Cluster optical coding: from biochips to counterfeit security

Jakob Haglmueller; Yilmaz Alguel; Christian Mayer; Viacheslav Matyushin; Georg Bauer; Fritz Pittner; Alfred Leitner; Franz Rembert Aussenegg; Thomas G.M. Schalkhammer

doi:10.1117/12.537429

15 July 2004 Cluster optical coding: from biochips to counterfeit security

Jakob Haglmueller, Yilmaz Alguel, Christian Mayer, Viacheslav Matyushin, Georg Bauer, Fritz Pittner, Alfred Leitner, Franz Rembert Aussenegg, Thomas G.M. Schalkhammer

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 5339, Photon Processing in Microelectronics and Photonics III; (2004) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.537429
Event: Lasers and Applications in Science and Engineering, 2004, San Jose, Ca, United States

Abstract

Spatially tuned resonant nano-clusters allow high local field enhancement when exited by electromagnetic radiation. A number of phenomena had been described and subsequently applied to novel nano- and bionano-devices. Decisive for these types of devices and sensors is the precise nanometric assembly, coupling the local field surrounding a cluster to allow resonance with other elements interacting with this field. In particular, the distance cluster-mirror or cluster-fluorophore gives rise to a variety of enhancement phenomena. High throughput transducers using metal cluster resonance technology are based on surface-enhancement of metal cluster light absorption (SEA). The optical property for the analytical application of metal cluster films is the so-called anomalous absorption. At a well defined nanometric distance of a cluster to a mirror the reflected electromagnetic field has the same phase at the position of the absorbing cluster as the incident fields. This feedback mechanism strongly enhances the effective cluster absorption coefficient. The system is characterised by a narrow reflection minimum. Based on this SEA-phenomenon (licensed to and further developed and optimized by NovemberAG, Germany Erlangen) a number of commercial products have been constructed. Brandsealing(R) uses the patented SEA cluster technology to produce optical codings. Cluster SEA thin film systems show a characteristic color-flip effect and are extremely mechanically and thermally robust. This is the basis for its application as an unique security feature. The specific spectroscopic properties as e.g. narrow band multi-resonance of the cluster layers allow the authentication of the optical code which can be easily achieved with a mobile hand-held reader developed by november AG and Siemens AG. Thus, these features are machine-readable which makes them superior to comparable technologies. Cluster labels are available in two formats: as a label for tamper-proof product packaging, and as a direct label, where label and logo are permanently applied directly and unremovable to the product surface. Together with Infineon Technologies and HUECK FOLIEN, the SEA technology is currently developed as a direct label for e.g. SmartCards.

Citation Download Citation

Jakob Haglmueller, Yilmaz Alguel, Christian Mayer, Viacheslav Matyushin, Georg Bauer, Fritz Pittner, Alfred Leitner, Franz Rembert Aussenegg, and Thomas G.M. Schalkhammer "Cluster optical coding: from biochips to counterfeit security", Proc. SPIE 5339, Photon Processing in Microelectronics and Photonics III, (15 July 2004); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.537429

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