Optical analyses of the formation of a silver nanoparticle-containing layer in glass.

We present results of our observations on the formation of a silver nanoparticle-containing layer in glass over time. First, silver ions are driven into the glass by field-assisted ion exchange at 300 °C. A following annealing step at 550 °C resulted in the formation of silver nanoparticles (< 4 nm in diameter). This annealing was performed for five different durations (1h, 2h, 4h, 8h, 48h), and thin slices of the cross sections of the glasses have been prepared. The sequence of slices showed the growth of the nanoparticle-containing layer over time. Transmission spectra of the slices have been measured with a spatial resolution of 1.5 µm. Simulating spectra using the Maxwell-Garnett theory allowed us to determine the volume filling factor distribution of the nanoparticles across the layers. A first attempt to simulate the diffusion of silver is performed.