Abstract:
Porous silicon (PS) films composed of pores with diameters less than 3 nm are fabricated using a galvanic etching approach that does not require an external power supply. A highly reactive, nanoenergetic composite is then created by impregnating the nanoscale pores with the strong oxidizer, sodium perchlorate (NaClO4). The combustion propagation velocity of the energetic composite is measured using microfabricated diagnostic devices in conjunction with high-speed optical imaging up to 930,000 frames per second. Combustion velocities averaging 3,050 m/s are observed for PS films with specific areas of ˜840 m2/g and porosities of about 65-67%. Galvanic etching may also be used to fabricate other porous silicon morphologies and also strong oxidizers other than NaClO4 could be used to create a nanoenergetic porous silicon composite.