The invention provides a composition and method for improving the selectivity of nitride etching versus oxide etching and can be used with conventional phosphoric acid wet etch compositions. The invention describes additives that serve to inhibit silicon, oxides, and related compounds regrowth (i.e., redeposition) on the silicon oxide surface. In certain embodiments, the invention provides certain amino-substituted aryl compounds which are bound to a tri-alkoxy silane.