Abstract
Zn–silica nanocomposite thin films with varying Zn metal content, deposited by atom beam sputtering technique were subjected to 100 MeV Ag ion irradiation. Rutherford backscattering spectrometry reveals the loss of Zn with irradiation, which is observed to be greater from thin films with lower Zn content. The sputtered species collected on carbon-coated transmission electron microscopy (TEM) grids consist of Zn nanoparticles of sizes comparable to those present in the nanocomposite thin film. The process of size-dependent electronic sputtering of Zn is explained on the basis of an inelastic thermal spike model. The possibility of direct cluster emission is explained by pressure spike built inside the track, initiated by a temperature spike.
Highlights
Metal nanoparticles are currently receiving broad scientific and technological interest due to their unusual physical properties which are different from the bulk materials
The group at IUAC [5] showed that growth as well as a reduction in size of nanoparticles occur upon Swift heavy ion (SHI) irradiation, depending on the size of nanoparticles and the interparticle separation
Zn–silica nanocomposite thin films with two different metal contents were irradiated with 100 MeV Ag ions
Summary
Metal nanoparticles are currently receiving broad scientific and technological interest due to their unusual physical properties which are different from the bulk materials. Properties such as surface plasmon resonance [1], fast optical response [2], and superparamagnetism [3], strongly depend on shape, size, size distribution and the surrounding environment of the metal nanoparticles [4]. Swift heavy ion (SHI) irradiation is an effective tool to engineer the properties of the nanocomposite thin films. The group at IUAC [5] showed that growth as well as a reduction in size of nanoparticles occur upon SHI irradiation, depending on the size of nanoparticles and the interparticle separation. It is observed that ion irradiation raises the track temperature above the melting temperature of gold and silica for nanoparticles with small radii, but in the case of larger nanoparticles gold does not melt
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