Two methods of producing nano-pads of catalytic metal for growth of single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) are disclosed. Both methods utilize a shadow mask technique, wherein the nano-pads are deposited from the catalytic metal source positioned under the angle toward the vertical walls of the opening, so that these walls serve as a shadow mask.In the first case, the vertical walls of the photo-resist around the opening are used as a shadow mask, while in the second case the opening is made in a thin layer of the dielectric layer serving as a shadow mask. Both methods produce the nano-pad areas sufficiently small for the growth of the SWCNT from the catalytic metal balls created after high temperature melting of the nano-pads.