Silicon inert?

[osskall]

Hi! Is silicon inert? i.e. can I clean it from deposited films with e.g. HNO3 and H2SO4 without etching the silicon itself? What about amorphous carbon?

 

[DrMark]

Common etches for Si are HF and caustics (NaOH, KOH). Nitric or sulfuric acid should be fine for cleaning it. Amorphous carbon electrodes I used to physically etch with "sandpaper" and routinely used them in HCLO₄, HCl, HNO₃ etc.