Microfabrication of a new sensor based on silver and silicon nanomaterials, and its application to the enrichment and detection of bovine serum albumin via surface-enhanced Raman scattering

A microchannel with a length of 40 mm, a width of 65 mu m and a depth of 35 mu m was fabricated on Si wafer via wet etching. This channel, composed of a silicon nanowire array and silver nanoparticles, served to enrich and detect bovine serum albumin as it yielded strong surface-enhanced Raman scattering at concentrations as low as 1 pM. The silver nanoparticles played two important roles: catalysts in the wet etching to produce the silicon nanowire array, and surface enhancers in Raman detection.