Controlling SERS intensity by tuning the size and height of a silver nanoparticle array

It is demonstrated that the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) intensity of R6G molecules adsorbed on a Ag nanoparticle array can be controlled by tuning the size and height of the nanoparticles. A firm Ag nanoparticle array was fabricated on glass substrate by using nanosphere lithography (NSL) combined with reactive ion etching (RIE). Different sizes of Ag nanoparticles were fabricated with seed polystyrene nanospheres ranging from 430 nm to 820 nm in diameter. By depositing different thicknesses of Ag film and lifting off nanospheres from the surface of the substrate, the height of the Ag nanoparticles can be tuned. It is observed that the SERS enhancement factor will increase when the size of the Ag nanoparticles decreases and the deposition thickness of the Ag film increases. An enhancement factor as high as 2×106 can be achieved when the size of the polystyrene nanospheres is 430 nm in diameter and the height of the Ag nanoparticles is 96 nm. By using a confocal Raman mapping technique, we also demonstrate that the intensity of Raman scattering is enhanced due to the local surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) occurring in the Ag nanoparticle array. © 2010 Springer-Verlag.