ANODIZED AMORPHOUS-SILICON - PRESENT STATUS

The results of the few groups which have attempted to etch chemically or electrochemically amorphous silicon films prepared in various ways are reviewed briefly with a focus on the photoluminescence of such layers. The particular case of plasma-deposited boron-doped hydrogenated amorphous silicon subjected to an anodization in HF solutions followed by an electro-oxidation in water is elucidated. Many similarities between the properties of these materials and those of their crystalline counterparts are emphasized, but one significant difference between the resonantly excited PL spectra of the two porous materials is pointed out.