Nanoplasmonic substrates with optimized field-enhancement properties are a key component in the continued development of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) molecular analysis but are challenging to produce inexpensively in large scale. We used a facile and cost-effective bottom-up technique, colloidal hole-mask lithography, to produce macroscopic dimer-on-mirror gold nanostructures. The optimized structures exhibit excellent SERS performance, as exemplified by detection of 2.5 and 50 attograms of BPE, a common SERS probe, using Raman microscopy and a simple handheld device, respectively. The corresponding Raman enhancement factor is of the order 10¹¹, which compares favourably to previously reported record performance values.

We investigate the plasmonic properties of gold nanorings in close proximity to a gold film. The rings have been fabricated using nanosphere lithography and are optimized to boost their near-infrared surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) effects. A SERS enhancement factor as large as $1.4\times {10}^7$ has been achieved by tuning the separation between the gold nanorings and the gold film. In addition, we have numerically and experimentally demonstrated an enhanced tunability of the plasmon resonance wavelength and a narrowing of the plasmon linewidth for increasing ring-film interaction.