Flexible and reusable cap-like thin Fe₂O₃ film for SERS applications

Cap-like α-Fe₂O₃ films are fabricated and deposited onto quartz fabric by using radio frequency magnetron sputtering and annealing. The treated fabric sample in this study shows highly sensitive surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and excellent flexibility, reproducibility and stability. In addition, the sample can be recovered after a washing process with an organic solvent and repeatedly used. The sensitive SERS performance is attributed to chemical enhancement through a charge transfer process. Moreover, the SERS performance is also found to be dependent on the light coupling effect. When the light absorbance rate of the α-Fe₂O₃ films increases at a wavelength near that of laser light, the film shows excellent sensitivity due to light coupling effect.