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Ag nanocluster synthesis by laser ablation in Ar atmosphere: A plume dynamics analysis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 March 2009

E. Fazio
Affiliation:
Dipartimento di Fisica della Materia e Ingegneria Elettronica, Università di Messina, Messina, Italy
F. Neri
Affiliation:
Dipartimento di Fisica della Materia e Ingegneria Elettronica, Università di Messina, Messina, Italy
P.M. Ossi
Affiliation:
Dipartimento Energia & Centre for NanoEngineered MAterials and Surfaces, NEMAS, Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy
N. Santo
Affiliation:
Centro Interdipartimentale Microscopia Avanzata, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
S. Trusso*
Affiliation:
CNR-Istituto per i Processi Chimico-Fisici Sezione di Messina, Salita Sperone, Messina, Italy
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: S. Trusso, CNR-Istituto per i Processi Chimico-Fisici Sezione di Messina, Salita Sperone, C.da Papardo, Faro Superiore, 98158 Messina, Italy. E-mail: trusso@me.cnr.it

Abstract

Ag thin films were deposited by pulsed laser ablation in a controlled Ar atmosphere. The deposition process was performed at different Ar pressure values in the range between 10 and 100 Pa to investigate the influence of ambient gas pressure on the plasma expansion dynamics and on the film structural properties. Position, velocity and volume of the laser generated plasma as functions of time were obtained by time resolved fast photography. The morphological properties of the films were investigated by transmission electron microscopy which shows that film growth proceeds via aggregation on the substrates of nanoclusters formed in the expanding plume. The formation of nanoparticles takes place as a consequence of plasma confinement induced by the interaction with ambient gas species. Data from fast photography analysis were used as input parameters to calculate the size of the nanoparticles using a model that takes into account the collisional nature of the laser generated silver plasma.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2009

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