Thin-film transmural cardiac multielectric arrays were fabricated using integrated-circuit processing techniques. Several substantial improvements were achieved over conventional handmade arrays such as a smaller cross-sectional area, a larger number of recording sites per needle, more accurately controlled size and spacing of the recording sites, smaller bipolar spacings, and higher throughout yield. These advantages allow for a higher density of closely spaced bipolar electrodes capable of monitoring complex voltage and gradient fields present during ventricular fibrillation and defibrillation. Both rigid and flexible arrays were fabricated and used in the acquisition of transmural electrical signals. The rigid multielectrode arrays were made of gold electrodes on a molybdenum substate, and the flexible arrays of silver and gold electrodes on a polyimide substrate. In vitro and in vivo testing of the thin-film transmural cardiac multielectrode arrays indicates that there are no adhesion or delamination problems observed during acute studies, no implantation difficulties, and that unipolar and bipolar recordings during normal sinus rhythm and injury potentials in unipolar recordings are similar to those obtained using the handmade electrodes.