Modulating Mechanism of the LSPR and SERS in Ag/ITO Film: Carrier Density Effect

Herein, we fabricated a uniform and dispersible Ag/indium tin oxide (ITO) cosputtered film on a two-dimensional ordered polystyrene template and observed distinct localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) properties that can be tuned by changing the doping level. The increase in the optical band gap is due to the variation in the metallic Ag content, which can effectively change the accumulation of free electrons in the conduction band, in addition to the near-IR absorbance. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) was used to monitor the variations in the band gap and transfer of electrons, which causes variations in the SERS intensity. The presented research provides new insights into the relationships between the carrier density and maximum absorption wavelength, band gap distribution, and charge transfer process. This is the first study on the influence of the carrier density on the properties of Ag/ITO cosputtered films and suggests practical applications of these films.