This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will focus on the challenge of reducing the cost of manufacturing Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) substrates. SERS is a powerful analytical technique that is not widely adopted in industry due to the high cost of commercially available substrates. The metrics for quality SERS substrates include enhancement (the increase in Raman signal due to the presence of the substrate), reproducibility (the enhancement must be consistent across the surface of the substrate, and between substrates), and robustness (the substrate must withstand the expected abuse in a given working environment without compromising performance). In order to reduce the cost of SERS substrates, this project will foster the development of a new hybrid Nanosphere-Nanoimprint Lithography fabrication method for SERS substrates. The key objectives of this project are to (1) reduce the material cost per device to approximately 10% of the current price while (2) simultaneously increasing the enhancement over traditional substrates and (3) maintaining reproducibility and robustness.
The broader impact/commercial potential of this project lies in increasing the market availability of cost-effective SERS-based chemical and biological detection systems. SERS is an analytical technique that can be used to identify the presence and concentration of a broad range of analytes and pathogens including glucose, biomolecules, bacteria, biological and chemical warfare agents, and explosives. The cost reduction expected from this project will enable SERS-related devices to be sold to US military interests at "approximately the cost of a bullet". Cost-efficient fabrication will promote the growth and adoption of the SERS analytical method across many scientific fields, and its effects will even stretch further than the above-mentioned applications, making the product attractive to end users in many science and biotechnology sectors. Inexpensive access to this emerging capability field will also enable students at colleges and universities to include SERS methods as a part of their coursework and research.
Enhanced Plasmonics, LLC was awarded a Phase I grant from NSF to develop a novel method of manufacturing Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) substrates, capable of being scaled-up and mass-marketable. SERS is a very effective method for amplifying weak spectral data obtained through Raman spectroscopy, lowering the limit for detection. Spectroscopy, in general, can be extremely useful in chemical analysis by non-destructively bombarding a sample with light and then collecting and quantifying reflected light photons, giving a "signature" of the chemicals. Raman spectroscopy, as opposed to others such as Infrared (IR) Spectroscopy, utilizes the visible light spectrum, meaning, "If you can see it, you can test it." The fabrication technique utilized a proprietary designer polymer to develop a "stamp" to be used to imprint nanospeheres. The performance of the substrates was tested, and was demonstrated to significantly enhance Raman signals. The substrates were tested with chemical warfare agents, controlled substances and over-the-counter pharmaceuticals. The broader impact of inexpensive, and mass produced SERS substrates could help solve issues in many areas, such as monitoring the safety of water supplies for cities, detecting toxic or otherwise dangerous chemicals in any environment, or even non-invasively testing glucose levels in a human bloodstream. Enhanced Plasmonics, LLC successfully completed the goals of this high-impact and high-risk project, only made possible by funding from the NSF SBIR Phase I grant.
