Nanostructured metal coatings for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) prepared by means of low-pressure plasma

Abstract Development of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-based sensing platforms has recently received increasing attention, which relates mainly to the improvement of the Raman detection sensitivity. The commonly studied SERS platforms are based on Ag or Au nanostructures that both exhibit localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) responsible for SERS enhancement in the visible spectral region. In this study we demonstrate that sequential deposition of Ag and Au significantly enhances SERS signal as compared to single metal nanostructured coatings, which is connected with the possibility to increase LSPR intensity without alteration of its position in the case of Au/Ag coatings.