Title: Decorative Plasmonic Surfaces,
Abstract: Low-profile patterned plasmonic surfaces are synergized with a broad class of
silicon microstructures to greatly enhance near-field nanoscale imaging,
sensing, and energy harvesting coupled with far-field free-space detection.
This concept has a clear impact on several key areas of interest for the MEMS
community, including but not limited to ultra-compact microsystems for
sensitive detection of small number of target molecules, and surface devices
for optical data storage, micro-imaging and displaying. In this paper, we
review the current state-of-the-art in plasmonic theory as well as derive
design guidance for plasmonic integration with microsystems, fabrication
techniques, and selected applications in biosensing, including refractive-index
based label-free biosensing, plasmonic integrated lab-on-chip systems,
plasmonic near-field scanning optical microscopy and plasmonics on-chip systems
for cellular imaging. This paradigm enables low-profile conformal surfaces on
microdevices, rather than bulk material or coatings, which provide clear
advantages for physical, chemical and biological-related sensing, imaging, and
light harvesting, in addition to easier realization, enhanced flexibility, and
tunability.