Plasmonics for improved photovoltaic devices

Plasmonic antenna effects on photochemical reactions

Efficient solar energy conversion has been vigorously pursued since the 1970s, but its large-scale implementation hinges on the availability of high-efficiency modules. For maximum efficiency, it is important to absorb most of the incoming radiation, which necessitates both efficient photoexcitation and minimal electron-hole recombination. To date, researchers have primarily focused on the latter difficulty: finding a strategy to effectively separate photoinduced electrons and holes. Very few reports have been devoted to broadband sunlight absorption and photoexcitation. However, the currently available photovoltaic cells, such as amorphous silicon, and even single-crystal silicon and sensitized solar cells, cannot respond to the wide range of the solar spectrum. The photoelectric conversion characteristics of solar cells generally decrease in the infrared wavelength range. Thus, the fraction of the solar spectrum absorbed is relatively poor. In addition, the large mismatch between the diffraction limit of light and the absorption cross-section makes the probability of interactions between photons and cell materials quite low, which greatly limits photoexcitation efficiency. Therefore, there is a pressing need for research aimed at finding conditions that lead to highly efficient photoexcitation over a wide spectrum of sunlight, particularly in the visible to near-infrared wavelengths. As characterized in the emerging field of plasmonics, metallic nanostructures are endowed with optical antenna effects. These plasmonic antenna effects provide a promising platform for artificially sidestepping the diffraction limit of light and strongly enhancing absorption cross-sections. Moreover, they can efficiently excite photochemical reactions between photons and molecules close to an optical antenna through the local field enhancement. This technology has the potential to induce highly efficient photoexcitation between photons and molecules over a wide spectrum of sunlight, from visible to near-infrared wavelengths. In this Account, we describe our recent work in using metallic nanostructures to assist photochemical reactions for augmenting photoexcitation efficiency. These studies investigate the optical antenna effects of coupled plasmonic gold nanoblocks, which were fabricated with electron-beam lithography and a lift-off technique to afford high resolution and nanometric accuracy. The two-photon photoluminescence of gold and the resulting nonlinear photopolymerization on gold nanoblocks substantiate the existence of enhanced optical field domains. Local two-photon photochemical reactions due to weak incoherent light sources were identified. The optical antenna effects support the unprecedented realization of (i) direct photocarrier injection from the gold nanorods into TiO(2) and (ii) efficient and stable photocurrent generation in the absence of electron donors from visible (450 nm) to near-infrared (1300 nm) wavelengths.

Engineering the plasmon resonance of large area bimetallic nanoparticle films by laser nanostructuring for chemical sensors

Large area fabrication of metal alloy nanoparticles with tunable surface plasmon resonances on low-cost substrates is reported. A UV excimer laser was used to anneal 5 nm thick Ag Au bilayer films deposited with different composition ratios to create alloy nanoparticles. These engineered surfaces are used to investigate how the wavelength of the surface plasmon resonance affects the optical detection capability of chemical species by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy.

Orientation-preserving transfer and directional light scattering from individual light-bending nanoparticles

A nanocup, or semishell, is an asymmetric plasmonic "Janus" nanoparticle with electric and magnetic plasmon modes; the latter scatters light in a direction controlled by nanoparticle orientation, making it the nanoscale analog of a parabolic antenna. Here we report a method for transferring nanocups from their growth substrate to oxide-terminated substrates that precisely preserves their three-dimensional orientation, enabling their use as nanophotonic components. This enables us to selectively excite and probe the electric and magnetic plasmon modes of individual nanocups, showing how the scattered light depends on the direction of incoming light and the orientation of this nanoparticle antenna.

Optical impedance matching using coupled plasmonic nanoparticle arrays

Silver nanoparticle arrays placed on top of a high-refractive index substrate enhance the coupling of light into the substrate over a broad spectral range. We perform a systematic numerical and experimental study of the light incoupling by arrays of Ag nanoparticle arrays in order to achieve the best impedance matching between light propagating in air and in the substrate. We identify the parameters that determine the incoupling efficiency, including the effect of Fano resonances in the scattering, interparticle coupling, as well as resonance shifts due to variations in the near-field coupling to the substrate and spacer layer. The optimal configuration studied is a square array of 200 nm wide, 125 nm high spheroidal Ag particles, at a pitch of 450 nm on a 50 nm thick Si(3)N(4) spacer layer on a Si substrate. When integrated over the AM1.5 solar spectral range from 300 to 1100 nm, this particle array shows 50% enhanced incoupling compared to a bare Si wafer, 8% higher than a standard interference antireflection coating. Experimental data show that the enhancement occurs mostly in the spectral range near the Si band gap. This study opens new perspectives for antireflection coating applications in optical devices and for light management in Si solar cells.

Multipolar plasmonic resonances in silver nanowire antennas imaged with a subnanometer electron probe

We detect short-range surface plasmon-polariton (SR-SPP) resonances setup in individual silver nanoantenna structures at high-spatial resolution with a scanning, subnanometer electron probe. Both even and odd multipolar resonant modes are resolved up to sixth order, and we measure their spatial distribution in relation to nanoantenna structures at energies down to 0.55 eV. Fabry-Perot type SR-SPP reflection phase shifts are calculated from direct measurements of antinode spacings in high-resolution plasmonic field maps. We observe resonant SR-SPP antinode bunching at nanoantenna terminals in high-order resonant modes, and antinode shifts in nonhomogeneous local environments. Finally, we achieve good agreement of our experimental SR-SPP maps with numerical calculations of photon excited near fields, using a novel integrated photon excitation geometry.

Emerging transparent electrodes based on thin films of carbon nanotubes, graphene, and metallic nanostructures

Transparent electrodes are a necessary component in many modern devices such as touch screens, LCDs, OLEDs, and solar cells, all of which are growing in demand. Traditionally, this role has been well served by doped metal oxides, the most common of which is indium tin oxide, or ITO. Recently, advances in nano-materials research have opened the door for other transparent conductive materials, each with unique properties. These include CNTs, graphene, metal nanowires, and printable metal grids. This review will explore the materials properties of transparent conductors, covering traditional metal oxides and conductive polymers initially, but with a focus on current developments in nano-material coatings. Electronic, optical, and mechanical properties of each material will be discussed, as well as suitability for various applications.

Reversible tuning of plasmon coupling in gold nanoparticle chains using ultrathin responsive polymer film

We demonstrate large and reversible tuning of plasmonic properties of gold nanoparticles mediated by the reversible breaking and making of linear and branched chains of gold nanoparticles adsorbed on an ultrathin (1 nm) responsive polymer film. Atomic force microscopy revealed that at pH below the isoelectric point of the polybase (extended state of the polymer chains), gold nanoparticles adsorbed on the polymer layer existed primarily as individual nanoparticles. On the other hand, at higher pH, the polymer chains transition from coil to globule (collapsed) state, resulting in the formation of linear and branched chains with strong interparticle plasmon coupling. Reversible aggregation of the nanoparticles resulted in large and reversible change in the optical properties of the metal nanostructure assemblies. In particular, we observed a large redistribution of the intensity between the individual and coupled plasmon bands and a large shift (nearly 95 nm) in the coupled plasmon band with change in pH. Large tunability of plasmonic properties of the metal nanostructure chains reported here is believed to be caused by the chain aggregates of nanoparticles and un-cross-linked state of the adsorbed polymer enabling large changes in polymer chain conformation.

Surfactant-assisted, shape-controlled synthesis of gold nanocrystals

The shape control of gold nanocrystals has attracted extensive research interest because of their unique shape-dependent properties and widespread applications. Surfactants have been frequently used in the shape-controlled synthesis of gold nanocrystals in solution. In this feature article, we summarize some of the emerging colloidal approaches towards shape-tailored gold nanocrystals with the assistance of surfactants, focusing on the roles played by surfactants in shape control. We start with a discussion on the general strategies in shape control of gold nanocrystals, which include adsorbate-directed synthesis, seed-mediated synthesis, template-assisted synthesis, and the control of growth kinetics. Then, we highlight some recent progress in the gold nanocrystal synthesis assisted by single surfactants, mixed surfactants, supramolecular surfactants, as well as metal-surfactant complex templates, which is followed by a brief description of the potential applications of shaped gold nanocrystals in catalysis and molecular sensing.

Strong geometrical dependence of the absorption of light in arrays of semiconductor nanowires

We demonstrate experimentally that arrays of base-tapered InP nanowires on top of an InP substrate form a broad band and omnidirectional absorbing medium. These characteristics are due to the specific geometry of the nanowires. Almost perfect absorption of light (higher than 97%) occurs in the system. We describe the strong optical absorption by finite-difference time-domain simulations and present the first study of the influence of the geometry of the nanowires on the enhancement of the optical absorption by arrays. Cylindrical nanowires present the highest absorption normalized to the volume fraction of the semiconductor. The absolute absorption in layers of conical nanowires is higher than that in cylindrical nanowires but requires a larger volume fraction of semiconducting material. Base-tapered nanowires, with a cylindrical top and a conical base, represent an intermediate geometry. These results set the basis for an optimized optical design of nanowire solar cells.

Resonant SPP modes supported by discrete metal nanoparticles on high-index substrates

We provide a new physical interpretation of scattering from plasmonic nanoparticles on high-index substrates. We demonstrate the excitation of different types of resonant modes on disk-shaped, Ag nanoparticles. At short wavelengths, the resonances are localised at the top of the particle, while at longer wavelengths they are localised at the Ag/substrate interface. We attribute the long wavelength resonances to geometric resonances of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) at the Ag/substrate interface. We show that particles that support resonant SPP modes have enhanced scattering cross-sections when placed directly on a high-index substrate; up to 7.5 times larger than that of a dipole scatterer with an equivalent free-space resonance. This has implications for designing scattering nanostructures for light trapping solar cells.

Enhancement of the optical transmission by mixing the metallic and dielectric nanoparticles atop the silicon substrate

We propose a structure with the metallic and dielectric nanoparticles on the surface of the silicon material and study its optical transmission properties. The structure with the radiuses of the silver and silica nanoparticles as 50 nm and 100 nm, respectively, with the gap as 8 nm between silver and silica nanoparticles is found to have the largest optical transmission into the silicon material in our simulations. The largest field intensities are on the bottom of the silver nanoparticles and these can result strong field scattering into the silicon material. From the plotting of the average power densities around the gaps and the air regions between the silver and silica nanoparticles, the light power can go thorough these regions and flow downward to the silicon material. It is also found that the light energy rotates around the bottom of the silver nanoparticles due to the strong localized surface plasmons. The rectangular arrangement of the nanoparticle structures with mixing metallic and dielectric nanoparticles are studied, and the cases for the structures with only the metallic nanoparticles or only the dielectric nanoparticles are also simulated and compared. The rectangular or hexagonal structures with mixing metallic and dielectric nanoparticles on the surface of the silicon substrate can have better optical transmission than the cases of the rectangular arrangement with only metallic or dielectric nanoparticles.

Influence of front and back grating on light trapping in microcrystalline thin-film silicon solar cells

The optics of microcrystalline thin-film silicon solar cells with textured interfaces was investigated. The surface textures lead to scattering and diffraction of the incident light, which increases the effective thickness of the solar cell and results in a higher short circuit current. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of the frontside and the backside texture on the short circuit current of microcrystalline thin-film silicon solar cells. The interaction of the front and back textures plays a major role in optimizing the overall short circuit current of the solar cell. In this study the front and back textures were approximated by line gratings to simplify the analysis of the wave propagation in the textured solar cell. The influence of the grating period and height on the quantum efficiency and the short circuit current was investigated and optimal grating dimensions were derived. The height of the front and back grating can be used to control the propagation of different diffraction orders in the solar cell. The short circuit current for shorter wavelengths (300-500 nm) is almost independent of the grating dimensions. For intermediate wavelengths (500 nm - 700 nm) the short circuit current is mainly determined by the front grating. For longer wavelength (700 nm to 1100 nm) the short circuit current is a function of the interaction of the front and back grating. An independent adjustment of the grating height of the front and the back grating allows for an increased short circuit current.

High-resolution mapping of electron-beam-excited plasmon modes in lithographically defined gold nanostructures

We demonstrate the use of high-resolution electron beam lithography to fabricate complex nanocavities with nanometric spatial and positional control. The plasmon modes of these nanostructures are then mapped using electron energy-loss spectroscopy in a scanning transmission electron microsope. This powerful combination of patterning and plasmon mapping provides direct experimental verification to theoretical predictions of plasmon hybridization theory in complex metal nanostructures and allows the determination of the full mode spectrum of such cavities.

Dressing plasmons in particle-in-cavity architectures

Placing metallic nanoparticles inside cavities, rather than in dimers, greatly improves their plasmonic response. Such particle-in-cavity (PIC) hybrid architectures are shown to produce extremely strong field enhancement at the particle-cavity junctions, arising from the cascaded focusing of large optical cross sections into small gaps. These simply constructed PIC structures produce the strongest field enhancement for coupled nanoparticles, up to 90% stronger than for a dimer. The coupling is found to follow a universal power law with particle-surface separation, both for field enhancements and resonant wavelength shifts. Significantly enhanced Raman signals are experimentally observed for molecules adsorbed in such PIC structures, in quantitive agreement with theoretical calculations. PIC architectures may have important implications in many applications, such as reliable single molecule sensing and light harvesting in plasmonic photovoltaic devices.

Nanoparticle plasmon resonances in the near-static limit

Localized surface plasmon resonances of metal nanoparticles of arbitrary shape are analyzed in the near-static limit with retardation included to the second order. Starting from the electrostatic approximation, the second-order correction to the resonant dielectric constant is expressed by means of a triple surface integral. For arbitrary nanoparticles with cylindrical symmetry we show how the triple surface integral can be significantly simplified, resulting in a computationally efficient scheme for evaluation of nanoparticle plasmon eigenresonances in the near-static limit. The approach allows for calculation of both dipolar and higher-order resonances.

Anisotropic emission from multilayered plasmon resonator nanocomposites of isotropic semiconductor quantum dots

We propose and demonstrate a nanocomposite localized surface plasmon resonator embedded into an artificial three-dimensional construction. Colloidal semiconductor quantum dots are assembled between layers of metal nanoparticles to create a highly strong plasmon-exciton interaction in the plasmonic cavity. In such a multilayered plasmonic resonator architecture of isotropic CdTe quantum dots, we observed polarized light emission of 80% in the vertical polarization with an enhancement factor of 4.4, resulting in a steady-state anisotropy value of 0.26 and reaching the highest quantum efficiency level of 30% ever reported for such CdTe quantum dot solids. Our electromagnetic simulation results are in good agreement with the experimental characterization data showing a significant emission enhancement in the vertical polarization, for which their fluorescence decay lifetimes are substantially shortened by consecutive replication of our unit cell architecture design. Such strongly plasmon-exciton coupling nanocomposites hold great promise for future exploitation and development of quantum dot plasmonic biophotonics and quantum dot plasmonic optoelectronics.

Properties of silicon dioxide layers with embedded metal nanocrystals produced by oxidation of Si:Me mixture

A two-dimensional layers of metal (Me) nanocrystals embedded in SiO2 were produced by pulsed laser deposition of uniformly mixed Si:Me film followed by its furnace oxidation and rapid thermal annealing. The kinetics of the film oxidation and the structural properties of the prepared samples were investigated by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, and transmission electron microscopy, respectively. The electrical properties of the selected SiO2:Me nanocomposite films were evaluated by measuring C-V and I-V characteristics on a metal-oxide-semiconductor stack. It is found that Me segregation induced by Si:Me mixture oxidation results in the formation of a high density of Me and silicide nanocrystals in thin film SiO2 matrix. Strong evidence of oxidation temperature as well as impurity type effect on the charge storage in crystalline Me-nanodot layer is demonstrated by the hysteresis behavior of the high-frequency C-V curves.

Angular response of thin-film organic solar cells with periodic metal back nanostrips

We theoretically study the angular response of thin-film organic solar cells with periodic Au back nanostrips. In particular, the equation of the generalized Lambert's cosine law for arbitrary periodic nanostructure is formulated. We show that the periodic strip structure achieves wide-angle absorption enhancement compared with the planar nonstrip structure for both the s- and p-polarized light, which is mainly attributed to the resonant Wood's anomalies and surface plasmon resonances, respectively. The work is important for designing and optimizing high-efficiency photovoltaic cells.

Fractal plasmonics: subdiffraction focusing and broadband spectral response by a Sierpinski nanocarpet

Plasmonic nanostructures offer a great potential to enhance light-matter interaction at the nanometer scale. The response upon illumination at a given wavelength and polarization is governed by the characteristic lengths associated to the shape and size of the nanostructure. Here, we propose the use of engineered fractal plasmonic structures to extend the degrees of freedom and the parameters available for their design. In particular, we focus on a paradigmatic fractal geometry, namely the Sierpinski carpet. We explore the possibility of using it to achieve a controlled broadband spectral response by controlling the degree of its fractal complexity. Furthermore, we investigate some other arising properties, such as subdiffraction limited focusing and its potential use for optical trapping of nano-objects. An attractive advantage of the focusing over more standard geometries, such as gap antennas, is that it occurs away from the metal surface (≈ 80 nm) at the center of the nanostructure, leaving an open space accessible to objects for enhanced light-matter interaction.

Advanced Light Trapping in Thin-film Silicon Solar Cells

Photon management is one of the key issues for improving the performance of thin-film silicon solar cells. An important part of the photon management is light trapping that helps to confine photons inside the thin absorber layers. At present light trapping is accomplished by the employment of the refractive-index matching layers at the front side and the high-reflective layers at the back contact of the solar cells and scattering of light at randomly surface-textured interfaces. In this article key issues and potential of light management in thin-film silicon solar cells are addressed. Novel approaches for light trapping are presented such as i) surface textures based on periodic diffraction gratings and modulated surface morphologies for enhanced scattering and anti-reflection, ii) metal nano-particles introducing plasmonic scattering, and iii) one-dimensional photonic-crystal-like structures for back reflectors.

Broadband plasmonic nanoantenna with an adjustable spectral response

Six-particle and eight-particle common-gap plasmonic nanoantennas are utilized to obtain a broadband spectral response when illuminated with circular and elliptical polarization. Due to the insensitivity of dipole antennas to circular polarization, the resonant structures are brought together around the common-gap to expand the spectrum of the whole system. Their ability to focus light at different frequencies is demonstrated. The spectral response is manipulated by geometrical parameters and the strength of the spectral peaks is tailored through the ellipticity of the elliptically polarized light.

High photoelectric conversion efficiency of metal phthalocyanine/fullerene heterojunction photovoltaic device

This paper introduces the fundamental physical characteristics of organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices. Photoelectric conversion efficiency is crucial to the evaluation of quality in OPV devices, and enhancing efficiency has been spurring on researchers to seek alternatives to this problem. In this paper, we focus on organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices and review several approaches to enhance the energy conversion efficiency of small molecular heterojunction OPV devices based on an optimal metal-phthalocyanine/fullerene (C₆₀) planar heterojunction thin film structure. For the sake of discussion, these mechanisms have been divided into electrical and optical sections: (1) Electrical: Modification on electrodes or active regions to benefit carrier injection, charge transport and exciton dissociation; (2) Optical: Optional architectures or infilling to promote photon confinement and enhance absorption.

Plasmonic-dielectric compound grating with high group-index and transmission

We propose a compound system consisting of a dielectric grating and a plasmonic resonance cavity embedded in the grating. Based on the interference effect between the surface mode supported by the dielectric grating and the plasmonic-induced cavity mode, this system could achieve slow light with group index more than 200 and transmission more than 75%. Meanwhile, we examine the effects of the period numbers of the compound system and photonic crystal superlattice made up of alternate layers of the grating and air on the properties of slow light.

Modeling plasmonic scattering combined with thin-film optics

Plasmonic scattering from metal nanostructures presents a promising concept for improving the conversion efficiency of solar cells. The determination of optimal nanostructures and their position within the solar cell is crucial to boost the efficiency. Therefore we established a one-dimensional optical model combining plasmonic scattering and thin-film optics to simulate optical properties of thin-film solar cells including metal nanoparticles. Scattering models based on dipole oscillations and Mie theory are presented and their integration in thin-film semi-coherent optical descriptions is explained. A plasmonic layer is introduced in the thin-film structure to simulate scattering properties as well as parasitic absorption in the metal nanoparticles. A proof of modeling concept is given for the case of metal-island grown silver nanoparticles on glass and ZnO:Al/glass substrates. Using simulations a promising application of the nanoparticle integration is shown for the case of CuGaSe(2) solar cells.

Plasmon electron-hole resonance in epitaxial graphene

The quasiparticle dynamics of the sheet plasmons in epitaxially grown graphene layers on SiC(0001) has been studied systematically as a function of temperature, intrinsic defects, influence of multilayers and carrier density using electron energy loss spectroscopy with high energy and momentum resolution. The opening of an inter-band decay channel appears as an anomalous kink in the plasmon dispersion which we describe as a resonance effect in the formation of electron-hole pairs. Due to the inevitable strong coupling of plasmons with single particle excitations in reduced dimensions, such signatures are generally expected.

Influence of plasmonic Au nanoparticles on the photoactivity of Fe₂O₃ electrodes for water splitting

An experimental study of the influence of gold nanoparticles on α-Fe(2)O(3) photoanodes for photoelectrochemical water splitting is described. A relative enhancement in the water splitting efficiency at photon frequencies corresponding to the plasmon resonance in gold was observed. This relative enhancement was observed only for electrode geometries with metal particles that were localized at the semiconductor-electrolyte interface, consistent with the observation that minority carrier transport to the electrolyte is the most significant impediment to achieving high efficiencies in this system.

Off-Resonant Optical Excitation of Gold Nanorods: Nanoscale Imprint of Polarization Surface Charge Distribution

We report on the nanoscale optical characterization of gold nanorods irradiated out of their plasmonic resonance. Our approach is based on the reticulation of a photopolymerizable formulation locally triggered by enhanced electromagnetic fields. The tiny local field enhancement stems from the surface polarization charges associated with the electric field discontinuity at the metal/dielectric interface. This allows us to get a nanoscale signature of the spatial distribution of the surface charge density in metallic nanoparticles irradiated off-resonance.

Controlling absorption enhancement in organic photovoltaic cells by patterning Au nano disks within the active layer

We show experimentally and theoretically enhancement of external quantum efficiency in the green-NIR spectrum for organic photovoltaic device, by the incorporation of patterned Au nano-disk arrays that extend from the front electrode into the active layer. Enhancement mechanisms and design rules are extracted by comprehensive simulations which match the experimental findings. The enhanced efficiency is shown to stem from field enhancement originating from both localized plasmonic resonances and periodic nano patch antennas configuration.

Optical properties of Si microwires combined with nanoneedles for flexible thin film photovoltaics

A combined wire structure, made up of longer periodic Si microwires and short nanoneedles, was prepared to enhance light absorption using one-step plasma etching via lithographical patterning. The combined wire array exhibited light absorption of up to ~97.6% from 300 to 1100 nm without an anti-reflection coating. These combined wire arrays on a Si substrate were embedded into a transparent polymer. A large-scale wire-embedded soft film was then obtained by peeling the polymer-embedded wire portion from the substrate. Optically attractive features were present in these soft films, making them suitable for use in flexible silicon solar cell applications.

Nanostructured Inorganic Solar Cells

Recent progress in the development of nanostructured inorganic solar cells is reviewed. Nanostructuring of inorganic solar cells offers the possibility of reducing the cost of photovoltaics by allowing smaller amounts of lower-grade photovoltaic semiconductors to be used. Various fabrication methods used to nanostructure traditional photovoltaic semiconductors are detailed and the performance of resulting devices is discussed. The synthesis of solar cells by solution-based methods using less traditional, abundant materials is identified as a promising route to widescale photovoltaic electricity generation, and nanostructured solar cell geometries are highlighted as essential in this approach. Templating and self-assembling methods used to produce appropriate low-cost nanostructures from solutions are detailed, and the performance of preliminary ultra-low-cost cells made with these structures is reviewed.

Nanostructure-mediated launching and detection of 2D surface plasmons

Au nanoparticles deposited on a metallic film act as nanoantenna receivers and transmitters for the coupling of free-space radiation into, and out of, 2D surface plasmons. Nanosteps, sub-10-nm gaps between metallic films of differing thickness, can also launch and detect surface plasmons. Here we use both types of structures to locally launch propagating surface plasmon waves and probe their properties. Nanoparticle-launched surface plasmons emerge as two lobes of nominally 90 degree angular width, propagating along the direction of incident polarization. Alternatively, plasmons can be launched unidirectionally, by asymmetric illumination of a nanoparticle receiver.

Fabrication of the funnel-shaped three-dimensional plasmonic tip arrays by directional photofluidization lithography

Plasmonics allow localization of an electromagnetic (EM) field into nanoscale "hotspots", a feature that is of technological significance due to potential applications related to spectroscopic sensing and nanofocusing. In relation to this, many researchers have sought to fabricate metallic nanostructures with sharp edges, as they provide much higher EM field enhancement compared with rounded structures. However, a fabrication method satisfying stringent requirements for the efficient EM field enhancement including three-dimensionality, vertical orientation, large-area fabrication, and tunability of structural features, which are of practical importance for efficient plasmonic light enhancement at hotspots, has yet to be achieved. Herein, we fabricate large-area, vertically aligned three-dimensional plasmonic tip (i.e., nanofunnel) arrays with unprecedented flexibility in the control of the structural features by directional photofluidization lithography. Using this approach, the structural features of nanofunnel tips including the sharpness, shape, and orientation were precisely controlled in a scalable and deterministic manner. The effects of the structural features of the nanofunnel on the EM field enhancement were systematically investigated and analyzed, and the optimum tip features for maximum EM field enhancement were thereupon identified. The suggested nanofabrication technique and resulting structures will be of practical importance in spectroscopic and nanophotonic applications.

Fabrication and Characterization of Planar Plasmonic Substrates with High Fluorescence Enhancement

The use of plasmonic nanostructures for fluorescence signal amplification is currently a very active research field. The detection of submonolayers of proteins labeled with organic dyes is a widely used technique in surface-based immunoassays and DNA hybridization. There is a strong interest in the development of new optical and chemical methods to increase the signal from ultralow concentrations of dyes on the surface of sensor substrates. Herein, we have explored the possibility of using vacuum-deposited silver nanostructures on dielectric layers and silver mirrors as potential plasmonic substrates that effectively amplify fluorescence over a broad spectral range. By optimizing deposition parameters for dielectric layers and silver nanostructures and applying thermal annealing processes, we observed large fluorescence amplifications from three different dye-strept(avidin) conjugates: about 7-fold for a UV/blue dye AF350-Av, 49-fold for a blue-green dye AF488-SA, and up to 208-fold for red-emitting AF647-SA dye. The observed amplification factors for the ensemble of fluorophores are very promising for development of surface-based bioassays. These substrates can be prepared using simple vacuum deposition in which we circumvent using the expensive nanofabrication methods. In addition, unlike most nanofabrication methods, the present approach is appropriate for large scale fabrication of substrates with microscope slide surface area suitable for sensing applications.