Dissolution, electrochemical

Shaping. Most metal-shaping operations in ECM utilize the same inherent feature of the process whereby one electrode, generally the cathode tool, is driven toward the other at a constant rate when a fixed voltage is appHed between them. Under these conditions, the gap width between the tool and the workpiece becomes constant. The rate of forward movement between the tool and the workpiece becomes constant. The rate of forward movement of the tool is matched by the rate of recession of the workpiece surface resulting from electrochemical dissolution. 

The most important mechanism involved in the corrosion of metal is electrochemical dissolution. This is the basis of general metal loss, pitting corrosion, microbiologically induced corrosion and some aspects of stress corrosion cracking. Corrosion in aqueous systems and other circumstances where an electrolyte is present is generally electrochemical in nature. Other mechanisms operate in the absence of electrolyte, and some are discussed in Section 53.1.4. 

The anode capacity is the total coulombic charge (current x time) produced by unit mass of an anode as a result of electrochemical dissolution. It is normally expressed in ampere hours per kilogram (Ah/kg) although the inverse of anode capacity, i.e. the consumption rate (kg/Ay) is sometimes used. 

The concepts and basic approach used in studies of electrical fluctuations in corrosion processes proved to be very successful as well in mechanistic studies of electrode reactions taking place at materials covered by passivating films. A typical example is the electrochemical dissolution of silicon. From an analysis of the noise characteristics of this process, it has been possible to identify many features as well as the conductivity of the nanostructures of porous silicon being formed on the original silicon surface. 

These chemical reactions possibly precede the electrochemical reactions. Thus the electrochemical reactions in the case of molybdenum oxides may be taken to be similar to those which occur in electrorefining, i.e., electrochemical dissolution of molybdenum from the impure metallic molybdenum anode and subsequent deposition at the cathode. The combination of the chemical and the electrochemical reactions occurring at the anode can be represented in the following way ... 

Finally, a large number of phenomena connected with active electrochemical dissolution of aluminum in the electrolyte, promoted by the presence of aggressive anions, are considered to deserve special attention, because understanding of these phenomena is far from complete, and it is hoped that a review of them will stimulate further research. 

The electrochemistry of Ti2+ in 66.7 m/o AlCl3-NaCl has been investigated wherein the electroactive Ti2+ was prepared by the oxidation of Ti metal with liquid A1C13 [176, 185] and by the electrochemical dissolution of titanium metal [120, 177], The authors of both studies concluded that Ti2+ may be oxidized stepwise to Ti3+ and Ti4+ and that both processes are reversible at platinum and tungsten electrodes. However, anomalous voltammetric behavior at high Ti2+ concentrations (greater than 50 mmol L ) suggests the formation of polymeric Ti2+ species in the melt. The reduction of Ti2+ to the metal was not observed at potentials more positive than that required for aluminum deposition. 

For the case of Si02 etching, HF, (HF)2 and HF2- are assumed to be the active species [Vel, Jul]. If HC1 is added to the solution the concentration of the HF2-ion becomes negligible, which leaves HF and its polymers to be the active species [Ve3]. Because for high current densities the electrochemical dissolution of silicon occurs via a thin anodic oxide layer it can be concluded that, at least for this regime, the same species are active. This is supported by the observation that F- is... 

This is the regime of anodic current densities below JPS. A hole approaching the interface initiates the divalent electrochemical dissolution of a silicon surface atom at the emitter. The dissolution proceeds under formation of H2 and electron injection, as shown in Fig. 4.3. The formation of PS structures is confined to this region. 

In contrast to acidic electrolytes, chemical dissolution of a silicon electrode proceeds already at OCP in alkaline electrolytes. For cathodic potentials chemical dissolution competes with cathodic reactions, this commonly leads to a reduced dissolution rate and the formation of a slush layer under certain conditions [Pa2]. For potentials slightly anodic of OCP, electrochemical dissolution accompanies the chemical one and the dissolution rate is thereby enhanced [Pa6]. For anodic potentials above the passivation potential (PP), the formation of an anodic oxide, as in the case of acidic electrolytes, is observed. Such oxides show a much lower dissolution rate in alkaline solutions than the silicon substrate. As a result the electrode surface becomes passivated and the current density decreases to small values that correspond to the oxide etch rate. That the current density peaks at PP in Fig. 3.4 are in fact connected with the growth of a passivating oxide is proved using in situ ellipsometry [Pa2]. Passivation is independent of the type of cation. Organic compounds like hydrazin [Sul], for example, show a behavior similar to inorganic ones, like KOH [Pa8]. Because of the presence of a passivating oxide the current peak at PP is not observed for a reverse potential scan. 

As expected from the anisotropy of chemical etching of Si in alkaline solutions, the electrochemical dissolution reaction shows a strong dependence on crystal orientation. For all crystal orientations except (111) a sweep rate independent anodic steady-state current density is observed for potentials below PP. For (111) silicon electrodes the passivation peak becomes sweep rate dependent and corresponds to a constant charge of 2.4 0.5 mCcm-2 [Sm6]. OCP and PP show a slight shift to more anodic potentials for (111) silicon if compared to (100) substrates, as shown in Fig. 3.4. 

In acidic electrolytes with fluoride, silicon is stable at OCP, while electrochemical dissolution takes place for anodic potentials. For anodic current densities below the critical current density JPS PS is formed and the electrolyte-electrode interface is found to be Si-H covered. Species active in the dissolution process are HF, (HF)2 and HF2. A dissolution reaction proposed for this regime is ... 

The first models for the electrochemical dissolution process of silicon in HF assumed a fluoride-terminated silicon surface to be present in electrolytes containing HF [Ge6, Du3[. However, by IR spectroscopy it was found that virtually the whole surface is covered by hydride (Si-H) [Ni3[. No evidence of Si-F groups is found in IR spectra independent of HF concentration used [Ch9[. This is surprising insofar as the Si-F (6 eV) bond is much stronger than the Si-H (3.5 eV) bond, and so it cannot be assumed that Si-F is replaced by Si-H during the electrochemical dissolution. This led to the conclusion that if a silicon atom at the surface establishes a bond to a fluorine atom it is immediately removed from the surface. 

The reaction product SiF4 would be gaseous, but it reacts with two HF to Si I7 and two protons and stays in solution [Mellj. The solubility of Si 17, which is in the order of mol 1 1 is significantly reduced in the presence of alkali metal ions. Especially for Rb, K or Cs, a micrometer thick, insoluble layer of metal hexafluoro-silicate may be formed on the electrode surface [Hal2j. The divalent electrochemical dissolution reaction is dominant during PS formation. The effects of the reaction products SiFg and H2 on pore growth are discussed in Section 9.5. 

At higher anodic potentials an anodic oxide is formed on silicon electrode surfaces. This leads to a tetravalent electrochemical dissolution scheme in HF and to passivation in alkaline electrolytes. The hydroxyl ion is assumed to be the active species in the oxidation reaction [Drl]. The applied potential enables OH to diffuse through the oxide film to the interface and to establish an Si-O-Si bridge under consumption of two holes, according to Fig. 4.4, steps 1 and 2. Details of anodic oxide formation processes are discussed in Chapter 5. This oxide film passivates the Si electrode in aqueous solutions that are free of HF. 

For the electrochemical dissolution of Si in electrolytes composed of anhydrous HF and an organic solvent a reaction is proposed that is similar to the divalent dissolution in aqueous HF. However, molecular hydrogen is not observed and four charge carriers are consumed per dissolved silicon atom, as in the tetravalent case [Pr7, Ril]. 

The quantum efficiency for solid-state devices, e.g. solar cells, is always below unity. For n-type silicon electrodes anodized in aqueous or non-aqueous HF electrolytes, quantum efficiencies above unity are observed because one or more electrons are injected into the electrode when a photogenerated hole enters the electrolyte. Note that energy conservation is not violated, due to the enthalpy of the electrochemical dissolution reaction of the electrode. 

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