http://www.physorg.com/news91286833.html
That"s what this technique sounds like.
Nano Lett., 7 (2), 446 -451, 2007. 10.1021/nl062766o S1530-6984(06)02766-4
Web Release Date: January 26, 2007
Copyright © 2007 American Chemical Society
Electrochemical Nanoimprinting with Solid-State Superionic Stamps
Keng H. Hsu, Peter L. Schultz, Placid M. Ferreira, and Nicholas X. Fang*
Department of Mechanical Science & Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Illinois 61801
Received November 27, 2006
Revised January 11, 2007
Abstract:
This letter presents a solid-state electrochemical nanoimprint process for direct patterning of metallic nanostructures. It uses a patterned solid electrolyte or superionic conductor (such as silver sulfide) as a stamp and etches a metallic film by an electrochemical reaction. Our preliminary experiments demonstrate repeatable and high-fidelity pattern transfer with features down to 50 nm on silver films of thicknesses ranging from 50 to 500 nm. As the process is conducted in an ambient environment and does not involve the use of liquids, it displays potential for single-step, high-throughput, large-area manufacturing of metallic nanostructures. The use of superionic conductors in manufacturing opens up a new and potentially energy-efficient approach to nanopatterning and fabrication. It offers a highly competitive approach, both as a stand-alone process and as a complement of other nanofabrication techniques, to fabricating chemical sensors, photonic and plasmonic structures, and electronic interconnects.