Surface-enhanced optical absorption and induced heating in tapered silicon nanoprobes

Abstract

Subject of study. This study investigates the correlation between the heating temperature and the mesoscopic shape of the Si probe of an atomic force microscope subjected to medium-intensity laser irradiation (5mW/cm2) in the presence of a rough metal substrate. Aim of study. This study aims to quantitatively assess the dependence of optical-field enhancement and induced heating of the tip of a tapered Si nanoprobe, under laser irradiation, on the radius of curvature and cone angle of the probe tip, the distance between the tip and substrate, and the surface roughness of an Au substrate. Method. The localization of the electromagnetic field in the gap between a Si nanoantenna and a defect on the surface of an Au substrate was simulated using the finite-difference time-domain method. A thin Au coating (thickness up to 50 nm) on a glass substrate was used as a plasmonic surface. Owing to the excitation of surface plasmon resonance, such a coating enhances the absorption of light and increases the heating temperature of the Si optical antenna. Main results. The influence of the polarization angle of the incident laser radiation on the distribution of the electric field near the tip of the probe was examined. Only the component of the incident light field along the direction of the probe axis was enhanced near the tip of the Si cantilever. The influence of various parameters, including the radius of curvature, cone angle of the tip of the Si nanoantenna, distance between the probe and substrate, and surface roughness of the Au substrate, on the maximum temperature in the tip region of the Si probe was investigated. The probe temperature was found to decrease with decreasing cone angle of the probe, whereas the temperature of the cantilever tip decreased as the cone angle of the probe tip increased. The dependence of temperature on the radius of curvature of the Si nanoantenna tip in the presence of an Au substrate was evaluated. With an increase in the surface roughness of the Au film, the temperature of the Si antenna tip increased, gradually approaching a limit value. Practical significance. The results of this study are useful for selecting the optimal parameters of an experiment in which a heated probe is used. Controlled heating of a Si probe can facilitate the study of phase transitions in various nanomaterials and that of local thermochemical nanocatalysis for creating new structural materials with specific properties.