Electrical effect of porous silicon doped with erbium / Zetty Daud

Porous Silicon (PSi) is a form of the chemical element silicon which has an introduced nanoporous hole in its microstructure. In its natural state, it is highly resistive, insulative and its open structure allows doping foreign element/elements into porous silicon. Porous Silicon (PSi) was prepared by electrochemical etching using a p-type Si wafer substrate with constant current density, 20mA/cm2. Ethanoic hydrofluoric acid (HF) 48% electrolyte and ethanol (C2H5OH) at ratio 1:1 electrolyte was used. Then, the samples were doping with Erbium (III) nitrate pentahydrate (Er3N030H5) by using the immersion vibrating technique. Porous silicon doped with Er3N030H5 was coated with gold by using the sputtering technique to make a metal contact. Finally, samples were tested by using IV testing. The result shows that when the Er3N030H5 is diffused into porous silicon, only 0.05gof Er3N030H5 able to diffuse into the pores, and the other sample, erbium had been gathered on the surface of the sample. The resistance of porous silicon (PSi) is increased drastically when the mass of erbium increases. The mass of Er3N030H5 increases the conductivity values of porous silicon doped with ErN03.