Nanoparticle-decorated ceramic as substrate in surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Laser-assisted method for fabrication of nanoparticles on the surface of ceramic substrate is presented. The method is based on laser dewetting of thin metal film deposited on the substrate. Using this technique, gold nanoparticles on alumina ceramic surface are fabricated. It is shown that the processing parameters can influence the properties of the fabricated structure, as at certain conditions a homogeneous cover of nanoparticles with narrow size distribution can be achieved. The processed surfaces are tested as substrates in surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy of a standard dye. The efficiency of the substrates is estimated by the ability of detection of the dye at nM concentration and it is compared to that of thin gold film on ceramic substrate. The strongest enhancement is observed for the sample where Au film is not completely decomposed and the structure consists of thin film and nanoparticles aggregates. The proposed method has potential application in fabrication of cheap and reliable substrates for Raman spectroscopy analysis with high sensitivity and also in catalysis.