Synthesis and TEM study of nanoparticles and nanocrystalline thin films of silver by high pressure sputtering

High pressure magnetron sputtering is a very promising technique for the controlled synthesis of nanocrystalline thin films as well as nanoparticles of various systems. Here we discuss the conditions necessary for the synthesis of nanocrystalline silver both in the thin film and powder forms. The formation of the nanophase material occurs in a relatively high pressure of inert gas and at low substrate temperatures (77-300 K). The mean crystallographic domain size of the nanocrystalline silver thus synthesized was found to lie in the 3-60 nm range. The growth pattern and morphology of the sputter-deposited nano-grains were studied in detail using transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. (C) 2000 Acta Metallurgica Inc.