Making two metal plates on different sides of the membrane
Some time before I noticed that placing the membrane in the metal deposition chamber at slight angle to the incoming metal atoms stream makes thin metal layer only on one side of the pore, shadowing the rest of it. Rotating the membrane sample after the metal layer was deposited on the front and making sure that, when deposit on the back, the opposite side of the pore wall is open for deposition, can give two separated metal plates on our membrane. I am right now helping Krishanu in our group to make these samples, he is working on SERS sensors, but I am sure it can be useful for others too.
Below are the TEMs of metalized on one side samples positioned perpendicular to the source, and at angle relatively to the source
The pores on the tilted sample look more oval. The deposition on the opposite wall on the reverse side of the membrane elongates the pores even more. The TEM images of membrane with metal on both sides:
The metal thickness of one side metal layer is 14 nm (2 nm of Ti +12 nm Au), the membranes used for deposition are 30 nm thick (total 68 nm!) to enhance the shadowing effect.