| 摘要 |
A method of etching silicon of a material 101 comprising silicon at a surface 103 thereof comprises forming a functionalized surface comprising a functional group 105 comprising a metal-binding group 107 on the silicon surface, binding a metal 109 or metal ion to the metal-binding group, if necessary reducing the metal ion to elemental metal and etching the silicon by metal-assisted chemical etching. The metal binding group preferably comprises a thiol or amine. The metal ion may be bound to the functional group by bringing the functionalized surface into contact with metal nanoparticles or with a solution of metal ions. The method may further comprise the step of growing a metal particle on the reduced metal ion. The reduced metal ions are preferably exposed to a capping agent (115, figure 3) before or during contact with a solution of metal ions. The material to be etched may be in the form of bulk silicon, such as a silicon wafer, or may be a powder having silicon at a surface thereof. |
