真空金屬鍍膜技術常見運用於日常用品表面美觀處理及高科技光電奈米金屬薄膜產業，在國內金屬工業中屬技術成熟的產業。此技術可利用物表與殘留指紋紋線成分之不同，產生鍍膜上的差異來顯現潛伏指紋。為能使國內成熟之「真空金屬鍍膜」產業技術成功地推動運用在我國刑事鑑識之指紋採證工作，提升潛伏指紋採驗水準，刑事警察局與國立臺灣科技大學材料所技術合作，於國內自行研製真空金屬鍍膜設備，並利用此設備發展指紋顯現技術，建立適用顯現潛伏指紋之蒸鍍條件，提供標準方法流程等，以強化我國指紋採證技術及效能。

Vacuum metal deposition (VMD) techniques, well established and mature in Taiwan, are commonly used in nanooptoelectronicsindustry and in the surface treatment of commodities for both beautification and functionalitypurposes. Owing to the micro-structural differences between an object surface and the fi ngerprint residues left onit, and hence the different coating environments, the surface-specifi c VMD can be used to develop the individuallyunique latent fingerprints. In order to have the VMD techniques successfully applied in our country's latentfingerprint development and to promote the level of the specialty of our country, we have set up a homemadefingerprinting VMD equipment in our lab under a cooperation agreement with the Department of MaterialsScience and Engineering, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology (NTUST). The interdisciplinarycollaborative project has been accomplished with the following achievements:establishment of the first forensicVMD equipment in Taiwan and its high performance in latent fi ngerprint development (which has in turn enhancedour ability in fi ngerprint identifi cation), establishment of the methods for developing latent fi ngerprints on ordinaryand special surfaces, optimization of experimental conditions for latent fi ngerprint development, standard operationprocedures made available, etc.