured silicon layers was studied by electron Auger spectroscopy. It is shown that depending on the etchant composition and the concentration ratio of its components, there is a significant change in the elemental composition distribution of nanostructured silicon. The latter is crucial for optimizing the formation modes of nanostructured silicon layers with preset properties.