Coupled plasmon-waveguide resonance spectroscopic device and method for measuring film properties
US5991488A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 7, 1997 |
| Grant date | Nov 23, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 7, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01N21/553
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A conventional SPR spectroscopic device, consisting of a metallic film used with a prism to provide a surface plasmon wave, is modified by coating the film with a dielectric layer. According to one aspect of the invention, such additional layer of dielectric material functions as an optical amplifier that produces an increased sensitivity and enhanced spectroscopic capabilities in SPR. According to another aspect of the invention, the added dielectric layer can be used as a matrix for adsorbing and immobilizing the sensing materials in sensor applications. Furthermore, the dielectric layer provides a shield for both mechanical and chemical protection of the metal layer, thereby preventing the rapid deterioration that commonly accompanies such detectors. In its simplest embodiment, the invention includes only one dielectric layer; in other embodiments, a variety of multi-layer configurations may be implemented for different purposes with diverse dielectric materials.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.