Substrates for surface enhanced raman spectroscopy

Abstract

Methods for fabricating metal nano-particle embedded enhancement substrates used for surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) including ion implanting metal nano-particles into the substrate and etching the substrate to partially expose the metal nano-particles. The resulting material is useful as a SERS substrate for detection of molecules adsorbed on it by surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy.

1 . A substrate for surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) comprising:
 a matrix material including:
 a surface having: 
 surface, near-surface, or subsurface metal nano-particles formed therein by implanting a dose of negatively or positively charged metal ions in the matrix material. 
   
     
     
         2 . The substrate of  claim 1 , wherein the dose exceeds a solubility limit of the metal ions in the matrix material. 
     
     
         3 . The substrate of  claim 1 , wherein some of the metal nano-particles are exposed or partially exposed by stretching the substrate. 
     
     
         4 . The substrate of  claim 1 , wherein the metals are selected from the group consisting of alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, transition metals, lanthanide metals, actinide metals and mixtures or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The substrate of  claim 1 , wherein the metals are selected from the group consisting of ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, silver, osmium, iridium, platinum, gold, and mixtures or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The substrate of  claim 1 , wherein the metals are selected from the group consisting of copper, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, silver, osmium, iridium, platinum, gold, and mixtures or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The substrate of  claim 1 , wherein the metals are selected from the group consisting of silver, gold, copper, and mixtures or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The substrate of  claim 1 , wherein the matrix material is selected from the group consisting of a semiconducting material, an insulating material, a conducting substrate, and mixtures or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         9 . The substrate of  claim 8 , wherein the insulating material is a surface of a tip of an optical fiber. 
     
     
         10 . The substrate of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the nano-particles are substrate surface,   the nano-particles have a largest dimension ranging between about 0.01 nm and about 200 nm;   the nano-particles have shapes that are spherical or near spherical in shape, and   the nano-particles have an inter-particle separation of less than 50 nm.   
     
     
         11 . The substrate of  claim 1 , wherein the nano-particles ion implanted in the substrate surface includes particles having a largest diameter ranging between about 1.0 nm and about 10 nm; having shapes that are spherical or near spherical in shape, and having an inter-particle separation of less than 2 nm. 
     
     
         12 . A substrate for use in surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy comprising:
 an optical fiber comprising a matrix material and including a tip having a surface including surface, near-surface, or subsurface metal nano-particles formed therein, where the metal nano-particles are ion implanted into the surface of the tip as negative metal ions at a concentration sufficient to form the nano-particles.   
     
     
         13 . The substrate of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the metals are selected alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, transition metals, lanthanide metals, actinide metals or mixtures and combinations thereof, and   the matrix material is selected from the group consisting of a semiconducting material, an insulating material, a conducting substrate, and mixtures or combinations thereof.   
     
     
         14 . The substrate of  claim 12 , wherein the nano-particles ion implanted in the substrate surface includes particles having a largest diameter ranging between about 0.01 nm and about 200 nm; having shapes that are spherical or near spherical in shape, and having an inter-particle separation of less than 50 nm. 
     
     
         15 . The substrate of  claim 12 , wherein, the nano-particles ion implanted in the substrate surface includes particles having a largest diameter ranging between about 0.1 nm and about 20 nm; having shapes that are spherical or near spherical in shape, and having an inter-particle separation of less than 20 nm. 
     
     
         16 . The substrate of  claim 12 , wherein the nano-particles ion implanted in the substrate surface includes particles having a largest diameter ranging between about 1.0 nm and about 10 nm; having shapes that are spherical or near spherical in shape, and having an inter-particle separation of less than 2 nm. 
     
     
         17 . A probe for enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) comprising:
 a tip comprising a matrix material and including a surface having surface, near-surface, or subsurface metal nano-particles formed therein via implanting metal ions into the surface of the tip at a dose sufficient to form the nanoparticles in the surface of the matrix material.   
     
     
         18 . The probe of  claim 17 , wherein:
 the metals are selected from the group consisting of alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, transition metals, lanthanide metals, actinide metals or mixtures and combinations thereof, and   the matrix material is selected from the group consisting of a semiconducting material, an insulating material, a conducting substrate, and mixtures or combinations thereof.   
     
     
         19 . The probe of  claim 17 , wherein:
 the nano-particles have a largest dimension ranging between about 0.01 nm and about 200 nm,   the nano-particles have shapes including spherical or near spherical, and   the nano-particles have an inter-particle separation of less than 50 nm.   
     
     
         20 . The probe of  claim 17 , wherein:
 the nano-particles are substrate surface,   the nano-particles have a largest dimension ranging between about 0.1 nm and about 20 nm or between about 1.0 nm and about 10 nm,   the nano-particles have shapes including spherical or near spherical, and   the nano-particle have an inter-particle separation of less than 20 nm or less than 2 nm.