Chemical modification of single - crystal silicon surface

Nanocrystalline silicon layers (3 - 60 nm) have been formed upon single-crystal silicon substrates of very large area (100 cm(2)) by stain etching. We studied optical and structural properties of nanocrystalline silicon by photoluminescence, photoluminescence excitation, reflection, scanning tunnel microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and Auger electronic spectroscopy methods. The photoluminescence method has shown that photoluminescence spectra of nanocrystalline silicon of different substrates differ insignificantly (similar to 10%) in intensity. The increase of photoluminescence intensity during prolonged aging in air at room temperature was observed. In the paper it is shown that in the process of formation of nanocrystalline silicon by stain etching, two stages could be defined: the stage of the structure self-organization at nano-level (similar to 35 nm) and the stage of the structure self-organization at micro-level (similar to 60 nm). Latter is observed not only during structure organization, but also during changes of its chemical composition, photoluminescence and antireflection properties.