Effect of electron irradiation on the size and concentration of silver nanoparticles on the surface of silicate glass

Abstract

Experiments show that electron irradiation of silicate glass with a monolayer of silver nanoparticles (NPs) at energies of 3–5 keV leads to a decrease in the NP concentration due to elimination of small-size NPs and an increase in the mean diameter of the remaining NPs. It is demonstrated that the main processes that take place upon irradiation of the NP monolayer on the glass surface involve secondary electron emission, charging of NPs and near-surface glass layers with the generation of high-intensity electric fields, surface ionization that leads to the detachment of silver ions from NPs, and migration of charged NPs over glass surface.