Patent ID: 8559003

Claim:
A system for surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy, comprising: a flow through cell, including: an enclosed interior portion defined by at least one wall that is transparent to light having a wavelength of interest and an other wall opposed to the at least one transparent wall; and at least one port configured to at least one of introduce fluid into the enclosed interior portion or discharge the fluid from the enclosed interior portion; an at least partially transparent electrode established adjacent to the at least one transparent wall of the flow through cell, the at least partially transparent electrode being at least partially transparent to the light having the wavelength of interest; an electrically driven device positioned within the enclosed interior portion, the electrically driven device including: a substrate having a plurality of cone shaped protrusions formed integrally with a surface thereof, each of the plurality of cone shaped protrusions having a tip with a radius of curvature ranging from about 5 nm to about 1000 nm; and a Raman signal-enhancing material coated on each of the plurality of cone shaped protrusions, the Raman signal-enhancing material facing the at least one transparent wall of the flow through cell; and a second electrode positioned relative to the transparent electrode at a predetermined distance such that the electrodes together produce, when a voltage bias is applied, an electric field having a field distribution that creates a stronger field gradient at a region proximate to the tip of each cone shaped protrusion than at other portions of the substrate.