  Electrochemical etching of semiconductors, apart from many technical
applications, provides an interesting experimental setup for self-organized
structure formation capable e.g. of regular, diameter-modulated, and branching
pores. The underlying dynamical processes governing current transfer and
structure formation are described by the Current-Burst-Model: all dissolution
processes are assumed to occur inhomogeneously in time and space as a Current
Burst (CB); the properties and interactions between CB's are described by a
number of material- and chemistry- dependent ingredients, like passivation and
aging of surfaces in different crystallographic orientations, giving a
qualitative understanding of resulting pore morphologies. These morphologies
cannot be influenced only by the current, by chemical, material and other
etching conditions, but also by an open-loop control, triggering the time scale
given by the oxide dissolution time. With this method, under conditions where
only branching pores occur, the additional signal hinders side pore formation
resulting in regular pores with modulated diameter.
