Metal Particle Evolution Behavior during Metal Assisted Chemical Etching of Silicon

Due to its high practicability, metal assisted chemical etching (MACE) has become a popular silicon micro-nano structure preparation method. This paper explores the metal nanoparticle film dissolution and re-deposition evolution behavior in oxidizing HF solution during the MACE process. The results show Ag nanoparticles experience both oxidation dissolve and reduction deposit during MACE in HF-H2O2-H2O and HF-Fe(NO3)(3)-H2O corrosion solution. The Au nanoparticle can remain stable in the HF-Fe(NO3)(3)-H2O solution, providing a strategy to keep the patterns' high etching accuracy of the silicon micro-nano structure. This work illuminates the reaction principle and provides a new insight to improving the etching accuracy, stability, and speed of the MACE technology.

Automated summary

This paper investigates the dissolution and re-deposition behavior of metal nanoparticles during the MACE process, showing different behaviors of Ag and Au nanoparticles in the corrosive solution. The study provides new insights for improving the etching accuracy and stability of MACE technology.