Enhancement, stabilization and metallization of porous silicon
AssigneeGeorgia Tech Research Corporation
InventorsJames L. Gole, Lenward T. Seals
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Abstract
A post-etch treatment for enhancing and stabilizing the photoluminescence (PL) from a porous silicon (PS) substrate is outlined. The method includes treating the PS substrate with an aqueous hydrochloric acid solution and then treating the PS substrate with an alcohol. Alternatively, the post-etch method of enhancing and stabilizing the PL from a PS substrate includes treating the PS substrate with an aqueous hydrochloric acid and alcohol solution. Further, the PL of the PS substrate can be enhanced by treating the PS substrate with a dye. Furthermore, the PS substrate can be metallized to form a PS substrate with resistances ranging from 20 to 1000 ohms.
Claims31
A post-etch method of enhancing and stabilizing the photoluminescence from a porous silicon substrate, comprising the steps of:
- treating the porous silicon substrate with an aqueous hydrochloric acid solution;
- and
- treating the porous silicon substrate with an alcohol.
A post-etch method of enhancing and stabilizing the photoluminescence from a porous silicon substrate, comprising the step of treating the porous silicon substrate with an aqueous hydrochloric acid and alcohol solution.
A post-etch method of electroless metallization of a porous silicon substrate, comprising the steps of:
- treating the porous silicon substrate with an aqueous hydrochloric acid solution;
- treating the porous silicon substrate with an alcohol;
- treating the porous silicon substrate with a hydrazine solution to remove fluorides from the porous silicon;
- introducing a metal-containing electroless solution;
- illuminating the porous silicon substrate with a light source at wavelengths less than about 750 nanometers to cause photoluminescence of the porous silicon substrate;
- and
- metallizing the porous silicon substrate wherein photoluminescence is capable of causing metallization of the porous silicon substrate with the metal of the metal-containing solution.
A post etch method of electroless metallization of porous silicon substrate, comprising the steps of:
- treating the porous silicon substrate with an aqueous hydrochloric acid and alcohol solution;
- treating the porous silicon substrate with a hydrazine solution to remove fluorides from the porous silicon;
- introducing a metal-containing solution;
- illuminating the porous silicon substrate with a light source at wavelengths less than about 750 nanometers to cause photoluminescence of the porous silicon substrate;
- and
- metallizing the porous silicon substrate wherein photoluminescence is capable of causing metallization of the porous silicon substrate with the metal of the metal-containing solution
A substrate comprising a metallized porous silicon substrate.
A post etch method of enhancing photoluminescence from a porous silicon substrate that has a microporous framework on which is superimposed a nanoporous layer, comprising the step of treating the porous silicon substrates with a dye, wherein the dye is selected from the group consisting of:
- Rhodamine dye compounds;
- 3,3′-diethyloxadicarbocyanine iodide;
- Fluorocein;
- and dicyanomethylene dye compounds.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.