These are droplets of metallic indium on a silicon oxide surface. Metallic droplets are a stage in the process to grow nanowires, which scientists are studying for future generations of batteries and other technologies. Indium is a chemical element with symbol In and atomic number 49. It is a post-transition metallic element that is rare in Earth's crust. Silicon dioxide, also known as silica, is a chemical compound that is an oxide of silicon. It is one of the most complex and most abundant families of materials, existing both as several minerals and being produced synthetically. Nanotechnology (nanotech) is the manipulation of matter on an atomic, molecular, and supramolecular scale.