Longqing Chen

Electron-beam lithography of gold nanostructures for surface-enhanced Raman scattering

The fabrication of nanostructured substrates with precisely controlled geometries and arrangements plays an important role in studies of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). Here, we present two processes based on electron-beam lithography to fabricate gold nanostructures for SERS. One process involves making use of metal lift-off and the other involves the use of the plasma etching. These two processes allow the successful fabrication of gold nanostructures with various kinds of geometrical shapes and different periodic arrangements. 4-mercaptopyridine (4-MPy) and Rhodamine 6G (R6G) molecules are used to probe SERS signals on the nanostructures. The SERS investigations on the nanostructured substrates demonstrate that the gold nanostructured substrates have resulted in large SERS enhancement, which is highly dependent on the geometrical shapes and arrangements of the gold nanostructures.

Improved surface-enhanced Raman scattering on arrays of gold quasi-3D nanoholes

Arrays of gold quasi-3D nanoholes were proposed and fabricated as substrates for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). By detecting rhodamine 6G (R6G) molecules, the gold quasi-3D nanoholes demonstrated an SERS intensity that was 25–62 times higher than that of two-dimensional nanoholes with the same geometrical shapes and periodicities. The larger SERS enhancement of the quasi-3D nanoholes is attributed to the enhanced electromagnetic field on the top-layer nanohole, the bottom nanodiscs and the field coupling between the two layers. In addition, the investigation of the shape dependence of the SERS on the quasi-3D nanoholes demonstrated that the quadratic, circular, triangular and rhombic holes exhibited different SERS properties. Numerical simulations of the electromagnetic properties on the nanostructures were performed with CST Microwave Studio, and the results agree with the experimental observations. (Some figures may appear in colour only in the online journal)

Patterning cell using Si-stencil for high-throughput assay

In this communication, we report a newly developed cell pattering methodology by a silicon-based stencil, which exhibited advantages such as easy handling, reusability, hydrophilic surface and mature fabrication technologies. Cell arrays obtained by this method were used to investigate cell growth under a temperature gradient, which demonstrated the possibility of studying cell behavior in a high-throughput assay.

Bending-induced electromechanical coupling and large piezoelectric response in a micromachined diaphragm

We investigated the dependence of electromechanical coupling and the piezoelectric response of a micromachined Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3 (PZT) diaphragm on its curvature by observing the impedance spectrum and central deflection responses to a small AC voltage. The curvature of the diaphragm was controlled by applying air pressure to its back. We found that a depolarized flat diaphragm does not initially exhibit electromechanical coupling or the piezoelectric response. However, upon the application of static air pressure to the diaphragm, both electromechanical coupling and the piezoelectric response can be induced in the originally depolarized diaphragm. The piezoelectric response increases as the curvature increases and a giant piezoelectric response can be obtained from a bent diaphragm. The obtained results clearly demonstrate that a high strain gradient in a diaphragm can polarize a PZT film through a flexoelectric effect, and that the induced piezoelectric response of the diaphragm can be controlled by adjusting its curvature.