Electrochemical Processing and Synthesis of Light Emitting Porous Silicon Structures

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It has been discovered recently that porous silicon structures exhibit strong visible photoluminescence at room temperature. This program focuses on the structure-property relationships of porous silicon. Porous silicon structures are formed by a chemical etching process; however, very little is known about how the etching parameters control the morphology of the porous structures and the resultant light emitting characteristics. Computer simulations of the etching process will be used to develop an understanding of the range of porous structures attainable as a function of processing parameters. A similar range of porous structures will be examined experimentally. The ultimate aim of the program is the development of structural phase diagrams relating microstructure to processing parameters and light emitting properties. %%% Light emitting porous silicon would be an inexpensive alternative to other optical materials and allow for integration with silicon- based electronics. This program addresses materials processing aspects relevant to the fabrication of porous silicon structures, and strives to characterize and understand the relationships between structure and optical properties. The program includes the synthesis of porous silicon structures, experimental analysis of structure/property relationships and theoretical modeling of the growth processes.