Probing by in situ scanning tunneling microscopy the influence of an organic additive on Si etching in NaOH

The etching of Si in alkaline solution is used to fabricate microstructures. A recent study has described the etching reaction at a molecular level. The present paper studies, with in situ scanning tunneling microscopy, the effect of a surfactant (triton) on Si etching and its consequences regarding the resulting surface topography, which is an important question in the preparation of substrates.