Synthesis of a low-cost, stable, silicon-based SERS substrate for rapid, nondestructive biosensing

Uniform, low-cost, surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) active substrates were prepared by sputtering silver onto porous silicon (pSi) fabricated by an electrochemical etching method. The resulting Ag/pSi SERS substrates were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the SERS effect of the substrates was investigated using rhodamine 6G (R6G) as a probe. Furthermore, the signal uniformity of the Ag/pSi SERS substrates was confirmed through mapping measurements. The Ag/pSi SERS substrates exhibited uniform shape and size and stable SERS activity. Then, we demonstrated the capacity of the prepared silicon-based SERS substrates for detecting bovine serum albumin (BSA) and serum samples. Therefore, our Ag/pSi SERS substrates can be easily employed in practical applications to effectively assess healthcare.