Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 28, 2025
Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Detection of Biomolecules Using EBL Fabricated Nanostructured Substrates
Published on: March 20, 2015
Spatially Controlled Fabrication of Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Hot Spots through Photoinduced Dewetting of
Han-Kyu Choi1, Sang-Min Park1, Jeeyoon Jeong2
1Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea.
Abstract:
A well-designed narrow gap between noble metal nanostructures plays a prominent role in surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) to concentrate electromagnetic fields at the local point, called a "hot spot". However, SERS-active substrate fabrication remains a substantial hurdle due to the high process cost and the difficulty of engineering efficient plasmonic hot spots at the target area. In this study, we demonstrate a simple photolithographic method for generating ultrasensitive SERS hot spots at desired positions. The solid-state dewetting of a Ag thin film (thickness of ∼10 nm) using a continuous-wave laser (∼1 MW/cm2) generates a closely packed assembly of hemispherical Ag nanoislands. Some of these nanoislands provide substantial plasmonic-field enhancement that is sufficient for single-molecule detection and plasmon-catalyzed chemical reaction. Such hot spot structures can be patterned on the substrate with a spatial resolution of better than 1 μm. In integrated analytical devices, the patterned SERS hot spots can be used as position-specific chemical-sensing elements.
