Reshaping of silver thin film microstructural features was achieved by brief iodization for creating surface-enhanced Raman scattering substrate pristine Ag thin films (similar to 30 nm thick) fabricated by thermal evaporation which were iodized for <= 10 min at 300 K. As-fabricated thin films are quasi-amorphous but prolonged iodization makes them progressively more crystalline. X-ray diffraction pattern showed an fcc structure (single phase) with high crystallinity. Field emission scanning electron micrograph results show that the size of reshaped silver nanoparticles was found to be similar to 55 nm. UV-visible spectroscopy reveals a progressively strong absorption at 420 nm attributed to silver surface plasmon resonance of reshaped Ag nanoparticles. (C) 2012 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.