Ag doped silicon nitride nanocomposites for embedded plasmonics

Journal Article · Mon Sep 07 04:00:00 EDT 2015 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4930940· OSTI ID:22482032

Bayle, M.; Benzo, P.; Benassayag, G.; Pécassou, B.; Carles, R. ^[1]; Khomenkova, L.; Gourbilleau, F. ^[2]

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1. CEMES-CNRS and Université de Toulouse, 29 rue J. Marvig, 31055 Toulouse, Cedex 04 (France)
2. CIMAP, CNRS/CEA/ENSICAEN/UCBN, 6 Boulevard Maréchal Juin, 14050 Caen, Cedex 4 (France)

The localized surface plasmon-polariton resonance (LSPR) of noble metal nanoparticles (NPs) is widely exploited for enhanced optical spectroscopies of molecules, nonlinear optics, photothermal therapy, photovoltaics, or more recently in plasmoelectronics and photocatalysis. The LSPR frequency depends not only of the noble metal NP material, shape, and size but also of its environment, i.e., of the embedding matrix. In this paper, Ag-NPs have been fabricated by low energy ion beam synthesis in silicon nitride (SiN{sub x}) matrices. By coupling the high refractive index of SiN{sub x} to the relevant choice of dielectric thickness in a SiN{sub x}/Si bilayer for an optimum antireflective effect, a very sharp plasmonic optical interference is obtained in mid-range of the visible spectrum (2.6 eV). The diffusion barrier property of the host SiN{sub x} matrix allows for the introduction of a high amount of Ag and the formation of a high density of Ag-NPs that nucleate during the implantation process. Under specific implantation conditions, in-plane self-organization effects are obtained in this matrix that could be the result of a metastable coarsening regime.

• OSTI ID: 22482032
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Journal Name: Applied Physics Letters Journal Issue: 10 Vol. 107; ISSN APPLAB; ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
DIELECTRIC MATERIALS
DOPED MATERIALS
EV RANGE 01-10
INTERFERENCE
LAYERS
METALS
MOLECULES
NANOCOMPOSITES
NANOPARTICLES
NONLINEAR OPTICS
PHOTOCATALYSIS
PHOTOVOLTAIC EFFECT
REFRACTIVE INDEX
SILICON NITRIDES
SPECTROSCOPY
THERAPY
THICKNESS