Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy on an As-deposited Fano Resonance Multilayer Substrate

In this work, we exploit the use of non-patterned multilayerthinfilms as substrates for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS)investigation. An appropriate selection of materials and thicknessallows obtaining Fano resonance exhibiting high peak reflection atthe same working wavelength of SERS apparatus. The proposed systemis constituted by Ti/Ag/ZnO/Ag/Ti deposited on a glass substrate bya sputtering technique. The SERS effect provided by the Fano resonancewas investigated by micro-Raman spectroscopy through the analysisof solutions of lithium perchlorate in propylene carbonate at saltconcentrations of 0.1, 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 M and compared to a referencesubstrate (glass substrate) with an average enhancement of all thebands around 3. The high flexibility in obtaining easily differentresonance wavelengths combined with low cost and large area fabricationtechnology represents the main advantage of the proposed multilayersystem for SERS investigation.

Automated summary

In this work, non-patterned multilayer thin films were used as substrates for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) investigation. The materials and thickness were carefully selected to achieve Fano resonance at the same wavelength of the SERS apparatus. The proposed Ti/Ag/ZnO/Ag/Ti system deposited on a glass substrate exhibited high SERS enhancement compared to a glass substrate.