Control of silver nanoparticle morphology in radio-frequency-biased inductively coupled

Silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) have attracted significant attention over the past several decades due to their potential to optimize physical, optical, and biological properties. Plasma ion-surface interaction is a method for forming these NPs, enabling the production of high-purity NPs without agglomeration at low temperatures. Consequently, the properties of plasma ions are closely related to the characteristics of the NPs. However, the effect of ion properties on the NP formation has not been sufficiently studied. In this study, we investigate the impact of plasma ion properties such as energy, density, and fluence, on the formation of Ag NPs in radio-frequency-biased inductively coupled plasma systems. Our results show that the ion energy has the greatest influence on the formation characteristics of Ag NPs, but the number of ions bombarding the surface is a more favorable parameter for precisely controlling the size of Ag NPs than ion energy. The size and shape of Ag NPs can be altered by a sufficient number of ions under low ion energy conditions. Furthermore, we identify a process window in which both size and density can be independently controlled by tuning ion properties.