Large-Area Nanostructured Substrates For Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy

We demonstrate substantial enhancement of Raman transitions of organic molecules by nanostructured gold-coated substrates at the excitation wavelength of 785 nm and experimentally study the factors that influence the enhancement. The substrates are fabricated by using a robust and cost-effective nanopatterning technique that allows us to create high-density gold- or silver-coated nanopillars simultaneously on the whole surface of a standard silicon wafer. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4707158]