Fabrication of gold nanoparticle-embedded nanochannels for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

A micro/nanofluidic device including linearly-arranged gold nanoparticles embedded into nanochannels was developed toward highly-sensitive Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) of multicomponent analysis with low background signal. The nanochannels array was fabricated by a “photo”-lithography-based process without costly and time-consuming process such as an electron beam lithography and a focused-ion-beam etching. Then particles with diameters of 100 nm are linearly arranged into the nanochannels by a nanotrench-guided self-assembly process followed by microchannel fabrication for introducing solutions. The device was successfully fabricated and it was evaluated for SERS. The fabricated structure was active for SERS analysis with 4,4´-bypiridine as a target molecule.