TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INSTRUMENTATION AND TESTING - Preferred Method: The step (a) comprises: (a1a) forming a metal-containing layer on the substrate, where the metal-containing layer comprises the noble metal and disposing a polymerizable composition on the metal-containing layer or (a1b) disposing a polymerizable composition on a silicon substrate, where the polymerizable composition comprises the noble metal; (a2) contacting the polymerizable composition with a patterned imprint lithography template; (a3) solidifying the polymerizable composition to form a patterned metal-containing layer on the substrate, where the patterned metal-containing layer comprises protrusions (182) and recessions; (a4) separating the imprint lithography template from the patterned metal-containing layer; and (a5) removing portions of the patterned metal-containing layer in the recessions to expose portions of the metal-containing layer and leaving metal-rich regions between the protrusions. The step (b) comprises: contacting the exposed portions of the metal-containing layer or the metal-rich regions between the protrusions, with the etching solution; or contacting the noble metal applied to the exposed portions of the silicon substrate with the etching solution. The step (a5) comprises exposing the portions of the patterned layer in the recessions to vacuum UV radiation. The method further comprises: the steps (a1b), (a2), (a3), (a4) and (a5) as above per se, before the step (a); forming at least one additional layer on the substrate before disposing the noble metal on the substrate; reducing some of the noble metal in contact with the silicon; and removing non-silicon-containing material from the distal ends of the nanowires. The step (a) comprises: contacting the exposed portions of the substrate with the etching solution comprising the noble metal; or applying the noble metal to the exposed portions of the silicon substrate. The forming of the nanowire array comprises forming nanowires with an aspect ratio of at least 10:1. The etching of the silicon in contact with the noble metal comprises electroless etching. Preferred Components: The noble metal comprises noble metal ions. The etching solution comprises hydrofluoric acid. In the nanowire array: a cross-sectional shape of the nanowires is circular, elliptical, triangular, rectangular, hexagonal, lobed or in the shape of a square or parallelogram; and a length of the nanowires is at least 50 nm. EXAMPLE - No suitable example given.