PORE SIZE DEPENDENT CRYSTALLIZATION ON POROUS SILICON MULTILAYERS

Mineralization of calcium phosphate crystals was examined on porous silicon (PSi) scaffolds with respect to the dependence of crystal formation on the average pore size of PSi. PSi multilayer wafers fabricated by electrochemical etching were moni- tored via their reflectivity spectra over time in a biologically relevant osteogenic solution. The evolution of the mean refractive index of the PSi scaffold is the signature of the in situ crystals nucleation within the pores. Crystals were then characterized using atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Raman micro-spectroscopy. The results in- dicate that the average pore size of PSi highly influences nucleation and crystal formation.