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An electron beam inducing method for sprouting large quantities of silver nanoparticles on the surface of silver chloride particles is reported. The electron beam driven process was characterized by time-dependent scanning electron microscope ( SEM) and energy dispersive spectrum ( EDS), allowing for observing several key intermediates in and characteristics of the growth process. Theoretical calculation coupled with experimental observation demonstrated that the growth of silver nanoparticles was mostly related to the current density of electron beam. Decomposition of the silver chloride on the surface of sample was under electron beam irradiation resulted in silver nanoparticles and chlorine. This phenomenon could be useful in developing a novel mechanism for preparation of nanostructures and proposing a reference to avoid image distortion during the characterization of silver compounds under SEM. SCANNING 35: 69-74, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]