Nanogap structure having ultrasmall void between metal cores and molecular sensing apparatus and method using the same, and method for preparing the nanogap structure by selective etching
AssigneeIndustry-University Cooperation Foundation Sogang University
InventorsTaewook Kang, Yuna Sin
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Abstract
By forming a monolayer of metal core-shell nanoparticles, transferring the monolayer to various substrates and removing the shells surrounding the particles by way of selective etching, it is possible to form large-area uniform nanogap structures very easily. In addition, a nanogap is formed by an ultrasmall void having no limitation in diffusion between metal cores through Van der Waals interaction between the metal core particles, as the etching proceeds. It is possible to enhance a near-field significantly around the nanogap structure.
Claims13
A method for preparing a nanogap structure, comprising:
- providing nanoparticles, each of said nanoparticles consisting of a metal core and a shell surrounding the core;
- and
- removing the shell from each of said nanoparticles to obtain metal particles and to form a void between the metal particles,
- wherein, in the nanogap structure, the metal particles consist of a metal without a linker molecule including DNA attached to the metal at outside of the metal;
- and
- wherein a nanogap of the nanogap structure is provided by the void, and
- wherein analyte molecules in the nanogap provided by the void freely diffuse without a limitation which is caused by the linker molecule,
- wherein the nanogap provided by the void shows a near-field enhancement, and
- wherein the removed shell consists of at least one selected from the group consisting of Au, Ag, Cu, Pt, Pd, Si (silicon), SiO2 (silica), Al, Al2O3 (aluminum oxide), PS (polystyrene), Ti (titanium) and TiO2 (titanium dioxide).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.