Silver nanostructure arrays abundant in sub-5nm gaps as highly Raman-enhancing substrates

Abstract Two types of highly Raman-enhancing arrays substrates were fabricated using anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) templates by controlling the AAO template temperature and evaporated silver thickness during e-beam evaporating: complex patterned Ag nanoparticle arrays abundant in sub-5 nm gaps (type I); hexagonal Ag nanopore arrays (type II). The surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) enhancement factors (EF) of both substrates are estimated experimentally to exceed 10 5 , especially that of type I reaches 10 7 due to the existence of numerous sub-5 nm gaps. The simulation using finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method confirmed that gap effect has significantly improved the substrates’ SERS activity.