Thermal annealing to induce nanoparticle formation

[Verdict]

Good day,
I was recently asked to look into the process of thermal annealing of thin metal films in order to induce nanoparticle formation. However, I have been terribly unsuccessful in finding any sources that describe exactly how this works. I understand the basic idea of thermal annealing on a macroscopic scale, accelerating the process of relieving internal stresses of a material by using high temperatures and such. But how this induces nanoparticle formation is not clear to me at all, and all the papers I have been able to find on the topic merely say that this process was used in order to produce the particles, but not why and how.
So basically my question comes down to if anyone can point me to a source (be it a book, a paper or a research article) in which at least the basics of this process are explained, preferably at a graduate level at maximum. I apologize if this is not what this forum is meant for, but it felt as if posting this under homework would not be fruitful either, as most readers there help people solve well posed questions, not research a topic, in my experience.

Kind regards

 

[Verdict]

Hmm, well, I take it that this might not have been the correct forum then. I apologize! Should I instead post it in the homework section?