1. A sensing device, comprising:
an optical cavity having two substantially opposed reflective surfaces;
at least one nanowire operatively disposed in the optical cavity; and
a plurality of metal nanoparticles established on the at least one nanowire.
2. The sensing device as defined in claim 1 wherein the optical cavity has a third surface, and wherein the at least one nanowire contacts at least one of the three surfaces of the optical cavity.
3. The sensing device as defined in claim 1 wherein the at least one nanowire is selected from an unbranched nanowire, a branched nanowire, a hyper-branched nanowire, and combinations thereof.
4. The sensing device as defined in claim 1 wherein at least one of the two substantially opposed reflective surfaces is formed integrally with a material that defines a side of the optical cavity.
5. The sensing device as defined in claim 1 wherein at least one of the two substantially opposed reflective surfaces is formed of a reflective material established on a material that defines a side of the optical cavity.
6. The sensing device as defined in claim 1 wherein the two substantially opposed reflective surfaces are spaced at least a one half integer multiple of a wavelength of light used for Raman spectroscopy.
7. The sensing device as defined in claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of metal nanoparticles is formed of a metal material selected from gold, silver, copper, platinum, palladium, alloys thereof, and combinations thereof.
8. The sensing device as defined in claim 7 wherein each of the plurality of metal nanoparticles has a bi-material core-shell structure.
9. The sensing device as defined in claim 8 wherein a shell of the bi-material core-shell structure is selected from silicon oxide, silicon nitride, metal oxides, glass, and combinations thereof.
10. The sensing device as defined in claim 8 wherein a core of the bi-material core-shell structure is selected from a first metal material, and wherein a shell of the bi-material core-shell structure is selected from a second metal material, the first metal material being different than the second metal material.
11. A sensing system, comprising:
a sensing device, including:
an optical cavity having two substantially opposed reflective surfaces;
at least one nanowire operatively disposed in the optical cavity; and
a plurality of metal nanoparticles established on the at least one nanowire;
a light source positioned adjacent the sensing device to operatively transmit light into the optical cavity; and
a wavelength selective detector operatively positioned adjacent the sensing device.
12. The system as defined in claim 11 wherein the optical cavity has a third surface, and wherein the at least one nanowire contacts at least one of the three surfaces of the optical cavity.
13. A method for forming a sensing device, comprising:
forming an optical cavity having two substantially opposed reflective surfaces; and
operatively disposing at least one nanowire in the optical cavity, the at least one nanowire having a plurality of metal nanoparticles established thereon.
14. The method as defined in claim 13 wherein forming the optical cavity is accomplished by:
establishing a spacer layer on a substrate;
establishing a second layer on the spacer layer; and
etching away a portion of the spacer layer.
15. The method as defined in claim 14, further comprising establishing a stack of materials as the substrate, the second layer, or combinations thereof, wherein the stack of materials includes at least one material having a refractive index different from at least one other material in the stack.
16. The method as defined in claim 14 wherein etching away a portion of the spacer layer exposes a portion of each of the substrate and the second layer, and wherein the method further comprises establishing a reflective material on at least one of the exposed portion of the substrate or the exposed portion of the second layer.
17. The method as defined in claim 14 wherein operatively disposing the at least one nanowire is accomplished by growing the nanowire from the substrate to the second layer, from the second layer to the substrate, from each of the substrate and second layer to form respective portions of the at least one nanowire, from the remaining spacer layer, from the substrate, from the second layer, or combinations thereof.
18. The method as defined in claim 14 wherein the substrate and second layer are reflective materials, and wherein the substrate and second layer respectively form the two substantially opposed reflective surfaces.
19. The method as defined in claim 13 wherein forming the optical cavity is accomplished by etching away at least a portion of a substrate to define two opposed cavity sidewalls and a cavity bottom within the substrate.
20. The method as defined in claim 19, further comprising growing a reflective material on at least one of the two cavity sidewalls, thereby forming at least one of the two substantially opposed reflective surfaces.
21. The method as defined in claim 19 wherein operatively disposing the at least one nanowire is accomplished by growing the nanowire from one of the two opposed cavity sidewalls to an other of the two opposed cavity sidewalls, from each of the opposed cavity sidewalls to form respective portions of the at least one nanowire, from the cavity bottom, from one of the two opposed cavity sidewalls, or combinations thereof.
22. A method for detecting a species, comprising:
introducing a sample to an optical cavity of a sensor, the sensor including:
the optical cavity having two substantially opposed reflective surfaces;
at least one nanowire operatively disposed within the optical cavity; and
a plurality of metal nanoparticles established on the at least one nanowire;
exposing the sensor to light of a single wavelength, whereby at least one species within the sample and proximate to the at least one nanowire scatters the light and shifts the single wavelength; and
identifying the at least one species through analyses of the wavelength shifts.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A high-temperature lead-free solder alloy consisting essentially of 35-40 mass % of Sb, 13-18 mass % of Ag, 6-8 mass % of Cu, and a remainder of Sn, wherein the ratios of the contents of the alloy composition satisfy the following Formulas (I)-(III):
2.20\u2266SbAg\u22662.75\u2003\u2003(I)
4.90\u2266SbCu\u22666.20\u2003\u2003(II)
2.05\u2266AgCu\u22662.55\u2003\u2003(III).
2. A high-temperature lead-free solder alloy as claimed in claim 1 further containing 0.01-0.1 mass % of Ni.
3. A solder joint using a high-temperature lead-free solder alloy as claimed in claim 1 wherein the proportion of solid phases of the solder alloy at 280\xb0 C., which is the percentage of the area of endothermic peaks detected at 280\xb0 C. and above in a DSC curve of the alloy during melting with respect to the total area of endothermic peaks in the DSC curve, is 100%.
4. A solder preform made of a high-temperature lead-free solder alloy as claimed in claim 1.
5. A solder paste comprising a powder of a high-temperature lead-free solder alloy as claimed in claim 1 mixed with a flux.
6. A high-temperature lead-free solder alloy as claimed in claim 1 containing 37-40 mass % of Sb.
7. A high-temperature lead-free solder alloy as claimed in claim 1 containing 15-18 mass % of Ag.
8. A high-temperature lead-free solder alloy as claimed in claim 1 containing 6-7 mass % of Cu.
9. A high-temperature lead-free solder alloy as claimed in claim 2 containing 0.03-0.07 mass % of Ni.
10. A high-temperature lead-free solder alloy as claimed in claim 1 wherein 2.20\u2266SbAg\u22662.70, 5.00\u2266SbCu\u22666.20, and 2.10\u2266AgCu\u22662.50.
11. A high-temperature lead-free solder alloy as claimed in claim 1 wherein the temperature at the start of melting of the alloy, which is the temperature at the start of endotherm of the initial endothermic peak in a DSC curve of the alloy during melting of the alloy, is at least 280\xb0 C.
12. A high-temperature lead-free solder alloy as claimed in claim 11 wherein the temperature at the start of melting of the alloy is at least 290\xb0 C.
13. A high-temperature lead-free solder alloy as claimed in claim 1 wherein the temperature at the completion of melting of the alloy, which is the temperature at the completion of endotherm of the final endothermic peak in a DSC curve of the alloy during melting of the alloy, is at most 400\xb0 C.
14. A high-temperature lead-free solder alloy as claimed in claim 13 wherein the temperature at the completion of melting of the alloy is at most 380\xb0 C.
15. A high-temperature lead-free solder alloy as claimed in claim 1 consisting of 35-40 mass % of Sb, 13-18 mass % of Ag, 6-8 mass % of Cu, and a remainder of Sn.
16. A high-temperature lead-free solder alloy as claimed in claim 1 consisting of 35-40 mass % of Sb, 13-18 mass % of Ag, 6-8 mass % of Cu, 0.01-0.1 mass % of Ni, and a remainder of Sn.
17. A high-temperature lead-free solder alloy as claimed in claim 1 consisting of 35-40 mass % of Sb, 13-18 mass % of Ag, 6-8 mass % of Cu, optionally 0.01-0.1 mass % of Ni, and a remainder of Sn.