Improved surface-enhanced Raman scattering of patterned gold nanoparticles deposited on silicon nanoporous pillar arrays

► A new synthesized composite structure, a patterned gold/silicon nanoporous pillar array (Au/Si-NPA) made by depositing Au on Si-NPA using conventional thermal evaporation method, can be used as a surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate. Its surface component and morphology were analyzed by X-ray diffraction and field-emission scanning electron microscopy, respectively. It was found that the surface was a continuous Au nanoparticle film evenly covered the surface of Si/NPA. The composite structure is strongly SERS active using rhodamine 6G as probe molecules, which is mainly due to the patterned hierarchical Au structure, and good reproducibility which is attributed to Au nanoparticles with narrow particle-size distribution uniformly coated on the surface.