Morphology of encapsulated iron nanoparticles obtained by co-sputtering and implantation: a GISAXS study

A grazing incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS) study is presented on the morphology of iron nanoparticles buried in carbon matrices, obtained either by ion-beam sputtering co-deposition or by ion-implantation. It is shown that, depending on the experimental synthesis conditions, the shape of the iron nanoparticles is either spherical or elongated perpendicularly to the substrate. The possible growth mechanisms are examined in terms of volume and surface diffusion, defect density, interfacial energy and residual stress.