Patent ID: 7378347

Claim:
A method of forming a patterned array of nanoscale, catalytic regions, the patterned array comprising rows and columns of the catalytic regions in two dimensions, comprising: a) providing a substrate; b) providing a mold with nanoscale protrusions forming a desired pattern; c) transferring the pattern of the mold to a surface of the substrate, either (1) by adding catalytic material on the protrusions, or (2) by removing material from the surface of the substrate to expose portions of an underlying nanowire growth enabling catalytic layer, or (3) by removing portions of a nanowire growth enabling catalytic layer on the surface of the substrate to expose portions of an underlying non-catalytic layer and leave islands of the nanowire growth enabling catalytic layer, or (4) by covering portions of a nanowire growth enabling catalytic layer on the surface of the substrate with a non-catalytic material so as to leave islands of the nanowire growth enabling catalytic layer, or (5) by forming depressions in the surface of the substrate and depositing nanowire growth enabling catalytic material in the depressions, thereby creating the patterned array of nanoscale catalytic regions; wherein the mold is provided with a patterned array of recessed strips, each recessed strip positioned between two nanoscale protrusions, for imprinting in a first step an array of lines, and for imprinting in a second step, by rotation of the mold relative to the substrate, a second set of lines intersecting the array of lines, thereby forming the patterned array.