The through-hole porous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membranes were fabricated by a simple two-step anodization of aluminum in 0.3 M oxalic acid, 0.3 M sulfuric acid, and 2 wt.% phosphoric acid solutions under different operating conditions followed by the removal of the remaining Al substrate and the pore opening/widening process. The effect of duration of the second anodizing step on the thickness of the porous oxide layer and the influence of other anodizing conditions such as applied voltage, type of electrolyte, and purity of the substrate on the rate of porous oxide growth were discussed in detail. The pore opening procedure for all synthesized membranes was optimized, and the influence of the duration of chemical etching on structural features of AAO membranes, especially pore diameter, was studied. The rate of pore widening was established for AAO membranes formed in various anodizing electrolytes and for different temperatures of 5 wt.% H₃PO₄ used for alumina dissolution.