Semiconductor Ultramicroelectrodes: Platforms for Studying Charge-Transfer Processes at Semiconductor/Liquid Interfaces

Semiconductor ultramicroelectrodes (SUMEs) were prepared by photolithographic patterning of defined pinholes in dielectric coatings on semiconductor wafers. Methods are reported for interpreting their electrochemical response characteristics in the absence of illumination. Radial diffusion is reconciled with the diode equation to describe the full voltammetric response, allowing direct determination of heterogeneous charge-transfer rate constants and surface quality. The voltammetric responses of n-type Si SUMEs were assessed and showed prototypical UME characteristics with obtainable current densities higher than those of conventional macroscopic electrodes. The SUME voltammetry proved highly sensitive to both native and intentionally grown oxides, highlighting their ability to precisely track dynamic surface conditions reliably through electrochemical measurement. Subsequently, electron transfer from the conduction band of n-Si SUMEs to aqueous Ru(NH3)(6)(3+) was determined to occur near optimal exoergicity. In total, this work validates the SUME platform as a new tool to study fundamental charge-transfer properties at semiconductor/liquid junctions.