In situ investigation of chemical etching of implanted silicon dioxide in aqueous solutions by atomic-force microscopy

Atomic-force microscopy was applied to study for the first time the formati on of a nanorelief in the course of chemical etching in HF of quartz glasse s and SiO2 films containing in their near-surface layer alpha -Fe nanoparti cles formed by ion bombardment. Optical and magnetic measurements were used to elucidate the mechanisms of selective etching of such two-phase nanostr uctures.