{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,12]],"date-time":"2025-10-12T01:16:16Z","timestamp":1760231776432,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":36,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"19","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,10,2]],"date-time":"2022-10-02T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1664668800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Sensors"],"abstract":"<jats:p>In order to obtain optimized elementary devices (photovoltaic modules, power transistors for energy efficiency, high-efficiency sensors) it is necessary to increase the energy conversion efficiency of these devices. A very effective approach to achieving this goal is to increase the absorption of incident radiation. A promising strategy to increase this absorption is to use very thin regions of active material and trap photons near these surfaces. The most effective and cost-effective method of achieving such optical entrapment is the Raman scattering from excited nanoparticles at the plasmonic resonance. The field of plasmonics is the study of the exploitation of appropriate layers of metal nanoparticles to increase the intensity of radiation in the semiconductor by means of near-field effects produced by nanoparticles. In this paper, we focus on the use of metal nanoparticles as plasmonic nanosensors with extremely high sensitivity, even reaching single-molecule detection. The study conducted in this paper was used to optimize the performance of a prototype of a plasmonic photovoltaic cell made at the Institute for Microelectronics and Microsystems IMM of Catania, Italy. This prototype was based on a multilayer structure composed of the following layers: glass, AZO, metal and dielectric. In order to obtain good results, it is necessary to use geometries that orthogonalize the absorption of light, allowing better transport of the photocarriers\u2014and therefore greater efficiency\u2014or the use of less pure materials. For this reason, this study is focused on optimizing the geometries of these multilayer plasmonic structures. More specifically, in this paper, by means of a neurocomputing procedure and an electromagnetic fields analysis performed by the finite elements method (FEM), we established the relationship between the thicknesses of Aluminum-doped Zinc oxide (AZO), metal, dielectric and their main properties, characterizing the plasmonic propagation phenomena as the optimal wavelengths values at the main interfaces AZO\/METAL and METAL\/DIELECTRIC.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/s22197486","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,10,10]],"date-time":"2022-10-10T03:07:28Z","timestamp":1665371248000},"page":"7486","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Multilayer Plasmonic Nanostructures for Improved Sensing Activities Using a FEM and Neurocomputing-Based Approach"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"22","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9384-7232","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Grazia","family":"Lo Sciuto","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Electrical, Electronics and Informatics Engineering, University of Catania, Viale Andrea Doria, 6, 95125 Catania, Italy"},{"name":"Department of Mechatronics, Silesian University of Technology, Akademicka 10a, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3336-5853","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Christian","family":"Napoli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Computer, Control, and Management Engineering, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Ariosto 25, 00185 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5855-7763","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Pawe\u0142","family":"Kowol","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Mechatronics, Silesian University of Technology, Akademicka 10a, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2555-9866","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Giacomo","family":"Capizzi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Electrical, Electronics and Informatics Engineering, University of Catania, Viale Andrea Doria, 6, 95125 Catania, Italy"},{"name":"Department of Mathematics Applications and Methods for Artificial Intelligence, Faculty of Applied Mathematics, Silesian University of Technology, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7255-6951","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rafa\u0142","family":"Brociek","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Mathematics Applications and Methods for Artificial Intelligence, Faculty of Applied Mathematics, Silesian University of Technology, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1667-3328","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Agata","family":"Wajda","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Energy and Fuel Processing Technology, 41-803 Zabrze, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9265-5711","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Damian","family":"S\u0142ota","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Mathematics Applications and Methods for Artificial Intelligence, Faculty of Applied Mathematics, Silesian University of Technology, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,10,2]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"071108","DOI":"10.1063\/1.4942393","article-title":"Ge-on-Si PIN-photodetectors with Al nanoantennas: The effect of nanoantenna size on light scattering into waveguide modes","volume":"108","author":"Fischer","year":"2016","journal-title":"Appl. Phys. Lett."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"36201","DOI":"10.1364\/OE.438585","article-title":"Rigorous coupled-wave analysis of a multi-layered plasmonic integrated refractive index sensor","volume":"29","author":"Schlipf","year":"2021","journal-title":"Opt. Express"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Badshah, M.A., Koh, N.Y., Zia, A.W., Abbas, N., Zahra, Z., and Saleem, M.W. (2020). Recent developments in plasmonic nanostructures for metal enhanced fluorescence-based biosensing. Nanomaterials, 10.","DOI":"10.3390\/nano10091749"},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"110726","DOI":"10.1016\/j.rser.2021.110726","article-title":"An overview of enhanced polymer solar cells with embedded plasmonic nanoparticles","volume":"141","author":"Alkhalayfeh","year":"2021","journal-title":"Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"255","DOI":"10.1109\/LPT.2021.3054962","article-title":"On-chip GaAs-based spoof surface plasmon polaritons at millimeter-wave regime","volume":"33","author":"Xu","year":"2021","journal-title":"IEEE Photonics Technol. Lett."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1807","DOI":"10.1007\/s10825-021-01729-0","article-title":"The effect of different surface plasmon polariton shapes on thin-film solar cell efficiency","volume":"20","author":"ElKhamisy","year":"2021","journal-title":"J. Comput. Electron."},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"225","DOI":"10.1016\/j.solmat.2015.05.042","article-title":"Ultra-thin, high performance crystalline silicon tandem cells fabricated on a glass substrate","volume":"141","author":"Li","year":"2015","journal-title":"Sol. Energy Mater. Sol. Cells"},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"D\u2019Agata, R., and Spoto, G. (2012). Surface Plasmon Resonance-Based Methods. Detection of Non-Amplified Genomic DNA, Springer.","DOI":"10.1007\/978-94-007-1226-3_9"},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"205","DOI":"10.1038\/nmat2629","article-title":"Plasmonics for improved photovoltaic devices","volume":"9","author":"Atwater","year":"2010","journal-title":"Nat. Mater."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Guo, C., Wang, J., Chen, X., Li, Y., Wu, L., Zhang, J., and Tao, C.A. (2018). Construction of a biosensor based on a combination of cytochrome c, graphene, and gold nanoparticles. Sensors, 19.","DOI":"10.3390\/s19010040"},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"308","DOI":"10.1016\/j.rinp.2018.06.008","article-title":"Studies of Ag\/TiO2 plasmonics structures integrated in side polished optical fiber used as humidity sensor","volume":"10","author":"Yusoff","year":"2018","journal-title":"Results Phys."},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"14","DOI":"10.1080\/01468030.2021.1902590","article-title":"Plasmonics: A necessity in the field of sensing-a review","volume":"40","author":"Butt","year":"2021","journal-title":"Fiber Integr. Opt."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"821","DOI":"10.1007\/s11468-019-01085-7","article-title":"Coupling between silicon waveguide and metal-dielectric-metal plasmonic waveguide with lens-funnel structure","volume":"15","author":"Badri","year":"2020","journal-title":"Plasmonics"},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Cai, M., Wang, S., Gao, B., Wang, Y., Han, T., and Liu, H. (2018). A new electro-optical switch modulator based on the surface plasmon polaritons of graphene in mid-infrared band. Sensors, 19.","DOI":"10.3390\/s19010089"},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"72","DOI":"10.1016\/j.matpr.2021.10.203","article-title":"Effect of source-substrate distance on the transparent electrode properties of spray pyrolysed aluminium doped zinc oxide thin films","volume":"59","author":"Devasia","year":"2022","journal-title":"Mater. Today Proc."},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"541","DOI":"10.1016\/j.matpr.2020.10.504","article-title":"Ellipsometric and third-order nonlinear optical studies of pulsed laser deposited aluminium doped zinc oxide thin films","volume":"42","author":"Kumar","year":"2021","journal-title":"Mater. Today Proc."},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1856","DOI":"10.1016\/j.matpr.2020.07.531","article-title":"Nickel doped molybdenum oxide thin film counter electrodes as a low-cost replacement for platinum in dye sensitized solar cells","volume":"39","author":"Maitra","year":"2021","journal-title":"Mater. Today Proc."},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2102360","DOI":"10.1002\/admi.202102360","article-title":"Low-Temperature Carrier Transport Mechanism of Wafer-Scale Grown Polycrystalline Molybdenum Disulfide Thin-Film Transistor Based on Radio Frequency Sputtering and Sulfurization","volume":"9","author":"Baek","year":"2022","journal-title":"Adv. Mater. Interfaces"},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3677","DOI":"10.1007\/s10904-020-01522-9","article-title":"Synthesis, characterization and evaluation of anti-bacterial, anti-parasitic and anti-cancer activities of aluminum-doped zinc oxide nanoparticles","volume":"30","author":"Khashan","year":"2020","journal-title":"J. Inorg. Organomet. Polym. Mater."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"7826","DOI":"10.1021\/acsami.6b00520","article-title":"Aluminum-Doped Zinc Oxide as Highly Stable Electron Collection Layer for Perovskite Solar Cells","volume":"8","author":"Zhao","year":"2016","journal-title":"ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces"},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"360","DOI":"10.1016\/j.powtec.2013.12.001","article-title":"On the electrical conductivity and photocatalytic activity of aluminum-doped zinc oxide","volume":"253","author":"Zhang","year":"2014","journal-title":"Powder Technol."},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"110529","DOI":"10.1016\/j.solmat.2020.110529","article-title":"Theoretical investigation of broadband absorption enhancement in a-Si thin-film solar cell with nanoparticles","volume":"211","author":"Li","year":"2020","journal-title":"Sol. Energy Mater. Sol. Cells"},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"216","DOI":"10.1016\/j.egypro.2013.12.030","article-title":"Plasmonic modes in molybdenum ultra-thin films suitable for hydrogenated amorphous silicon thin film solar cells","volume":"44","author":"Lombardo","year":"2014","journal-title":"Energy Procedia"},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"054516","DOI":"10.1063\/1.2559975","article-title":"Effects of a-Si: H layer thicknesses on the performance of a-Si: H\/c-Si heterojunction solar cells","volume":"101","author":"Fujiwara","year":"2007","journal-title":"J. Appl. Phys."},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Murthy, M., Tembhurne, S., and Ganguly, S. (2012, January 20\u201323). Co-optimizing plasmonic and solar cell structures. Proceedings of the 2012 12th IEEE International Conference on Nanotechnology (IEEE-NANO), Birmingham, UK.","DOI":"10.1109\/NANO.2012.6322077"},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"123902","DOI":"10.1063\/1.4753936","article-title":"Plasmonic effects of ultra-thin Mo films on hydrogenated amorphous Si photovoltaic cells","volume":"101","author":"Lombardo","year":"2012","journal-title":"Appl. Phys. Lett."},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"240","DOI":"10.1016\/j.snb.2011.03.056","article-title":"Numerical investigation for SPR-based optical fiber sensor","volume":"157","author":"Yuan","year":"2011","journal-title":"Sens. Actuators B Chem."},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"102874","DOI":"10.1016\/j.rinp.2019.102874","article-title":"Modeling of highly improved SPR sensor for formalin detection","volume":"16","author":"Moznuzzaman","year":"2020","journal-title":"Results Phys."},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Capizzi, G., Bonanno, F., and Napoli, C. (2011, January 14\u201316). Hybrid neural networks architectures for SOC and voltage prediction of new generation batteries storage. Proceedings of the 2011 International Conference on Clean Electrical Power (ICCEP), Ischia, Italy.","DOI":"10.1109\/ICCEP.2011.6036301"},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Bonanno, F., Capizzi, G., Gagliano, A., and Napoli, C. (2012, January 20\u201322). Optimal management of various renewable energy sources by a new forecasting method. Proceedings of the Symposium on Power Electronics, Electrical Drives, Automation and Motion (SPEEDAM), Sorrento, Italy.","DOI":"10.1109\/SPEEDAM.2012.6264603"},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Bonanno, F., Capizzi, G., and Napoli, C. (2012, January 20\u201322). Some remarks on the application of rnn and prnn for the charge-discharge simulation of advanced lithium-ions battery energy storage. Proceedings of the Symposium on Power Electronics, Electrical Drives, Automation and Motion (SPEEDAM), Sorrento, Italy.","DOI":"10.1109\/SPEEDAM.2012.6264500"},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"435","DOI":"10.1109\/TEC.2010.2095015","article-title":"Recurrent neural network-based modeling and simulation of lead-acid batteries charge\u2013discharge","volume":"26","author":"Capizzi","year":"2011","journal-title":"IEEE Trans. Energy Convers."},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Capizzi, G., Bonanno, F., and Napoli, C. (2011, January 14\u201316). Recurrent neural network-based control strategy for battery energy storage in generation systems with intermittent renewable energy sources. Proceedings of the 2011 International Conference on Clean Electrical Power (ICCEP), Ischia, Italy.","DOI":"10.1109\/ICCEP.2011.6036300"},{"key":"ref_34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Nam, W.J., Ji, L., Varadan, V.V., and Fonash, S.J. (2011, January 15\u201318). Designing optical path length, photonic, and plasmonic effects into nanostructured solar cells. Proceedings of the 2011 11th IEEE International Conference on Nanotechnology, Portland, OR, USA.","DOI":"10.1109\/NANO.2011.6144594"},{"key":"ref_35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"191113","DOI":"10.1063\/1.3021072","article-title":"Design principles for particle plasmon enhanced solar cells","volume":"93","author":"Catchpole","year":"2008","journal-title":"Appl. Phys. Lett."},{"key":"ref_36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Bai, W., Gan, Q., Song, G., and Bartoli, F. (2010, January 16\u201321). Plasmonic back structures designed for efficiency enhancement of thin film solar cells. Proceedings of the Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics (CLEO) and Quantum Electronics and Laser Science (QELS), San Jose, CA, USA.","DOI":"10.1364\/CLEO.2010.CMAA2"}],"container-title":["Sensors"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1424-8220\/22\/19\/7486\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,11]],"date-time":"2025-10-11T00:45:42Z","timestamp":1760143542000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1424-8220\/22\/19\/7486"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2022,10,2]]},"references-count":36,"journal-issue":{"issue":"19","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,10]]}},"alternative-id":["s22197486"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/s22197486","relation":{},"ISSN":["1424-8220"],"issn-type":[{"type":"electronic","value":"1424-8220"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2022,10,2]]}}}