Experimental Study of Capillary Effect in Porous Silicon Using Micro-Raman Spectroscopy and X-Ray Diffraction

We investigate the capillary effect and the residual stress evolution in the wetting, drying and rewetting stages of porous silicon using x-ray diffraction and micro-Raman spectroscopy. A reversible capillary effect and an irreversible oxidation effect are the driving forces for the residual stress evolution. The lattice expansion of the porous-silicon layer is observed to decrease slightly by x-ray diffraction and the tensile residual stress increases rapidly by micro-Raman spectroscopy, with the change of about 82 MPa for the oxidation effect and the change of 2.78 GPa (enough for cracking) for the capillary effect. Therefore, the capillary effect plays a major role in the residual stress evolution in the stages. A simple microscopic liquid-bridge model is introduced to explain the capillary effect and its reversibility. The capillary emergence has a close relation with a great deal of the micro-pore structure of porous silicon.