SERS study on surface chain geometry of atactic poly (methyl methacrylate) film and nanosphere

The surface chain geometry of atactic poly (methyl methacrylate) (a‐PMMA) film and nanosphere (NS) was revealed by surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectra. The Ag nanoparticles and nanoplates were prepared by electrochemical deposition and chemical synthesis for SERS substrates. The experimental results suggested that the molecular chain axis of a‐PMMA film adopted a trans‐conformation on bonding to Ag surface ascribed to the short‐range chemical (CHEM) effect according to the SERS selection rules. However, for the well‐coated monolayer of a‐PMMA NSs, the α‐CH₃ in polymer chains stood vertically to the Ag surface due to the giant local electromagnetic effect, then the chain conformation presented in the interface between a‐PMMA NSs and Ag metal was adopted the opposite orientation compared with a‐PMMA film. The Raman enhancement of the Ag nanoparticles was more prominent than that of the Ag nanoplates due to the free energies of face‐centered cubic crystal faces in nanoparticles, but the single crystals with (111) plane of Ag nanoplates could improve the stability of SERS signals when the annealed temperature was above T_g of a‐PMMA NSs. The present work can provide some useful information of surface chain geometry and conformation of NSs for designing various materials with well‐defined structure via a‐PMMA NSs template. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Comparison of SERS effectiveness of copper substrates prepared by different methods: what are the values of enhancement factors?

Surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy is an analytical method for the detection of low amounts of analytes adsorbed on an appropriate coinage metal (Au, Ag, Cu) surface. Generally, the values of the enhancement factor are the highest on silver, lower on gold and relatively very low on copper. In this study, we have focused on the estimation of the enhancement factors of copper surface/substrates formed by different preparation procedures. The SERS activity of large electrochemically prepared substrates and colloidal systems is compared. The surface morphology of the large substrates was studied using scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The size distribution of colloidal nanoparticles was monitored by dynamic light scattering. The values of enhancement factor are in both cases more than 10⁵ for the FT‐SERS spectra, demonstrating the fundamental role of nanostructured copper as a substrate material at the excitation wavelength (1064 nm) used. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Improved performance of surface‐enhanced Raman scattering on silver substrates prepared in nitric acid solutions

In this work, we propose a new electrochemical method to prepare surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)‐active silver substrates in nitric acid solutions. Experimental results indicate that the SERS intensity of adsorbed Rhodamine 6G (R6G) can be significantly increased, as compared with that of R6G adsorbed on a SERS‐active Ag substrate prepared by an electrochemical method in a chloride‐containing solution, which was generally employed in the literature. Moreover, the SERS of R6G on the newly developed substrate (prepared in a nitric acid solution) still performs well at a high temperature of 250 °C. However, the enhancement capability of the SERS‐active substrate prepared in a chloride‐containing solution is seriously destroyed at temperatures higher than 150 °C. Further investigations indicate that the oxidation states of roughened Ag substrates prepared in nitric acid solutions under different experiment conditions have less influence on the corresponding SERS performances. Instead, different surface morphologies of roughened Ag substrates and different contents of nitrogen‐containing dopping ions on the roughened Ag substrates demonstrate significant effects on the corresponding SERS performances. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Au/TiN复合薄膜制备及其表面增强拉曼光谱研究

表面增强拉曼散射光谱(SERS)已用于环境监测、生物医药、食品卫生等领域,而高活性SERS基底是表面增强拉曼散射光谱技术应用的关键。TiN作为新型等离子材料具有较强的SERS性能,同时化学稳定性及生物相容性较好,但其SERS性能不如贵金属金强。该研究采用氨气还原氮化法和电化学沉积法,在TiN薄膜表面沉积贵金属Au纳米颗粒制备出Au/TiN复合薄膜。在Au/TiN复合薄膜中单质Au和TiN两种物相共存;随着电化学沉积时间延长,TiN薄膜表面单质金纳米颗粒数量逐渐增多,金纳米颗粒尺寸增大,颗粒间距减小。由于金与TiN两者的本征表面等离子共振耦合作用,Au/TiN复合薄膜的共振吸收峰发生了偏移。利用罗丹明6G为拉曼探针分子,对Au/TiN复合薄膜进行SERS性能分析,发现Au/TiN复合薄膜上的R6G探针分子的拉曼峰信号强度随沉积时间延长呈现先增大后减小的规律;当电化学沉积时间为5 min时,R6G拉曼信号峰较高,复合薄膜样品的SERS活性最大。将Au/TiN复合薄膜和Au薄膜分别浸泡在10-3,10-5,10-7,10-8及10-9 mol·L-1 R6G溶液5 min,进行检测限分析,发现Au/TiN复合薄膜检测极限达10-8 mol·L-1,增强因子达到8.82×105,与Au薄膜和TiN薄膜相比,Au/TiN复合薄膜上对R6G探针分子SERS活性最高。这得益于Au/TiN复合膜中表面等离子体产生的耦合效应,使得局域电磁场强度增强,从而引起R6G探针分子拉曼信号增强。通过2D-FDTD模拟电场分布发现Au/TiN,Au及TiN薄膜具有电场增强作用,其中Au/TiN复合薄膜的增强作用尤为显著,这也证实了氮化钛与金纳米颗粒之间存在耦合效应。另外发现TiN与Au之间可能存在电荷转移,促进了4-氨基苯硫酚氧化反应,进而证实了TiN与Au薄膜的协同作用。此外,Au/TiN复合薄膜均匀性较好,相对平均偏差仅为7.58%。由此可见,采用电化学沉积制备的Au/TiN复合薄膜具有作为SERS基底材料的应用潜力。     

表面增强拉曼散射(SERS)衬底的研究及应用

表面增强拉曼散射(surface enhanced Raman scattering,SERS)是通过吸附在粗糙金属表面或金属纳米结构上的分子与金属表面发生的等离子共振(SPR)相互作用而引起的拉曼散射增强现象,是一种高灵敏的探测界面特性和分子间相互作用的光谱手段。文章归纳总结了近年来常用的SERS衬底的制备方法(溶液中的金属溶胶(MNPs in suspension)、 金属纳米粒子的自组装(self-assembly)、 模板法(Template method)和纳米光刻法(Nanolithographic)等;综述了这些衬底的表面增强拉曼特性;着重介绍了SERS增强在环境监测和生物医学应用上的最新国内外研究动态。目前已经能够实现增强因子高、 可靠性好、 重现性强的SERS衬底的可控制备,表明SERS可以作为一种高性能的分析探测工具,充分实现其潜在应用价值。     

A comparative study of surface‐enhanced Raman scattering from silver‐coated anodic aluminum oxide and porous silicon

Three types of Ag‐coated arrays from porous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) were prepared and studied as substrates for surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). They were compared with Ag‐coated porous silicon (PSi) samples. AAO‐based substrates were prepared by the vapor deposition of silver directly onto the surface of porous AAO with different morphologies of the pores, whereas SERS‐active island films on the PSi were prepared by immersion plating. The resulting metallic nanostructures were characterized by UV‐vis absorption spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Thermal evaporation leads to the formation of granular arrays of Ag nanoparticles on the surface of AAO. SERS activity of the substrates was tested using water‐soluble cationic Zn(II)‐tetrakis (4‐N‐methylpyridyl) porphyrin (ZnTMPyP4) as a probe molecule. The results indicate that all AAO‐based substrates studied here exhibit some degree of SERS activity. Noteworthy, for excitation at 532 nm, signals from AAO‐based substrates were comparable with those from the PSi‐based ones, whereas for 441.6 nm excitation they were about twice higher. The strongest SERS‐enhancement at 441.6 nm excitationwas provided by the AAO substrates with silver deposited on the monolith (originally nonporous) side of AAO. Preferential SERS‐enhancement of the bands ascribed to the vibrations of the N‐methylpyridinium group of ZnTMPyP4 when going to blue excitation was found. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Silver-coated Si nanograss as highly sensitive surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy substrates

We created novel surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) substrates by metalization (Ag) of Si nanograss prepared by a Bosch process which involves deep reactive ion etching of single crystalline silicon. No template or lithography was needed for making the Si nanograss, thus providing a simple and inexpensive method to achieve highly sensitive large-area SERS substrates. The dependence of the SERS effect on the thickness of the metal deposition and on the surface morphology and topology of the substrate prior to metal deposition was studied in order to optimize the SERS signals. We observed that the Ag-coated Si nanograss can achieve uniform SERS enhancement over large area (∼1 cm ×1 cm) with an average EF (enhancement factor) of 4.2×10⁸ for 4-mercaptophenol probe molecules. Electronic Supplementary Material  The online version of this article () contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Large-scale plasmonic-SERS templates by successive growth steps

This work presents the fabrication of large-scale tunable-plasmonic surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) templates and investigates their Raman enhancement. Substrates for SERS were prepared by deposition of gold nanoparticles on a glass slide followed by their growth. A plasmon shift was observed upon growing due to the formation of elongated nanoparticles and their mutual coupling. The changes in particle size, shape and interparticle distances were indicated by SEM measurements. Surface-enhanced Raman spectra of Nile blue A at a very low concentration on top of a blocking layer were measured. The overall Raman enhancement is correlated with the number of growth steps. For excitation at 532 nm four growth steps lead to maximum enhancement. Better overlap of excitation laser and the plasmon resonances upon growing increased the enhancement until four steps while further growing decreased the enhancement. At longer wavelengths excitation (633 and 785 nm) the enhancement further increased beyond the fourth growth step. This enhancement is caused by the plasmon excitation of narrower gap sizes. The proposed procedure for the SERS substrates is simple, allows covering large surface areas and plasmon band tuning from 530 nm to the near infrared in order to increase overall Raman enhancement.     

Use of atomic layer deposition to improve the stability of silver substrates for in situ,high‐temperature SERS measurements

A method to stabilize silver surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) substrates for in situ, high‐temperature applications is demonstrated. Silver island films grown by thermal evaporation were coated with a thin layer (from 2.5 to 5 nm) of alumina by atomic layer deposition (ALD), which protects and stabilizes the SERS‐active substrate without eliminating the Raman enhancement. The temporal stability of the alumina‐coated silver island films was examined by measurement of the Raman intensity of rhodamine 6G molecules deposited onto bare and alumina‐coated silver substrates over the course of 34 days. The coated substrates showed almost no change in SERS enhancement, while the uncoated substrates exhibited a significant decrease in Raman intensity. To demonstrate the feasibility of the alumina‐coated silver substrate as a probe of adsorbates and reactions at elevated temperatures, an in situ SERS measurement of calcium nitrate tetrahydrate on bare and alumina‐coated silver was performed at temperatures ranging from 25 to 400 °C. ALD deposition of an ultrathin alumina layer significantly improved the thermal stability of the SERS substrate, thus enabling in situ detection of the dehydration of the calcium nitrate tetrahydrate at an elevated temperature. Despite some loss of Raman signal, the coated substrate exhibited greater thermal stability compared to the uncoated substrate. These experiments show that ALD can be used to synthesize stable SERS substrates capable of measuring adsorbates and processes at high temperature. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

退火法制备石墨烯-银纳米粒子及其增强拉曼实验

针对目前SERS基底上金属颗粒制备过程中存在的分布不均匀、易氧化和稳定性差等缺点,通过热蒸镀和高温退火获得分布均匀的SERS基底;同时结合石墨烯优良的光学性能、化学惰性、荧光猝灭以及本身的SERS增强等优点,制备了稳定的石墨烯-银纳米颗粒（GE/AgNPs）复合结构SERS基底。通过GE/AgNPs复合结构的拉曼光谱稳定性试验证明了石墨烯在GE/AgNPs结构中起到隔绝银纳米颗粒与空气直接接触及催化氧化银脱氧的作用,有利于SERS基底的时间稳定性。(1) 石墨烯、Ag纳米颗粒及其复合结构的制备。首先采用热蒸镀和高温退火的方法使Ag纳米颗粒均匀地沉积在SiO₂/Si基底上,再采用化学气相沉积法在Cu箔上制备少层石墨烯,并用湿法转移法将石墨烯转移到目标基底上,并实验研究了以不同的退火顺序对GE/AgNPs基底造成的影响。(2) 石墨烯、Ag纳米颗粒及其复合基底的表征。分别采用光学显微镜、扫描电子显微镜和拉曼光谱进行表征,得到转移后的纯石墨烯较完整地覆盖在SiO₂/Si基底上面,表面比较平整,但在少数地方仍然存在褶皱和杂质;SEM表征结果表明对于不同制备流程的GE/AgNPs复合结构上的Ag纳米颗粒基本呈球形。基本符合Ostwald熟化理论,通过对退火温度和时间的控制能获得平均粒径在40~60 nm的银颗粒,且分布较均匀。此外,在不同退火顺序中,石墨烯的加入对银纳米颗粒的扩散形成扩散势垒,从而出现较大的不规则的颗粒。(3) 基底稳定性试验和仿真分析。通过基底本身的Raman mapping测试,分析了石墨烯拉曼特征峰峰值和半高宽的变化,得知基底对石墨烯本身的拉曼增强效果主要来源于银纳米颗粒间的电磁场增强。同时采用浓度为10-6 mol·L-1的罗丹明6G (R6G)水溶液作为探针分子,对转移了石墨烯的GE/AgNPs复合基底和未转移石墨烯的Ag纳米颗粒基底进行了SERS稳定性实验。结果表明GE/AgNPs复合基底在1~33 d内衰减较缓慢,30 d后仍能探测到拉曼信号约为原来信号的35.1%~40.6%;而纯Ag基底上随着Ag纳米颗粒在空气中迅速氧化,基底的SERS性能显著下降,在30 d后只有原来信号的5.9%~11.3%。此外,通过实验得到覆盖了石墨烯之后的增强因子约为6.05×105。最后采用时域有限差分算法（FDTD）计算了复合结构的电磁场分布和理论增强因子,其理论增强因子可以达到5.7×105。实验和仿真结果的差异,主要是源于石墨烯的化学增强作用。     

Highly efficient silver particle layers on glass substrate synthesized by the sonochemical method for surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy purposes

A fast method for preparing of silver particle layers on glass substrates with high application potential for using in surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is introduced. Silver particle layers deposited on glass cover slips were generated in one-step process by reduction of silver nitrate using several reducing agents (ethylene glycol, glycerol, maltose, lactose and glucose) under ultrasonic irradiation. This technique allows the formation of homogeneous layers of silver particles with sizes from 80 nm up to several hundred nanometers depending on the nature of the used reducing agent. Additionally, the presented method is not susceptible to impurities on the substrate surface and it does not need any additives to capture or stabilize the silver particles on the glass surface. The characteristics of prepared silver layers on glass substrate by the above mentioned sonochemical approach was compared with chemically prepared ones. The prepared layers were tested as substrates for SERS using adenine as a model analyte. The factor of Raman signal enhancement reached up to 5·10⁵. On the contrary, the chemically prepared silver layers does not exhibit almost any pronounced Raman signal enhancement. Presented sonochemical approach for preparation of silver particle layers is fast, simple, robust, and is better suited for reproducible fabrication functional SERS substrates than chemical one.     

Optimization of porous silicon preparation technology for SERS applications

A series of porous silicon samples prepared at different etching parameters, namely etchant composition, etching time and current density, was investigated as substrates for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). Silver nanostructures were deposited on porous silicon by immersion plating method and Rhodamine 6G was used as analyte. The relation between the etching parameters, morphology of porous silicon surface and its SERS efficiency after silver deposition is examined. We show that a high HF content in the etchant allows the formation of a film with close-packed silver nanocrystals, which possess strong surface enhancement properties.     

An improved self‐assembly gold colloid film as surface‐enhanced Raman substrate for detection of trace‐level polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in aqueous solution

To detect trace‐level polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, some investigations of an improved self‐assembly method are carried out using gold colloid films for the preparation of the surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)‐active substrate. Extinction spectra and scanning electron microscopy images reveal that controllable surface plasmonic metal substrates can be obtained by increasing the temperature of (3‐aminopropyl)trimethoxysilane solution up to 64.5 °C. The SERS‐active substrates have a high enhancement factor, and they can be both easily prepared and reproducible. With the use of these substrates, different concentrations of pyrene and anthracene in aqueous solutions were detected by SERS. A further enhancement can be supported by shifted excitation Raman difference spectroscopy. Raman signals of pyrene and anthracene adsorbed on gold colloid substrates up to limits of detection at 5 and 1 nmol/l, respectively, can be obtained. The quantitative analysis shows the possibility of in situ detection of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons while such gold colloid film serves as a SERS‐active substrate. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Ag纳米粒子修饰聚合物纳米尖锥阵列的SERS衬底制备

表面增强拉曼散射(SERS)以其无损、超灵敏、快速检测分析等优点而备受关注,在化学和生物传感等应用领域有着极大的潜力。研制灵敏度高、重复性强、稳定性好的SERS基底,对于实现其在痕量分析、生物诊断中的实际应用具有重要意义。具有微/纳米结构的聚合物具有优异的机械性能、光学性能、耐化学性等优点。通过模板压印法,利用多孔阳极氧化铝(AAO)在聚合物聚碳酸酯(PC)表面制备一种高度有序的纳米PC尖锥阵列结构,然后通过蒸发镀膜在PC尖锥阵列上沉积一层银膜,制备了大面积Ag纳米颗粒修饰的高度有序聚合物纳米尖锥阵列。高曲率纳米针状结构顶端的银颗粒及颗粒之间狭小的纳米间隙能产生大量的SERS"热点"。这种方法得到了均匀,可重复,大面积高增强的SERS活性基底,并进一步研究了不同沉积厚度银膜的SERS特性。用扫描电子显微镜(SEM)对其进行了表征,以结晶紫作为探针分子对这种结构进行研究。结果表明:拉曼信号强度随银厚度的增加显示为先增强后减弱的趋势。基底对结晶紫的拉曼增强因子达到5.4×10~6,基底主要拉曼峰强度的RSD为10%,说明该基底具有很好的检测灵敏性和重复性。此外,基底在存放40 d后,在相同条件下仍然保持着高SERS性能,表现出很好的稳定性。整个制备过程简单易行,重复性好,制作成本非常低廉,而且能够规模化制备,可方便地作为活性基底应用于SERS研究,必将具有广阔的研究和应用前景。     

铜薄膜等离子改性及表面增强拉曼光谱的研究

表面增强拉曼光谱(surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy, SERS)技术是一种基于探测吸附于金属基底表面分子振动光谱的快速无损检测方法,目前广泛应用于表面吸附、电化学催化、传感器、生物医学检测和痕量的检测与分析等领域。本实验采用直流磁控溅射技术在BK7玻璃基底上沉积一层厚度为50 nm的金属铜薄膜,在Ar离子轰击作用下获得不同表面粗糙度的金属铜薄膜样品,从而制备具有不同表面增强拉曼光谱活性的金属基底。实验样品分别通过X射线衍射仪（XRD）、原子力显微镜（AFM）、分光光度计、拉曼光谱仪表征其结构、表面形貌及光学性质。测试结果表明铜膜在Ar离子束轰击前后,样品X射线衍射谱的峰值强度没有发生变化,说明其晶相结构未发生改变;随着离子束能量的增加,薄膜表面粗糙度改变,光学散射强度随着表面粗糙度的增加而增强;离子束薄膜表面改性后,以罗丹明B(Rh B)为探针分子,表征薄膜样品表面增强拉曼的活性,通过对比不同样品表面Rh B的拉曼光谱,发现其光谱强度随金属铜薄膜样品表面粗糙度的增加而增强。     

氧化铜纳米粒子的制备及其SERS特性

采用激光刻蚀法在水溶液中制备了氧化铜纳米粒子,刻蚀完成后将氧化铜胶体沉积在铝片上形成一层氧化铜岛膜.所得纳米粒子的紫外—可见吸收峰在280 nm处,表明所得为氧化铜.原子力显微镜观察表明所制得的纳米粒子具有椭圆状结构,长轴约为30～50 nm,厚度约为8 nm.扫描电镜图片显示氧化铜粒子沉积在铝基底后形成了大小在0.5...     

N-甲基咪唑与2,2'-联吡啶在铜表面共吸附的SERS研究

采用电化学现场表面增强拉曼光谱(SERS)分别研究了非水体系中N-甲基咪唑(NMIM),2,2’-联吡啶(2,2-’bipy)在铜电极表面的吸附行为以及两者的共吸附行为。结果表明在非水体系中,NMIM可在很宽的电位区间内稳定地吸附在金属表面,而2,2-’bipy在一个相对较窄的电位区间内能稳定地吸附在金属表面。当两者共存时存在竞争吸附和共吸附行为,较负的电位下主要以NMIM吸附为主,在略偏负的电位区间内以2,2-’bipy吸附为主,而正电位区间两者在金属表面共吸附,NMIM倾斜吸附在金属表面,而2,2’-bipy以顺式结构垂直吸附在金属表面。     

Large‐area Ag nanorod array substrates for SERS: AAO template‐assisted fabrication,functionalization, and application in detection PCBs

Highly ordered arrays of thiolated β‐cyclodextrin (HS‐β‐CD) functionalized Ag‐nanorods (Ag‐NRs) with plasmonic antennae enhancement of electrical field have been achieved for encapsulation and rapid detection of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The large‐area ordered arrays of rigid Ag‐NRs supported on copper base were fabricated via porous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) template‐assisted electrochemical deposition. The inter‐nanorod gaps between the neighboring Ag‐NRs were tuned to sub‐10 nm by thinning the pore‐wall thickness of the AAO template using diluted H₃PO₄. The nearly perfect large‐area ordered arrays of Ag‐NRs supported on copper base render these systems excellent in surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) performance with uniform electric field enhancement, as testified by the SERS spectra and Raman mappings of rhodamine 6 G. Furthermore, the Ag‐NRs were functionalized with HS‐β‐CD molecules so as to capture the apolar PCB molecules in the hydrophobic cavity of the CD. Compared to the ordinary undecorated SERS substrates, the HS‐β‐CD modified Ag‐NR arrays exhibit better capture ability and higher sensitivity in rapid detection of PCBs. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A hybrid substrate for surface‐enhanced Raman scattering spectroscopy: coupling metal nanoparticles to strong localised fields on a micro‐structured surface

Electromagnetic coupling between localised plasmons on metal nanoparticles and the strong localised fields on a micro‐structured surface is demonstrated as a means to increase the enhancement factor in surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy. Au nanoparticles of diameter 20 nm were deposited on a micro‐structured Au surface consisting of a periodic array of square‐based pyramidal pits (Klarite). The spectra of 4‐aminothiophenol (4‐ATP) were compared before and after deposition of Au nanoparticles on the micro‐structured surface. The addition of Au nanoparticles is shown to provide significantly higher signal intensities, with improvements of the order of ∼10³ per molecule compared with spectra obtained from the micro‐structured substrate alone. This hybrid approach offers promise for combining nanoparticles with micro‐ and nano‐structured surfaces in order to design SERS substrates with higher sensitivities. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Multiscale electromagnetic SERS enhancement on self‐assembled micropatterned gold nanoparticle films

In this work, we demonstrate a cascaded, multiplicative electromagnetic enhancement effect in surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) on periodically micropatterned films made of colloidal gold nanoparticles, prepared by a self‐assembly approach, without implying lithography procedures. The multiplicative enhancement effect is obtained by combining surface plasmon near‐field enhancement due to nanoscale features with far‐field photonic coupling by periodic microscale features. The effect is observed for both internal Raman reporters (molecules attached to the Au colloids before their assembly) and external Raman probes (molecules adsorbed on the samples after film assembly). The ability of the patterned films for far‐field light coupling is supported by reflectivity spectra, which present minima/maxima in the visible spectral range. Finite‐difference time‐domain computer simulations of the electric field distribution also support this interpretation. The fabricated dual‐scale SERS substrates exhibit a good spot‐to‐spot reproducibility and time stability, as proved by the SERS response over a time scale longer than 1 month. The experimental demonstration of this cascaded electromagnetic enhancement effect contributes to a better understanding of SERS and can affect future design of SERS substrates. Moreover, such dual‐scale colloidal films prepared by convective self‐assembly can be of general interest for the broader field of nanoparticle‐based devices. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.