Development of latent fingerprints using preferential DC sputter deposition

It was shown that a DC metal sputtering process with thermalised atoms, preferentially deposits metal onto fingerprint ridges. This method can be successfully used for the development of latent fingerprints. Four target metals were tested--copper, zinc, platinum, and gold--with platinum showing superior results for latent fingerprint development on clear polythene substrates. A comparison of platinum sputtering and cyanoacrylate fuming followed by rhodamine-6G staining, was conducted for 1-year-old fingerprint deposits. Platinum sputtering showed significantly higher sensitivity, and produced better overall results.