title: Preparation of gold nano-cones as surface-enhanced Raman scattering sensors for molecule detection.
abstract: Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is a powerful novel analytical tool which integrates high levels of sensitivity for trace analysis of chemical and biomolecular species due to the massive enhancement of Raman signals by using nanometre-sized metal particles. However, SERS can be envisaged as an analytical tool only if substrates with strong, predictable and reproducible SERS enhancement can be produced. Here we have developed one simple Ar+ ions sputtering technology to prepare gold nano-cones array on silicon substrates as surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-active substrates. The tip of the gold cone-structures exhibited an extremely sharp curvature with an apex diameter of 20 nm and the interior apex angle of the nanocones was around 20 degrees. These samples were evaluated as potential SERS substrates using Rhodamine 6G molecules as molecule probe and exhibited SERS enhancement factor of greater than 10, originated from the localized electron field enhancement around the apex of cones and the surface plasmon coupling of periodic structures.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of High Performance Ceramics and Superfine Microstructure, Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200050, PR China.
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Zhengren
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nogami
authors.forename: Masaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tanemura
authors.forename: Kohei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
authors.forename: Zhi-Yuan
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Fei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Ying-Ping
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Huang