# US 8,786,852 B2 · Nanoscale array structures suitable for surface enhanced raman scattering and methods related thereto

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- Number: US 8,786,852 B2
- Document ID: US8786852B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 12/957,883
- Filed: 2010-12-01
- Published: 2011-06-02
- Granted: 2014-07-22
- Earliest claimed: 2009-12-02
- Assignees: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC; The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois
- Applicants: Tiziana C. Bond; Robin Miles; James C. Davidson; Gang Logan Liu
- Inventors: Tiziana C. Bond; Robin Miles; James C. Davidson; Gang Logan Liu
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8786852B2

## CPC

- G01N 21/658: {enhancement Raman, e.g. surface plasmons}
- B81C 1/00373: {Selective deposition, e.g. printing or microcontact printing}
- B82Y 20/00: Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
- G01N 21/01: Arrangements or apparatus for facilitating the optical investigation
- B82Y 15/00: Nanotechnology for interacting, sensing or actuating, e.g. quantum dots as markers in protein assays or molecular motors
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)
- B81C: PROCESSES OR APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF MICROSTRUCTURAL DEVICES OR SYSTEMS (making microcapsules or microballoons B01J13/02; processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment of piezoelectric, electrostrictive or magnetostrictive elements per se H10N30/01)
- B82Y: SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MEASUREMENT OR ANALYSIS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF NANOSTRUCTURES

## Abstract

Methods for fabricating nanoscale array structures suitable for surface enhanced Raman scattering, structures thus obtained, and methods to characterize the nanoscale array structures suitable for surface enhanced Raman scattering. Nanoscale array structures may comprise nanotrees, nanorecesses and tapered nanopillars.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of measuring a local electric field intensity with nanometer resolution for an array structure in surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), the method comprising:
providing a structure comprising:
a planar substrate,
an array of nanopillars on the planar substrate, the array of nanopillars substantially perpendicular to the planar substrate and having a substantially cylindrical shape,
a metal drop having a substantially spherical shape on each nanopillar of the array of nanopillars, and
a second metal covering a surface of the planar substrate;
placing a plurality of semiconductor quantum dots or artificial fluorophore molecules in a plurality of hot spots in the structure; and
measuring a photoluminescence and/or a fluorescence spectroscopy and calculating the expected local electric field intensity based on quantum-confined Stark effect, thus measuring the local electric field intensity with nanometer resolution for the structure.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the planar substrate and the array of nanopillars are selected from the group consisting of: silicon dioxide, fused silica, sapphire, silicon, and compound semiconductors.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the second metal is selected from the group consisting of: silver, gold, aluminum, iridium platinum, palladium, and copper.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein size, gap width and height of the array of the nanopillars and size, gap width and height of the metal drops on the array of the nanopillars are configured to enable surface enhancement of Raman scattering (SERS).

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising a dielectric material covering and filling a region between the metal drops and between the nanopillars.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein a gap width between the metal drops on the array of nanopillars is less than approximately 50 nm.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein a gap width between the metal drops on the array of nanopillars is less than approximately 10 nm.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, the structure being a SERS substrate.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the measuring the local field intensity comprises applying optical excitation to a SERS hot spot of the plurality of hot spots and measuring a quantum dot bandgap change.