Patent ID: 7108813

Claim:
A method of fabricating a metallic membrane, the method comprising: a) providing a porous non-metallic template membrane having opposing first and second surfaces; b) first depositing a first metal layer on the first surface such that pores on the first surface are not blocked by the first metal layer; c) providing a polymer negative to the template membrane and affixed to the first metal layer, wherein said polymer negative fills pores in said template membrane, thereby having a configuration that is a negative of said template membrane; d) removing the non-metallic template membrane to expose pore-filling parts of the polymer negative; e) second depositing a second metal onto the first metal layer such that the second metal makes contact with the pore-filling parts of the polymer negative, wherein the polymer negative is kept immersed in a liquid at all times between the removing the non-metallic template membrane and the depositing a second metal; and f) removing the polymer negative.