Fabrication of Size-Tunable Large-Area Periodic Silicon Nanopillar Arrays with Sub-10-nm Resolution

Here, we present a fabrication procedure that can produce large-area, size-tunable, periodic silicon nanopillar arrays, using metal templates that are created via nanosphere lithography. The size of the silicon nanopillars can be systematically controlled by an oxidation and etching process. The smallest size of nanopillars fabricated via this method is ∼9 nm, and the area covered with nanopillars is >1 cm2. Using this approach and nanoimprint lithography, it is possible to pattern sub-10-nm metal nanoparticles with a particle density as high as 1 × 109 particles/cm2.