| Resumo |
A photoelectrodeposition on p-type silicon has been explored since the last century as a simple and low-cost alternative to control the formation of deposits of different materials on the silicon surface. In this work, we employed photoelectrodeposition on p-type silicon (111) to control the formation of copper microdeposits. In an electrochemical cell built for this purpose, the p-type silicon was immersed in a two-electrolyte solution and selectively illuminated by a focused 633 nm laser. The electrolytes used were copper sulfate (CuSO₄), and copper levulinate. The properties and morphology of the deposits could be controlled by varying the laser intensity, exposure time, and electrochemical cell potential. In addition to studying the morphology and properties of the deposits by varying the mentioned parameters, their application in a phenomenon called Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) was investigated. Raman spectroscopy is a technique that allows obtaining the chemical and structural information of materials through inelastic scattering of light, but is limited in several materials by the low signal intensity and fluorescence. The SERS effect, in many cases, helps overcome these limitations. SERS occurs on metallic surfaces such as gold, silver, copper, and depends on the surface properties and chemical affinity with the material being analyzed. The results demonstrate significant potential for the formation and modulation of electrochemical deposits. The properties of the deposits are sensitive to process parameters, allowing for various purposes such as lithography applications, sensor manufacturing, and spectroscopy applications like the aforementioned SERS effect, which in this study was evaluated using cresyl violet as the probe molecule. We would like to express our gratitude to the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG), and Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq/407799/2022-2) for the essential financial support that made this project possible, contributing significantly to its realization and success. |