Ordered Co, Ni and Cu nanotubes embedded in a porous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membrane were fabricated by electroless deposition. The results show that the length of the nanotubes is detennined by the thickness of the AAO template and the outside diameter of the nanotubes is determined by the pore size of the AAO template. The factors that impact on the growth of metallic nanotubes are also discussed. (C) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.