TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The at least one alkaline compound is chosen from alkanolamines and quaternary ammonium compounds. The alkanolamines are of formula R3-nN(CmH2m(OH))n. The quaternary ammonium compounds are of formula R2-N+(R1)(R4)-R3 OH-. The at least one fluoride ion is chosen from bifluorides and fluoride salts. The at least one oxidizing agent is chosen from hydrogen peroxide or its salts, hypochlorite, persulfates, peroxyorganic acids, permanganate salts, sodium hypochlorite, sodium percarbonate, chlorate, nitric acid or its salts, periodate, perbromate, iodate, perchlorate or bromate. The pH is 3 to 5.R=H or 1-4C alkyl;m=2-4;n=1 to 3;R1-R4=H, 1-6C alkyl, 1-6C hydroxyalkyl, 6-10C aryl or 7-11C alkylaryl. EXAMPLE - An aqueous isotropic texturing solution (control) was made up containing 10% hydrofluoric acid and 50% nitric acid. The pH of the acid mixture texturing solution was less than 1. A bulk-doped polycrystalline silicon wafer 125 mm2 was weighed using a conventional analytical balance and its weight was recorded. The wafer was then immersed into the aqueous isotropic texturing solution for 3 minutes at 10 degrees C. The wafer was then removed from the solution and rinsed with deionized water for one minute and dried at room temperature. The wafer was weighed. The amount of etching on both sides of the wafer was calculated to be 4.5 mm using a conventional method from the weight loss during texturing, area of the wafer and density of silicon. There were no observable exposed grain boundaries. The reflectance of the wafer was then measured. Reflectance was recorded in 10 nm increments from an incident light wavelength range of 1100 nm down to 400 nm. The average % reflectance was then calculated by the reflectometer for the range. The average incident light reflectance was determined to be 25.44% which was above the preferred reflectance of less than or equal to 20%. An isotropic acidic aqueous texturing solution (test) comprising (wt.%): tetramethyl ammonium hydroxide (5.25), hydrogen peroxide (0.7), ammonium bifluoride (10.25) and water (balance) was prepared. A bulk-doped polycrystalline silicon wafer was weighed and its weight was recorded. It was then immersed into the solution for 12 minutes at 85 degrees C. The pH of the solution was 4. The wafer was then removed from the solution and rinsed with deionized water and air dried. The wafer was then weighed and the amount of silicon etched from each side of the wafer was determined to be 4.42 mm. There were no observable exposed grain boundaries. The reflectance of the wafer was then measured. Reflectance was recorded in 10 nm increments at a wavelength range of 1100 nm down to 400 nm. The average % reflectance was then calculated by the reflectometer for the range. The average incident light reflectance was determined to be 17.68%. Texturing with the test composition provided a polycrystalline wafer which showed reduced incident light reflectance in contrast to that of the control acid mixture formulation.