Electrochemical formation of nanoporosity in n-InP anodes in KOH

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Date
2011-01
Authors
Buckley, D. Noel
O'Dwyer, Colm
Lynch, Robert P.
Quill, Nathan
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The Electrochemical Society
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Abstract
We review our recent work on anodic formation of nanoporosity in n-InP in aqueous KOH. Typically, a nanoporous sub-surface region is formed beneath a thin, dense near-surface layer. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) shows pit formation on the surface in the earlier stages of etching, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) shows individual nanoporous domains separated from the surface by a thin InP layer. Each domain develops from a surface pit. We developed a model based on propagation of pores along the <111>A directions. The model predicts porous domains with a truncated tetrahedral shape and this was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and TEM. Pores are cylindrical and have well-developed facets only near their tips. No porous layers are observed at a KOH concentration of 1.1 mol dm -2 or lower. Linear sweep voltammograms (LSVs) show a pronounced anodic peak corresponding to the formation of the porous region. We describe a technique to deconvolute the effects of potential and time in LSVs and explain their shape and their relationship to porous layer formation.
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Keywords
Nanoporosity , Atomic force microscopy (AFM) , Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) , Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) , Linear sweep voltammogram (LSV)
Citation
Buckley, D. N.,O'Dwyer, C.,Lynch, R. P.,Quill, N. (2011) 'Electrochemical Formation of Nanoporosity in n-InP Anodes in KOH'. ECS Trans, 35(8), pp.29-48. doi: 10.1149/1.3567735
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© The Electrochemical Society, Inc. 2011. All rights reserved. Except as provided under U.S. copyright law, this work may not be reproduced, resold, distributed, or modified without the express permission of The Electrochemical Society (ECS). The archival version of this work was published in Buckley, D. N.,O'Dwyer, C.,Lynch, R. P.,Quill, N. (2011) 'Electrochemical Formation of Nanoporosity in n-InP Anodes in KOH'. ECS Trans, 35(8), pp.29-48. doi: 10.1149/1.3567735