Noble Metal Thin Film Thickness Optimization for Sharp Surface Plasmon Resonance Reflectance Curve

Abstract:

The production of a high-sensitivity surface Plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor depends on a few main factors, such as metal thin film types and thicknesses, light coupling techniques and acceptable EM wave polarization modes. This work is carried out to investigate the impact on the SPR characteristics of noble metal thicknesses, namely gold and silver, for optical sensor applications. To excite surface Plasmon polaritons (SPP), a Kretschmann prism coupling was used. The thicknesses of noble metal thin films were varied between t=30nm and 60nm. The characteristics of SPR peaks such as Q-factor and FWHM were studied in SPR signal analyses. In comparison with silver, Q-factor results showed an outstanding optical property of gold at t= 40 nm due to its high Q-factor values, which confirms its ability to produce excellent SPP quantities. In conclusion, gold noble metal at t= 40nm is capable of producing optimum SPR. In the development of the highly sensitive SPR sensor, this excellent criterion put gold as a spectacular candidate for optical sensor applications.

• Periodical: Materials Science Forum (Volume 1039)
• Pages: 442-450
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/MSF.1039.442
• Online since: July 2021
• Authors: Hind Dhari Awad*, Mohammed Khamas Khalaf, Alaa Nazar Abd Algaffar
• Keywords: FWHM, Noble Metals, Q-Factor, Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR)

References

[1] P.B. Adhi, A. Purwidyantri, and K. Liu. Surface Plasmon resonance optical sensor: A review on light source technology., Biosensors 8.3 (2018): 80.

DOI: 10.3390/bios8030080

[2] P. S. Menon, et al. Kretschmann based surface Plasmon resonance for sensing in visible region., 2019 IEEE 9th International Nano electronics Conferences (INEC). IEEE, (2019).

DOI: 10.1109/inec.2019.8853847

[3] M. Celina, F. M. Shimizu, and M. Ferreira. Surface Plasmon resonance (SPR) for sensors and biosensors., Nano characterization techniques. William Andrew Publishing, 2017. 183-200.

DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-323-49778-7.00006-0

[4] Z. Rozalina, et al. Sensitivity Comparison of Refractive Index Transducer Optical Fiber Based on Surface Plasmon Resonance Using Ag, Cu, and Bimetallic Ag–Cu Layer., Micro machines 11.1 (2020): 77.

DOI: 10.3390/mi11010077

[5] O. Meisam, et al. Protein based localized surface Plasmon resonance gas sensing., Chinese Physics Letters 32.1 (2015): 018701.

DOI: 10.1088/0256-307x/32/1/018701

[6] Duaa muthana, Alaa Nazar Abd Algaffar, Abdullah Ibrahim Abbo Al-Numan, Design and Evaluation of a Polarizer Filter, Baghdad Science Journal, 2018, (15), 287-291.

[7] P. K. Maharana, R. Jha and S. Palei. Sensitivity enhancement by air mediated graphene multilayer based surface Plasmon resonance biosensor for near Infrared,, Sensors and Actuators B, 190(2014) 494– 501.

DOI: 10.1016/j.snb.2013.08.089

[8] Y. Masahiro. Surface Plasmon resonance (SPR) theory: tutorial., Review of Polarography 48.3 (2002): 209-237.

[9] S.Zeng, B. Dominique, H. Ho-Pui,Y. Ken-Tye,Nanomaterials enhanced surface Plasmon resonance for biological and chemical sensing applications, . Chemical Society Reviews, 43 (2014) 3426–3452.

DOI: 10.1039/c3cs60479a

[10] T. Kentaro, et al. Surface Plasmon polariton resonance of gold, silver, and copper studied in the kretschmann geometry: Dependence on wavelength, angle of incidence, and film thickness., Journal of the Physical Society of Japan 86.12 (2017): 124721.

DOI: 10.7566/jpsj.86.124721

[11] B. E. A Saleh, M. C. Teich, Fundamentals of Photonics, Wiley-Interscience, (2007).

[12] M. W. Maisarah, S. Shaari, and P. S. Menon. Propagation of surface Plasmon waves at metal thin film/air interface using modified optical wave guiding assembly., Opt electron Adv. Mat 7 (2013): 9-13.

[13] B. E. A. Saleh, M. C. Teich, Fundamentals of Photonics, 2 (2007) 212-214.

[14] M. N. Faezah, W. M. Mukhtar, P. S. Menon, A. R. Abdul Rashid, K. A. Dasuki, and A. A. Yussuf. Influence of electromagnetic (EM) waves polarization modes on surface Plasmon resonance., In EPJ Web of Conferences, EDP Sciences, 162 (2017) 01008.

DOI: 10.1051/epjconf/201716201008

[15] N.Lukas, and B.Hecht. Principles of Nano-optics. Cambridge university press, (2012).

[16] P. Ayushi, et al. Room temperature detection of NO2 gas using optical sensor based on surface Plasmon resonance technique., Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical 216 (2015): 497-503.

DOI: 10.1016/j.snb.2015.03.095

[17] M.N. Faezah, et al. Influence of electromagnetic (EM) waves polarization modes on surface Plasmon resonance., EPJ Web of Conferences. Vol. 162. EDP Sciences, (2017).

DOI: 10.1051/epjconf/201716201008

[18] M.W. Maisarah, R.M. Halim, and H. Hassan. Optimization of SPR signals: Monitoring the physical structures and refractive indices of prisms., EPJ Web of Conferences. Vol. 162. EDP Sciences, (2017).

DOI: 10.1051/epjconf/201716201001

[19] M.W. Maisarah, et al. Study on Plasmon absorption of hybrid Au-GO-GNP films for SPR sensing application., AIP Conference Proceedings. Vol. 1972. No. 1. AIP Publishing LLC, (2018).

DOI: 10.1063/1.5041228