title: Laser hybrid micro/nano-structuring of Si surfaces in air and its applications for SERS detection.
abstract: Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) has been widely investigated as an effective technique for low-concentration bio-chemical molecules detection. A rapid two-step approach to fabricate SERS substrates with high controllability in ambient air is developed. Dynamic laser ablation directly creates microgroove on the Si substrate. Meanwhile, nanoparticles are synthesized via the nucleation of laser induced plasma species and the air molecules. It configures the Si surface into four different regions decorated with nanoparticles at different sizes. With Ag film coating, these nanoparticles function as hotspots for SERS. Microsquare arrays are fabricated on the Si surface as large-area SERS substrates by the laser ablation in horizontal and vertical directions. In each microsquare, it exhibits quasi-3D structures with randomly arranged and different shaped nanoparticles aggregated in more than one layer. With Ag film deposition, uniform SERS signals are obtained by detecting the 4-methylbenzenethiol molecules. The SERS signal intensity is determined by the size and shape distributions of the nanoparticles, which depend on the laser processing parameters. With the optimal laser fluence, the SERS signals show a uniform enhancement factor up to 5.5 × 10(6). This provides a high-speed and low-cost method to produce SERS substrates over a large area.
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 3. 117576, Singapore [2] Institute of Materials Research and Engineering, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 3 Research Link. 117602, Singapore [3] NUS Environmental Research Institute, National University of Singapore, 5A Engineering Drive 1, #02-01. 117411, Singapore.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 3. 117576, Singapore.
authors.forename: Jiabao
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 3. 117576, Singapore.
authors.forename: Zheren
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Du
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Physics and State Key Laboratory for Mesoscopic Physics, Peking University, 100871 Beijing, China [2] Collaborative Innovation Center of Quantum Matter, Beijing 100871, China.
authors.forename: Qihuang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.affiliation: Institute of Materials Research and Engineering, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 3 Research Link. 117602, Singapore.
authors.forename: Jinghua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Teng
authors.affiliation: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 3. 117576, Singapore.
authors.forename: Minghui
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hong