Dissolution of silicon in HF/HNO3 mixtures: A revised model
- The dissolution of Si in HF/HNO3 consists of a set of complex reactions and thus a large number of reaction products. The most comprehensive picture of this reaction, the role of the involved reaction products and the reactivity of the HF/HNO3 mixtures depending on their composition is drawn by Steinert et al..[1]-[3] Based on the first systematic investigations on hydrogen formation by Hoffmann et al.[4], Acker et al. succeeded a first mass and electron balance for the reaction of silicon in HF/HNO3.[5] However, there is still a lack in interpretation of the mass end electron balances arising from several nitrous oxides. So far, the identified nitrogen oxides NO, NO2 and N2O were considered in sum[5] and neither separated nor individually studied or quantified.
The aim of this work is to complete the mass and electron balance by the contribution of the individual nitrous oxides and to identify their individual formation pathways. Kinetic measurements of the NO and NO2 formation during the dissolution of Si, NO2 turns out as aThe dissolution of Si in HF/HNO3 consists of a set of complex reactions and thus a large number of reaction products. The most comprehensive picture of this reaction, the role of the involved reaction products and the reactivity of the HF/HNO3 mixtures depending on their composition is drawn by Steinert et al..[1]-[3] Based on the first systematic investigations on hydrogen formation by Hoffmann et al.[4], Acker et al. succeeded a first mass and electron balance for the reaction of silicon in HF/HNO3.[5] However, there is still a lack in interpretation of the mass end electron balances arising from several nitrous oxides. So far, the identified nitrogen oxides NO, NO2 and N2O were considered in sum[5] and neither separated nor individually studied or quantified.
The aim of this work is to complete the mass and electron balance by the contribution of the individual nitrous oxides and to identify their individual formation pathways. Kinetic measurements of the NO and NO2 formation during the dissolution of Si, NO2 turns out as a result from the oxidation of the primary product NO by the HNO3 in the etching mixtures. Subsequently, NO and NO2 react to N2O3 dissolved in the acid mixture. The kinetics of both reactions were individually studied by bubbling NO in HF/HNO3 mixtures of different composition. The already identified intermediary species N4O62+ turns out to be formed by disproportionation of dissolved NO2 via N2O4 without dissolution of silicon. A detailed kinetic studied showed, that only dissolved N2O3 and not the intermediate N4O62+ contribute to the dissolution rate of silicon in HF/HNO3 acid mixtures. Finally, kinetic measurements revealed that the formed H2 reduces gaseous NO yielding to the final gaseous reaction products N2, N2O as well as to ammonium ions which all are formed with identical reaction rate. This reaction is assumed to proceed via NH2OH as intermediate.
As result of the identification and quantification of intermediary and final reaction products a new reaction scheme needs to be established leading to a new approach to the mass and electron balance for the oxidation of silicon during the dissolution in HF/HNO3 mixtures.…
Author: | Anja RietigORCiD, Thomas LangnerORCiD, Jörg AckerORCiDGND |
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Title of the source (English): | 9th European Silicon Days, 9-12 September 2018, Saarbrücken, Germany, Book of abstracts |
Publisher: | Universität des Saarlandes |
Place of publication: | Saarbrücken |
Editor: | David Scheschkewitz, Guido Kickelbick |
Document Type: | Conference Proceeding |
Language: | English |
Year of publication: | 2018 |
Tag: | Raman spectroscopy; etching; gas analysis; mass spectrometry; reaction mechanism; silicon |
First Page: | S. 199 |
Faculty/Chair: | Fakultät 2 Umwelt und Naturwissenschaften / FG Physikalische Chemie |