Nano/microscopic patterning of low dimensional material, sensors and devices through nano/micro moulds-nuclear track filters

In the recent years there has been a tremendous spurt in the potential applications of metallic as well as non metallic nano/microstructures and materials. Variety of techniques are being used in their fabrication. Of late, a novel application of track etch technique, called Template Synthesis, which is a membrane based technology, has been used in the synthesis of these structures and materials of very low dimensions-down to few nm. This technique entails synthesis of the desired material (metal, semiconductor, polymer, metal semiconductor, junctions) within the pores of the template membranes having the custom made pores. This leads to the production of true replicas of the pore geometry. Described here in details is this technology besides reviewing other available methods also. (author)