Patent ID: 7235475

Claim:
A method of fabricating a fluid sensor, said method comprising: providing a substrate comprising a first electrode; forming at least one metal nanoparticle on said substrate; exposing said at least one metal nanoparticle to at least one gas containing a semiconductor for a period of time sufficient to grow a corresponding at least one nanowire of a first predetermined length; forming a layer of an etchable material on the substrate and surrounding said at least one nanowire; optionally thinning said layer of said etchable material to expose a top of said at least one nanowire, thereby providing said at least one nanowire with a second predetermined length that is less than said first predetermined length; depositing a layer of a metal on top of said layer of etchable material and patterning said layer of metal to form a second electrode; at least partially removing said layer of said etchable material, sufficient to expose at least one said nanowire.