A hydrogen-terminated silicon surface is a chemically passivated silicon substrate whose native oxide (SiO2) thin film is removed by etching in hydrogen fluoride aqueous solution, leaving the surface silicon atoms covalently bonded to hydrogen. Since all surface Si atoms are fully co-ordinated, hydrogen termination leads to enhanced stability in ambient environments unlike a 'clean surface' having unpassivated surface atoms, or dangling bonds. It is relatively inert and can be handled in air without any special care for several minutes.