Patent ID: 7790469

Claim:
A method for fabricating a Raman scattering probe, comprising: forming a noble metal layer over a substrate, wherein the noble metal layer comprises a noble metallic material; forming an array of pores in the noble metal layer, wherein adjacent pores are separated by walls made of the noble metallic material, wherein the array of pores is substantially in the form of a hexagonal array; removing portions of the noble metallic material in the walls between adjacent pores to connect adjacent pores; and forming an array of substantially triangular-shaped columns over the substrate to form the Raman scattering probe, wherein each of the substantially triangular-shaped columns is defined by three adjacent pores that are tangentially connected in the step of removing portions of the noble metallic material in the walls between adjacent pores; wherein distances between adjacent substantially triangular-shaped columns are from about 10 nm to about 1000 nm, and wherein the substantially triangular-shaped columns comprise the noble metallic material.