# Gas-Phase Synthesis of Ag Nanoparticles for Integration into Nanocapacitors and Operando Electron Holography Analysis

Ramanpreet Kaur, Salomé Trillot, Caroline Bonafos, Kremena Makasheva, Martin Hštch, Christophe Gatel, Patrizio Benzo

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Ramanpreet Kaur, Salomé Trillot, Caroline Bonafos, Kremena Makasheva, Martin Hštch, et al. Gas-Phase Synthesis of Ag Nanoparticles for Integration into Nanocapacitors and Operando Electron Holography Analysis. 12th International Workshop on Functional Nanocomposites (Nanoworkshop 2025), Sep 2025, La Rábida, Huelva, Spain. hal-05349263

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Submitted on 5 Nov 2025

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# Gas-Phase Synthesis of Ag Nanoparticles for Integration into Nanocapacitors and Operando Electron Holography Analysis

Ramanpreet Kaur¹,ª, Salomé Trillot¹,ᵇ, Caroline Bonafos¹, Kremena Makasheva², Martin Hytch¹, Christophe Gatel¹
and Patrizio Benzo¹

¹CEMES-CNRS and Université de Toulouse, 29 rue J. Marvig, 31055 Toulouse, France

²LAPLACE, Université de Toulouse; INPT, CNRS; 118 route de Narbonne, F-31062 Toulouse cedex 9, France

ªramanpreet.kaur@cemes.fr

ᵇsalome.trillot@cemes.fr

Nanocapacitors are essential components for any power distribution network and memories devices in microelectronic industries; as they provide ultrahigh power density and ultra-fast charge/discharge rates. They are thus widely used in DC/AC convertors, field-effect transistors, flash memory, and dynamic random-access memory (DRAM). However, charge traps in insulating layer impact the performance of the device by modifying the capacitance, threshold voltage and frequency response. The understanding of charge transport mechanisms in such hybrid conductive-insulating systems is fundamental for the advancement of microelectronic systems. Despite their critical role, understanding charge dynamics remains a significant challenge as the majority of electrical characterisations are based on indirect measurements which can only measure the global response and lack in spatial resolution to probe the distribution of charge traps at nanometer scale [1-2].

The aim of this work is to fabricate model nanocapacitors with metal (NPs) embedded within the dielectric layer, achieving precise control over their size, density, and spatial distribution relative to the electrodes. These NPs will act as charge traps to precisely control the properties of the nanocapacitors. To investigate their role, *operando* electron holography will be used for mapping charge distribution within the device. This powerful transmission electron microscopy (TEM) technique enables real-time visualization of the charge distribution during device operation, which will provide deeper insights of charge trapping phenomena and electric field behavior at the nanoscale.

We focus on Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) synthesized in the gas phase by magnetron sputtering [3], followed by size selection using a quadrupole mass filter before deposition onto a substrate. This original synthesis technique enables independent control of both the size distribution (ranging from 0.5 to 15 nm) and the density of the AgNPs by tuning the synthesis conditions. To improve the efficiency of the process, the deposition parameters must be optimized in order to maximize the nucleation rate. Here, we will discuss the effect of different deposition parameters such as aggregation length, deposition time and effect of introducing oxygen ($O_2$) [4] into the aggregation chamber on the nucleation and growth of AgNPs. The resulting nanoparticles are analysed using advanced transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques to obtain the structural properties such as size, surface density, crystalline structure, and morphology down to the atomic scale. These structural properties are directly correlated with the specific synthesis parameters. These findings will provide crucial insights about the nucleation and growth mechanisms of AgNPs for their ultimate integration into microelectronic device applications.

**Keywords:** metal NPs embedded nanocapacitor, gas-phase synthesis, Ag nanoparticles, nucleation and growth mechanism

## References

[1] C. Gatel, R. Serra, K. Gruel, A. Masseboeuf, L. Chapuis, R. Cours, L. Zhang, B. Warot-Fonrose, and M. J. Hštch, *Physical Review Letters*, **129**, 137701 (2022)

[2] B. Jolayemi, G. Buvat, P. Roussel, and C. Lethien, *Batteries*, **10**, 317 (2024)

[3] Y. Huttel, *Gas-Phase Synthesis of Nanoparticles*, (Wiley-VCH, 2017)

[4] S. Trillot, P. Benzo, S. Barre, N. Tarrat, M. Benoit, K. Makasheva, and C. Bonafos, *Nanoscale* – under review