Diamagnetic behavior of porous silicon

Abstract

After a brief introduction to diamagnetism, the magnetic properties of silicon are briefly outlined. The magnetic behavior of silicon consists of a diamagnetic and a paramagnetic term, whereas the diamagnetism predominates. Furthermore, various types of porous silicon like as-etched and oxidized porous silicon are discussed, and the dependence of the diamagnetism on the surface treatment and thus on the paramagnetic defects is outlined. Nanostructuring of silicon results in a modification of the magnetic behavior with reduced diamagnetic contribution, and a further posttreatment of the samples leads to a smaller diamagnetic susceptibility.