Probing by in situ scanning tunneling microscopy the influence of an organic additive on Si etching in NaOH
Abstract
The etching of Si in alkaline solution is used to fabricate microstructures. A recent study has described the etching reaction at a molecular level. The present paper studies, with in situ scanning tunneling microscopy, the effect of a surfactant (triton) on Si etching and its consequences regarding the resulting surface topography, which is an important question in the preparation of substrates.