Nanocomposites and nanomaterials

Realization of an optical sensors with thin-film coatings based on Nb2O5 
Lebyedyeva T, S., Shpylovyy P. B.  
Department of Devices, Systems and Technologies of Contactless Diagnostics, V.M. Glushkov Institute of Cybernetics of the NAS of Ukraine.
Prospect Acad. Glushkova, 40, Kyiv-03187, Ukraine.
E-mail: lebtetyana@gmail.com

The technology of Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) and Coupled Waveguide-Surface Plasmon Resonance (CWSPR) detection is universal for refractometry and biosensing.
Niobium oxide Nb2O5 is one of the dielectric materials useful for manufacturing of sensor coating of SPR sensors with increased sensitivity and   CWSPR sensors. The prerequisites for its use are a high refractive index n=2.3 and high chemical resistance.
The work is concerning to the development of thin-films technologies for manufacturing continuous and porous layers of Nb2O5 in the composition of abovementioned refractometric sensors and biosensors.
Realization of the sensors with coatings based on Nb2O5 is presented in the work. Such processes of thin-film technologies as DC magnetron deposition of thin metal and dielectric films, thermal oxidation and anodic oxidation for formation of continuous and porous anodic oxides developed for sensors realization are described.