Size saturation in low energy ion beam synthesized nanoparticles in silica glass: 50 keV Ag- ions implantation, a case study

Fluence-dependent formation of Ag nanoparticles (NPs) in silica glass by 50 keV Ag- ions implantation has been studied. Samples implanted with fluences of 2x1016 ions cm-2 and above are found to show an absorption band at around 410 nm, corresponding to the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of the Ag NPs in silica glass. An increase in SPR peak intensity with increase in fluence has been observed up to a fluence of 7x1016 ions cm-2 (F7), after which the absorption intensity shows a saturation. Simulations of the optical absorption spectra also indicated an increase in the absorption intensity and hence the size of the NPs with increase in fluence up to F7, beyond which NP size is seen to saturate. The saturation of fluence and the SPR intensity (or NP size) have been explained as coming due to a break up of larger Ag NPs formed near the surface by displacement spikes induced by subsequently incident Ag ions against their regrowth from the movement of Ag atoms toward the surface and their sputtering loss. Further, we have compared our observations with the earlier data on saturation of fluence and size of NPs in cases of Au and Zn, and concluded that the saturation of both fluence and NP size are general phenomena for low energy high fluence metal ion implantation.