The study of effect of neutron radiation to porous silicon nanostructures

Porous silicon (PSi) was prepared by an electrochemical etching method using a p-type Si [100] wafer in a 48% hydrofluoric acid (HF) electrolyte and ethanol mixture at a 1:1 ratio. The samples were prepared at various etching times of 10, 20, and 25 minutes with a constant current density (J) of 20 mA/cm2 to yield varying degrees of porosity. The samples were dried using an air dryer, and luminescence was observed under ultraviolet (UV) light. Subsequently, the samples were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL), and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) before and after exposure to neutron radiation. These characterizations revealed the structural and optical effects of neutron radiation on the PSi nanostructures, indicating that the sample etched for 20 minutes exhibited the highest sensitivity to neutron radiation