Size control of nanopores formed on SiO2 glass by swift-heavy-ion irradiation and its application to highly sensitive biomolecular detection

Swift-heavy-ion irradiation creates latent tracks in SiO2 glass and nanopores with a high aspect ratio can be formed along these ion paths by selective etching of the latent tracks using hydrogen fluoride (HF) vapor. Here we report that the size of nanopores can easily be controlled by simply changing the temperature of the HF solution generating the vapor and/or that of the SiO2 glass exposed to the vapor. Furthermore, this method of size control was used to produce SiO2 glass sheets with nanopores of different sizes and number densities for use as the waveguide layer in the sensing plates for a waveguide-mode sensor. In comparison with nonperforated plates, the increased surface area due to the formation of nanopores was found to create up to a tenfold increase in sensitivity.