Metallic nanowires created by biopolymer masking

Nanometer-scale structures are of great interest as potential building blocks for future electronic devices. One significant challenge is the electrical connection of such blocks by nanowires. We present here the use of filamentous biopolymer structures (microtubules) as a template for the creation of metallic nanowires. The microtubules served as a mask in an etching step of a thin metal layer. This approach results in formation of metallic paths (wires) of well-defined dimensions, with a shape determined by the biological template. Electrical measurements confirmed the realization of conductive metallic nanowires. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S0003-6951(99)01344-3].