Dependence of the threshold voltage in indium-phosphide pore formation on the electrolyte composition

Results of the experimental determination of the threshold voltage of pore formation for n-InP (100) crystals with a charge-carrier density of 2.3 × 10¹⁸ cm^?3 are presented. The threshold voltage of pore formation is shown to be a function of the electrolyte composition, in particular, of the acid concentration in the electrolyte solution. A 5% solution of hydrochloric acid is the most suitable etchant for obtaining high-quality porous indium phosphide films. It is possible to obtain a nanoporous layer that consists of pores 40 nm in diameter spaced by 5–10 nm. The porosity in this case is 45%.