Polymer Driven Covalently Bonded Decahedral-Twinning of Ag Nanoparticles Prepared by ICP Enhanced Magnetron Sputtering Method

In this paper, an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) enhanced magnetron sputtering (MS) method was utilized to deposit silver (Ag) nanoparticles embedded inside of simultaneously polymerized poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) thin film. Ex situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) have been employed to elucidate the Ag nanoparticle structure, shape, and growth process during ICP enhanced MS deposition. The results showed that, when capped by polymer PEO film, the Ag nanocrystals were shaped in multiple-twinned particles (MTP) and further transformed into decahedrons held five-twinning structure with distinct twinning boundaries. The formation of particle size of Ag nanocrystalline on Si (100) surfaces was found unambiguously dependent on the ICP power, and the estimated particle size of Ag nanoparticles was in the range of 5-10 nm. From the results, it was assumed that PEO coating was the reason for inducing the, formation of Ag NITP and nanodecahedron structures.