ABSTRACT
This chapter suggests that concentrated hydrofluoric acid loaded with particular metallic ions enables the room temperature formation of nanoporous silicon simply by dipping. It investigates various Hartree Fock (HF) solutions loaded with metal oxide powder as oxidizing agent with a mild and stable condition. The chapter explores an overview of the process, the resulting nanostructure observed, and the basic optical characteristics. Nanoporous structures on silicon have a clear potential for adding valuable optoelectronic functions to silicon semiconductor devices. Conventional fabrication methods, however, require some means of stimulating reactions during immersion in a hydrofluoric acid solution. Control and reproducibility are difficult when using conventional liquid oxidants owing to their too-strong oxidizing effect and short life-time in concentrated HF solution. A catalytic cationic process has been developed for the formation of porous nanostructured silicon by dipping in a solution of hydrofluoric acid and metal oxide.
