Mold and Metallization: Nanocontact Molding for the Fabrication of Metal Structures

Plating up: A new fabrication technique for the creation of patterns of metal or circuitization on a substrate is demonstrated. Nanocontact molding allows for the reproduction of features ranging from millimeter to subnanometer features into a functional polymer layer (see image). Through the facile electroless plating of metallic copper directly from the surface of functional polymeric patterns, conductive metal features can be constructed at nanoscale dimensions.