Metal assisted chemical etching

Metal-assisted chemical etching (MACE) is a technique used to create nanostructures on semiconductor materials, such as silicon, through the combination of a metal layer and a chemical etching process. The basic principle of MACE involves the use of a metal catalyst, typically gold or silver, which facilitates the selective etching of the semiconductor material in a chemical etchant solution. ### Process Overview: 1. **Metal Deposition**: A thin layer of a noble metal (e.g.