Silicon nano-structure fabrication and application for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

We demonstrated fabrication of black silicon with slanted nano-pillar array on both planar and 3D micro- and mesoscale structures produced by a high-throughput lithography-free oblique-angle plasma etching process. Nano-pillars with gradual change in height were created on the same piece of silicon. The relation between the slant angle of nano-pillars and incident angle of directional plasma is experimentally investigated. In order to demonstrate the monolithic integration of nano-structures on micro- and mesoscale nonplanar surfaces, a nano-pillar forest is fabricated on nonplanar silicon surfaces in various morphologies such as silicon atomic force microscopy (AFM) tips and pyramidal pits. By integrating nano-pillars on inverse silicon micro-pyramid array devices, we further improved the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) enhancement property of this optimized commercial SERS substrate by severalfold even when using 66% less noble metal coating. We investigated the length gradient dependence and asymmetric properties of SERS effects for slanted nano-pillar with polarized excitation. This versatile and angle-controllable nano-pillar fabrication and monolithic 3D nano–micro–meso integration method provides new dimensions for production and optimization of SERS and other nano-photonic sensors.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.S.

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Electrical & Computer Engr

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2015

Author dc:creator

• Jiang, Jing

• nano
• fabrication
• Raman
• spectroscopy
• silicon

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2015 Jing Jiang

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/78549

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/78549