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Hierarchical Electrohydrodynamic Structures for Surface‐Enhanced Raman Scattering
Author(s) -
GoldbergOppenheimer Pola,
Mahajan Sumeet,
Steiner Ullrich
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
advanced materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 10.707
H-Index - 527
eISSN - 1521-4095
pISSN - 0935-9648
DOI - 10.1002/adma.201104159
Subject(s) - materials science , nanotechnology , raman scattering , fabrication , nanostructure , lithography , electrohydrodynamics , nanoscopic scale , nanosphere lithography , raman spectroscopy , optoelectronics , optics , electric field , medicine , physics , alternative medicine , pathology , quantum mechanics
Surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a well‐established spectroscopic technique that requires nanoscale metal structures to achieve high signal sensitivity. While most SERS substrates are manufactured by conventional lithographic methods, the development of a cost‐effective approach to create nanostructured surfaces is a much sought‐after goal in the SERS community. Here, a method is established to create controlled, self‐organized, hierarchical nanostructures using electrohydrodynamic (HEHD) instabilities. The created structures are readily fine‐tuned, which is an important requirement for optimizing SERS to obtain the highest enhancements. HEHD pattern formation enables the fabrication of multiscale 3D structured arrays as SERS‐active platforms. Importantly, each of the HEHD‐patterned individual structural units yield a considerable SERS enhancement. This enables each single unit to function as an isolated sensor. Each of the formed structures can be effectively tuned and tailored to provide high SERS enhancement, while arising from different HEHD morphologies. The HEHD fabrication of sub‐micrometer architectures is straightforward and robust, providing an elegant route for high‐throughput biological and chemical sensing.