## 1 Introduction  
Research in synthetic control of noble metal nanoparticles has proven to be a powerful and versatile approach for tailoring the properties of the metal nanostructures for various applications [1; 2; 3]. Silver nanoparticles have been prepared with various techniques to modify their optical, electrical, and catalytic properties, which are strongly dependent on the shape and size of the silver nanoparticles. Much effort from many research groups has examined the synthesis of silver colloidal solutions with suspensions of various shapes and sizes including silver nanospheres [4; 5], nanowires [6; 7], nanoplates [8; 9], nanocubes [10], and nanorods [11]. Among these nanostructures, silver nanoplates have attracted considerable attention because they could potentially generate maximum electromagnetic field enhancement due to their highly anisotropic structure [12; 13; 14]. As a result, these particles are ideal for implementation in sensing applications including localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) [15; 16; 17; 18], surface-enhanced fluorescence [19], and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) [20; 21; 22], which are possibly the most attractive applications.  
In contrast, solution-based synthesis of anisotropic nanostructures has not been suitably applied for device applications including sensing analysis. Generally, the sensing analysis has been done by directly mixing the silver colloids with the analyte solution [23]. Therefore, silver is considered to be a single use system as opposed to multiple uses for a silver thin film [24]. The silver thin film can easily be washed to remove the analyte from the surface to allow a second or potentially repeated analysis and this result alternatively helps to prove the repeatability of the sensing system. Additionally, understanding the growth of the silver thin films is crucial in the fabrication of devices including solar cells and light emitting diodes (LEDs) because the growth on solid surfaces is influenced by the specific size, shape, and distribution of the nanostructures being deposited [25; 26].  
The growth of anisotropic nanostructures on solid surfaces has been reported using various methods such as thermal growth, seed-mediated growth, self-assembly, and lithography [27]. Recently, interest in surface modification in thin film fabrication has increased because control of the degree of coverage and aggregation of the nanostructures is possible and will allow the construction of a SERS substrate. A variety of organic materials can self-assemble on solid surfaces to obtain a molecular layer on the surface which promote the attachment of nanostructures to surfaces [28; 29]. 3-Aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (APTMS) is a common aminosilane used to promote metal nanostructure adhesion on the surface due to the strong interactions between the amine group and the metal nanoparticles [30; 31].  
Hence, the aim of this work is to deposit silver nanoplates on a silicon surface with maximum surface coverage of the triangular nanoplates using self-assembly with an adhesion layer. The distribution of the triangular silver nanoplates was studied by varying the exposure time of the silver nanoplate solution to the silicon surface. The silver nanoplate thin film was attached to the silicon surface using an APTMS film as a coupling agent in order to enhance the adhesion between the surface and the nanoplates. The morphology of the samples was investigated using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM).