Ion-Beam Induced Nano-Sized Ag Metal-Clusters in Glass

Silver metal clusters have been formed in soda lime glass by high-energy heavy ion diation at ISL. The metal cluster formation was detected with X-ray absorption spe copy (EXAFS) in fluorescence mode, and the shape of the clusters was imaged transmission electron microscopy. While annealing in reducing atmosphere alone a leads to the formation of metal clusters in Ag containing glasses, where the Ag was duced by ion-exchange, such clusters are not very uniform in size and are randoml tributed over the Ag-containing glass volume. Irradiation with 600-MeV Au ion lowed by annealing, however, results in clusters more uniform in size and arrang chains parallel to the direction of the ion beam. PACS codes: 61.10.Ht, 61.80.Jh, 68.37.Lp, 78.55.QrGs