Research progress of silicon nanostructures prepared by electrochemical etching based on galvanic cells

Abstract

Abstract Metal-assisted etching of silicon in HF aqueous solution has attracted widespread attention due to its potential applications in electronics, photonics, renewable energy, and biotechnology. In this paper, the basic process and mechanism of metal assisted electrochemical etching of silicon in vapor or liquid atmosphere based on galvanic cells are reviewed. This paper focuses on the use of gas-phase oxidants O2 and H2O2 instead of liquid phase oxidants Fe(NO3)3 and H2O2 to catalyze the etching of silicon in the vapor atmosphere of HF aqueous solution. The mechanism of substrate enhanced metal-assisted chemical etching for the preparation of large-area silicon micro nanostructure arrays is summarized, and the impact of substrate type and surface area on reactive etching is discussed.