Formation of silver thin films and nanoparticles inside and on the surface of silver-containing glasses by electron irradiation

It is shown experimentally that irradiation of silver-ion-containing glasses by 5–7-keV electrons with doses of 20–50 mC/cm$^2$ results in the formation of a silver thin film and nanoparticles on the surface. If the concentration of silver ions in the glass is high, a subsurface film arises as well. These effects are due to a negative space charge region forming under the surface. As a result, silver ions migrate in the resulting field from the volume of the glass toward the negative space charge region and the surface and thermalized electrons reduce the ions to neutral atoms.