Characterization of metallic nano-particles via surface wave scattering: A. Theoretical framework and formulation

Characterization of nano-size particles and structures are crucial for successful application of self-assembly processes that lead to bottom-up machining and manufacturing concepts. Conventional light-based approaches cannot be used for these purposes, mainly because the particle and structure sizes are much smaller than the wavelength of visible light. To overcome this problem, we are in the process of developing a diagnostic tool based on surface-wave scattering. In this paper, we outline the governing equations required to describe the scattering of the electromagnetic field by a particle located near a film. The formulation given here is for a general case; a special application of this work to surface waves can be obtained by considering the fields propagating at near grazing angles. This work constitutes the theoretical frame work needed for the characterization of nano-particles on or above a thin metallic film via scattered surface waves, which is outlined in Part B (JQSRT (2004)).