OPTICAL ENHANCEMENT ELEMENT AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING SAME

摘要

The purpose of the present invention is to provide an optical enhancement element and method for producing the same with which an adequate function for protecting an enhanced electromagnetic field-forming layer by a protective layer is obtained and also a high optical enhancement effect is obtained. This optical enhancement element is provided with: a substrate; and an enhanced electromagnetic field-forming layer composed of a large number of metal microparticles dispersed independently of one another, formed on a surface of the substrate; the configuration being such that a protective layer having enhanced electromagnetic field-propagating properties is formed on the surface of the substrate which includes the metal microparticles constituting the enhanced electromagnetic field-forming layer. Preferably, a configuration in which a halogen element is included in the protective layer is adopted to enhance Raman-scattered light.