Plasmonic 3D-structures based on silver decorated nanotips for biological sensing

• Ag decorated nanotips were fabricated as efficient 3D plasmonic devices.
• Electron Beam Induced Deposition and Silver Electroless Deposition techniques were used.
• Localization and density of the deposited Ag particles depend on tip geometry.
• The size of Ag particles is controlled by the concentration of deposition solution.
• An array of silver decorated nanotips shows Raman active sites only on cones.

Recent progresses in nanotechnology fabrication gives the opportunity to build highly functional nano-devices. 3D structures based on noble metals or covered by them can be realized down to the nano-scales, obtaining different devices with the functionalities of plasmonic nano-lenses or nano-probes. Here, nano-cones decorated with silver nano-grains were fabricated using advanced nano-fabrication techniques. In fabricating the cones, the angle of the apex was varied over a significant range and, in doing so, different geometries were realized. In depositing the silver nano-particles, the concentration of solution was varied, whereby different growth conditions were realized. The combined effect of tip geometry and growth conditions influences the size and distribution of the silver nano grains. The tips have the ability to guide or control the growth of the grains, in the sense that the nano-particles would preferentially distribute along the cone, and especially at the apex of the cone, with no o minor concentration effects on the substrate. The arrangement of metallic nano-particles into three-dimensional (3D) structures results in a Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) device with improved interface with analytes compared to bi-dimensional arrays of metallic nanoparticles. In the future, similar devices may find application in microfluidic devices, and in general in flow chambers, where the system can be inserted as to mimic a a nano-bait, for the recognition of specific biomarkers, or the manipulation and chemical investigation of single cells directly in native environments with good sensitivity, repeatability and selectivity.