Synthesis of silver nanoclusters in silica-based glasses for optoelectronics application

The techniques of silver-sodium ion exchange and Ag+ ion implantation in glass have been successfully applied for producing silver clusters in soda-lime glass optical waveguides. Optical absorption spectroscopy, time and spectrally resolved photoluminescence, Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy measurements were made. Structural changes of the Ag+ environment were observed in ion-exchanged samples prepared in liquids with different Ag+ concentrations. Heat treatments in air and in H-2 atmospheres induced cluster formation in ion-exchanged samples through different reduction-migration mechanisms, whereas clusters formation in ion-implanted samples is related to the defect concentrations induced by the radiation damage