  We report a novel method for the fabrication of superconducting nanodevices
based on niobium. The well-known difficulties of lithographic patterning of
high-quality niobium are overcome by replacing the usual organic resist mask by
a metallic one. The quality of the fabrication procedure is demonstrated by the
realization and characterization of long and narrow superconducting lines and
niobium-gold-niobium proximity SQUIDs.
