Highly sensitive and reproducible silicon-based surface-enhanced Raman scattering sensors for real applications

During the past few decades, thanks to silicon nanomaterials' outstanding electronic/optical/mechanical properties, large surface-to-volume ratio, abundant surface chemistry, facile tailorability and good compatibility with modern semiconductor industry, different dimensional silicon nanostructures have been widely employed for rationally designing and fabricating high-performance surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensors for the detection of various chemical and biological species. Among these, two-dimensional silicon nanostructures made of metal nanoparticle-modified silicon wafers and three-dimensional silicon nanostructures made of metal nanoparticle-decorated SiNW arrays are of particular interest, and have been extensively exploited as promising silicon-based SERS-active substrates for the construction of high-performance SERS sensors. With an aim to retrospect these important and exciting achievements, we herein focus on reviewing recent representative studies on silicon-based SERS sensors for sensing applications from a broad perspective and possible future direction, promoting readers' awareness of these novel powerful silicon-based SERS sensing technologies. Firstly, we summarize the two unique merits of silicon-based SERS sensors, and those are high sensitivity and good reproducibility. Next, we present recent advances of two- and three-dimensional silicon-based SERS sensors, especially for real applications. Finally, we discuss the major challenges and prospects for the development of silicon-based SERS sensors.