Self-assembled ZnO/Ag nanocomposite thin films with enhanced multiple-phonon resonant Raman scattering

•ZnO/Ag nanocomposite films have been fabricated by reactive radio-frequency magnetron sputtering system.•Ag nano-particles are uniformly embedded into the ZnO/Ag nanocomposite films.•The films exhibit strong intensities reduction of the reflection spectra in UV and visible region.•The films exhibit strong intensities enhancement of resonance Raman scattering spectra.

Self-assembled ZnO/Ag nanocomposite thin films have been fabricated on Si (111) by a reactive radio-frequency magnetron sputtering system. Microstructural characterizations by transmission electron microscopy indicated that the Ag nano-particles are uniformly embedded into the ZnO films. The intensity of resonance Raman scattering spectra is significantly enhanced with the increase of Ag contents in the film, compared with the pure ZnO film, while the intensity of reflection spectrum is reduced, which is assigned to the interaction between localized Surface Plasmons in the Ag nanoparticles and the incident light.