Controlling optical properties and surface morphology of dry etched porous silicon

Porous silicon is a potentially useful substrate for fluorescence and scattering enhancement, with a large surface to volume ratio and thermal stability providing a potentially regenerable host matrix for sensor development. A simple process using XeF2 gas phase etching for creating porous silicon is explained. Moreover, how pores diameter can be controlled reproducibly with commensurate effects upon the silicon reflection and pore distribution is discussed. In previous work with this new system, it was clear that control on pore size and morphology was required and a systematic optimization of process conditions was performed to produce greater consistency of the result. The influence of the duration of the pre-etching processing in HF, concentration of the HF in the pre-etching process, and the XeF2 exposure time during the dry etching on surface morphology, pore size, and optical reflectance is explored. (C) 2011 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). [DOI: 10.1117/1.3571270]