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Periodic Arrays of Plasmonic Ag-Coated Multiscale 3D-Structures with SERS Activity: Fabrication, Modelling and
Marta Lafuente1,2,3, Lucas J Kooijman3, Sergio G Rodrigo2,4
1Departamento de Ingeniería Química y Tecnologías del Medio Ambiente, Campus Rio Ebro, C/Maria de Luna s/n, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain.
Micromachines
|September 28, 2024
Summary
Researchers developed novel 3D-structured silver-coated specimens for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). These structures demonstrate high sensitivity and uniformity, overcoming key limitations for advanced sensing applications.
Area of Science:
- Nanotechnology
- Spectroscopy
- Materials Science
Background:
- Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is a powerful sensing technique.
- Current SERS applications are limited by the uniformity and sensitivity of plasmonic structures.
- Developing reliable and sensitive SERS substrates is crucial for widespread adoption.
Purpose of the Study:
- To fabricate and characterize novel 3D-structured SERS specimens.
- To enhance the uniformity and sensitivity of SERS substrates.
- To investigate the relationship between structure and SERS performance.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of periodic arrays of 3D-octahedron-on-pyramid structures using silicon micro/nanofabrication.
- Coating of structures with silver.
- Characterization using analytical enhancement factor (AEF) and relative standard deviation (RSD).
- Finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations to understand electromagnetic field localization.
- Sensitivity evaluation using 4-nitrobenzenethiol (4-NBT) and a portable Raman spectrophotometer.
Main Results:
- Achieved an analytical enhancement factor (AEF) of 3.9 × 10^7 with structures as small as 0.7 µm.
- Demonstrated high uniformity with a relative standard deviation (RSD) below 20%.
- FDTD simulations confirmed strong electromagnetic field localization at the 3D structure edges and surfaces, explaining signal amplification.
Conclusions:
- The developed multiscale 3D-structures offer a promising platform for highly sensitive and uniform SERS sensing.
- This fabrication approach overcomes key limitations of current SERS techniques.
- The findings pave the way for advanced applications of SERS in various fields.
