Compact Surface Plasmon Resonance System with Au/Si Schottky Barrier

Area of Science:

• Optoelectronics
• Chemical Sensing
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) is a powerful technique for bio/chemical sensing.
• Traditional SPR systems often face practical limitations due to size, cost, and complex optical setups.
• The need for compact, cost-effective SPR sensors for practical applications is evident.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and demonstrate a novel, compact SPR sensor for quantifying ethanol concentration.
• To overcome the size and cost barriers of conventional SPR systems.
• To enable real-time monitoring of chemical analytes using SPR technology.

Main Methods:

• Development of a compact SPR system utilizing a Schottky barrier for electrical detection of hot electrons.
• Elimination of moving parts and variable wavelength/angle optics for simplified design.
• Quantification of ethanol concentration by analyzing the angle dependence of the SPR current.

Main Results:

• The novel SPR sensor successfully quantified ethanol concentration.
• Observed changes in SPR current angle dependence correlated with increasing ethanol concentrations.
• Demonstrated the capability for real-time monitoring of ethanol concentration using the developed system.

Conclusions:

• A small, inexpensive SPR sensor with no moving parts and electrical detection is feasible.
• The proposed SPR system effectively quantifies ethanol concentration.
• This technology offers a practical solution for real-time chemical sensing applications.