Method of making metal nanostructures using low temperature deposition

An apparatus for forming nano structures from a source material, comprising:

• a vacuum chamber;
• a double crucible container within the vacuum chamber, the double crucible container including an outer crucible having an outer bottom wall, an upright peripheral wall extending from the outer bottom wall and forming a lip at an upper end thereof, an open top end opposite the outer bottom wall, and an inner cavity,
• an inner crucible disposed within the inner cavity of the outer crucible, the inner crucible including an inner bottom wall, an upright peripheral wall extending from the inner bottom wall and forming a lip at an upper end thereof, an open top end opposite the inner bottom wall, and an inner cavity for receiving a source material, the lip of the inner crucible being configured to support a substrate over the open top end of the inner crucible,
• a source material, the source material being disposed atop the inner bottom wall, wherein the source material is selected from the group consisting of Au, Ge, Al Cr, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Sn, and Ti, and
• a resistive heating element extending between the outer crucible and the inner crucible, the heating element configured to surround an outer surface of the peripheral wall of the inner crucible.