Tunable surface-enhanced Raman scattering from high-density gold semishell arrays with controllable dimensions

A convenient reproducible technique is reported for the fabrication of large-area gold semishell arrays by mechanically pressing porous anodic alumina (PAA) stamps into gold/polymer bilayer structures that serve as robust and cost-efficient surface-enhanced Raman-scattering (SERS) substrates. The surface structure can be tuned further to optimize the enhancement factor according to optional PAA fabrication parameters and imprinting pressures. Finite-difference time-domain calculations indicate that the structure may possess excellent SERS characteristics due to the high density and abundance of hot spots. Tunable semishells: A convenient reproducible technique is reported for the fabrication of high-density gold semishell arrays by direct patterning on gold/polymer bilayer structures as tunable, robust, and cost-efficient surface-enhanced Raman-scattering substrates.