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

High pressure magnetron sputtering is a very promising technique for the co ntrolled synthesis of nanocrystalline thin films as well as nanoparticles o f various systems. Here we discuss the conditions necessary for the synthes is of nanocrystalline silver both in the thin film and powder forms. The fo rmation of the nanophase material occurs in a relatively high pressure of i nert gas and at low substrate temperatures (77-300 K). The mean crystallogr aphic 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 sputt er-deposited nano-grains were studied in detail using transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. (C) 2000 Acta Metallurgica Inc.