Electron-microscopy study of ordered silver nanoparticles synthesized in a ZnO:Al polycrystalline film

Abstract The optical absorption spectra and structural properties of samples series consisting of AZO oxide films with an intermediate layer of silver nanoparticles with different sol compounds were investigated. TEM analysis of the obtained coatings showed that the nanoparticles in the AZO film form an ordered structure, and the distance between them depends on the sol composition and the film annealing temperature. Optical measurements showed that a position of the nanoparticle plasmon peak in AZO also depends on them.