Intel Corporation

Sunghoon Kwon

Selena Chan

Narayan Sundararajan

Andrew A Berlin

Mineo Yamakawa

Narayanan Sundararajan

The methods, systemsand apparatus disclosed herein concern metalimpregnated porous substrates. Certain embodiments of the invention concern methods for producing metal-coated porous silicon substratesthat exhibit greatly improved uniformity and depth of penetration of metaldeposition. The increased uniformity and depth allow improved and more reproducible Raman detection of analytes. In exemplary embodiments of the invention, the methods may comprise oxidation of porous silicon, immersion in a metal salt solution, drying and thermal decomposition of the metal saltto form a metal deposit. In other exemplary embodiments of the invention, the methods may comprise microfluidic impregnation of porous silicon substrateswith one or more metal salt solutions. Other embodiments of the invention concern apparatus and/or systemsfor Raman detection of analytes, comprising metal-coated porous silicon substratesprepared by the disclosed methods.

Microfluidic system incorporating a metal impregnated nanoporous material in a microfluidic pathway thereof

Methods for uniform metal impregnation into a nanoporous material

The disclosed methods and apparatus concern Raman spectroscopy using metal coated nanocrystalline porous silicon substrates. Porous silicon substrates may be formed by anodic etching in dilute hydrofluoric acid. A thin coating of a Raman active metal, such as gold or silver, may be coated onto the porous silicon by cathodic electromigration or any known technique. In certain alternatives, the metal coated porous silicon substrate comprises a plasma-oxidized, dip and decomposed porous silicon substrate. The metal-coated substrate provides an extensive, metal rich environment for SERS, SERRS, hyper-Raman and/or CARS Raman spectroscopy. In certain alternatives, metal nanoparticles may be added to the metal-coated substrate to further enhance the Raman signals. Raman spectroscopy may be used to detect, identify and/or quantify a wide variety of analytes, using the disclosed methods and apparatus. In some disclosed methods, Raman spectroscopy may be used to detect nucleotides, purines or pyrimidines at the single molecule level.

Metal coated nanocrystalline silicon as an active surface enhanced raman spectroscopy (SERS) substrate

The methods, systemsand apparatus disclosed herein concern metalimpregnated porous substratesCertain embodiments of the invention concern methods for producing metal-coated porous silicon substratesthat exhibit greatly improved uniformity and depth of penetration of metaldeposition. The increased uniformity and depth allow improved and more reproducible Raman detection of analytes. In exemplary embodiments of the invention, the methods may comprise oxidation of porous siliconimmersion in a metal salt solutiondrying and thermal decomposition of the metal saltto form a metal depositIn other exemplary embodiments of the invention, the methods may comprise microfluidic impregnation of porous silicon substrateswith one or more metal salt solutionsOther embodiments of the invention concern apparatus and/or systemsfor Raman detection of analytes, comprising metal-coated porous silicon substratesprepared by the disclosed methods.

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Albany, CA, United States of America

Sunghoon Kwon