For some metals (e.g. Ag, Au) you can sputter thin layers (< 20 nm), followed by an annealing process of the substrate (try 1h@200°C). You get NP with a various sizes and shapes (depending on the layer thickness, annealing time + temperature, substrate type, etc.)

Using sputtering deposition, some materials prefer to grow as continuous layers, others as granular layers (nanoparticles), depending on their nature, that of the substrate, and additional parameters such as the substrate temperature, atom flux, assistance, post-treatments.

Depending on the nature of the substrate and deposited material, and in case of bringing sufficient energy to the growing layer, you can observe a Stranski-Krastanov-like, Frank-Van der Merwe-like or Volmer-Weber-like growth.

Materials that are allowed to grow following a Volmer-Weber-like mode can be obtained in form of nanoparticles using the conditions described in the previous post. But of course, you first should check which kind of growth mode can be expected for the material you wish to deposit on your substrate.

Thank you Theuring and Toudert . Please do recommend some papers

You might also check papers from J.A. Venables, which have been cited a lot, such as for instance: http://iopscience.iop.org/0034-4885/47/4/002/

Thank you !