Patent ID: 8228505
Filing Date: 2012-07-24
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
1. an apparatus for analyzing a target substance, comprising: a continuous plate-shaped light-transmitting substrate having a flat surface; metal structure components and low refractive index layers disposed on the flat surface of the substrate, the metal structure components and the low refractive index layers being disposed alternately, in a grid-like manner at regular intervals so that an adjacent metal structure component and a low refractive index layer are disposed in contact with each other and the metal structure components are separated from each other and the low refractive index layers are separated from each other; a chamber configured to hold a solution containing a target substance at a low refractive index layer side; a light source which emits light toward the substrate so as to totally reflect the light at an interface between the low refractive layers and the substrate, and irradiate the metal structure components with evanescent light; and a detector which detects light generated from the target substance by plasmon resonance of the evanescent light, wherein: a different single molecule probe is fixed onto each metal structure, and a protective layer is provided on the low refractive index layers, and a distance from the flat surface of the substrate to an upper surface of the metal structures is smaller than a distance from the flat surface of the substrate to an upper surface of the low refractive index layers.