Anodic oxidation of p-type porous silicon having pores uniformly covered with Ge

Anodic oxidation of porous silicon, the inner surface of which is covered by a thin layer of Ge, has been studied. The Ge layer is first oxidized during a time proportional to the amount of Ge, prior to oxidation of the porous silicon. It is shown how anodic oxidation can be used as a new method for the measurement of the amount of Ge incorporated into porous silicon pores. It is also a valuable technique for evaluating the homogeneity of the Ge coverage.