Formation and morphological evolution investigation of the porous silicon decorated with Pt particles

Abstract

Platinum nanoparticles were prepared on silicon substrates at room temperature using electroless deposition with different durations from 1 to 40 min. The effect of deposition times on the morphology and composition of the deposited Pt particles and porous films was examined using scanning, transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Raman scattering. Moreover, atomic force microscopy was used to examine the structural properties and morphological characterization of the deposed particles. The wetting properties of the por-Si/Pt structure were investigated using the sessile drop method. The research indicates that the por-Si/Pt structure has uniformly distributed nonspherical self-assembled Pt particles with a height of up to 120 nm and a diameter of 200 nm. The concentration of these particles is 2.5 × 109 cm−2 and there is a mesoporous silicon layer with a thickness up to 580 nm. A uniform size distribution of the particles is achieved after 1 min of deposition. The conditions for creating the por-Si/Pt structure, characterized by a high Pt particle concentration and coverage, have been identified. The morphology parameters of the particles and layers depend on the duration of the deposition. The evolution of the formation of an array of platinum particles, meso- and macroporous silicon, including all stages of growth of the components of the Por-Si/Pt structure was established.