Amorphous silicon coatings with silver nanoparticles

We describe a plasma-ion sputtering technology for obtaining amorphous silicon coatings containing dispersed silver nanoparticles with average dimensions of 20–30 nm. Results of X-ray diffraction and electron-microscopic investigations of these coatings are presented, and a possible mechanism of silver nano-particle formation from 2- to 3-nm-sized nanoclusters is considered.