Reduction of the size of the implanted silver nanoparticles in float glass during excimer laser annealing

Silver nanoparticles have been synthesised by ion implantation in float glass at 60 keV to a dose of 7.0 X 10(16) ion/cm(2) and a current density of 10 mu A/cm(2) at a temperature of 50 degrees C. The size distribution of the metal particles was controlled by monitoring optical transmittance and reflectance together with atomic force microscopy measurements and Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy. A reduction in size of large silver nanoparticles and some dissolution of silver into the glass network has been made by pulse annealing with a high-power KrF excimer laser. The present study explores the possibilities of controlled size formation of metal nanoparticles within an insulator. Explanations of the observed modifications are proposed. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.