Abstract: A method and means for detection of oxidizing contamination in acid etching baths employed to etch silicon oxide layers from silicon substrates employed in silicon integrated circuit microelectronics fabrications. There is provided a silicon substrate having within a doped region formed employing ion implantation. The silicon substrate is immersed within a buffered oxide etch (BOE) acid bath, wherein the presence of an oxidizing contaminant correlates with an increase in the resistance of the doped region upon the removal of any silicon oxide layer on the silicon surface.