Facile fabrication of silver nanofin array via electroless plating

The fabrication of metallic nanostructures is one of the main issues in nanotechnology. This article describes the fabrication of a silver nanofin array by combining microlithography, electroless plating, and an etching technique. Fabricated Ag nanofins have a high aspect ratio (height/width = 10, width = 60 nm, height = 600 nm), and their widths and heights can be controlled by the period of electroless plating and the height of the original line pattern. An isolated Ag nanofin was proven to show metallic electrical conductivity. The current process provides a rapid and shape-designable fabrication method of metallic nanostructures.