Plasmonic Au nanoparticles by ion implantation

This paper studies Au-nanoparticles' (AuNPs) formation in titanium dioxide (TiO2) by ion implantation. Samples of TiO2 thin films deposited on glass and silicon were prepared using magnetron sputtering. Ion implantation was used to create the AuNPs, with fluences ranging from 2.0 × 101⁶ to 4.0 × 1017 ions/cm2. Each sample was implanted with 50 and 100 keV to achieve a broader in-depth distribution of Au. A post-implantation thermal treatment, at 500˚C, was applied, during 15 min, to promote precipitation of the implanted Au. Using Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, the elemental depth profiles were analysed before and after annealing. The X-ray diffraction analysis revealed the presence of the (1 1 1) Au diffraction peak, and the microstructure analysis, using scanning electron microscopy confirmed the presence of NPs. The optical transmission data, shows a band around 600–650 nm, for the samples implanted with 1.6 × 1017 and 4.0 × 1017 ions/cm2.