The effect of volume fraction of silver (Ag) on the growth of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) embedded in ion-irradiated silica films is reported. Films with low volume fraction (LVF) and high volume fraction (HVF) of Ag in silica matrix were prepared by magnetron co-sputtering. The growth of AgNPs under 120 MeV Ag ion irradiation is monitored in situ using grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD). It is observed that the film with LVF shows the growth of AgNPs in a nearly single ion impact region, while the film with HVF shows a monotonous growth even in the region of multiple ion impacts. Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) experiments are also performed to determine the exact volume fraction of Ag in the silica matrix and to understand the role of sputtering and diffusion processes on the growth of AgNPs. Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) is carried out to obtain further evidence of the mechanisms of growth. Our study reveals that the growth of embedded nanoparticles strongly depends on the volume fraction of metal in the matrices and affects the dipolar interactions among such noble metal NPs. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.