Fabrication of ordered arrays of silicon nanopillars at selected sites

We show that a combination of photoresist patterning and self-assembly of polymer spheres can be used to generate ordered arrays of silicon nanopillars in selected surface regions. The size and shape of patterns in the resist layer are shown to regulate the nucleation and growth of ordered monolayers of spheres, which are employed as templates for metal deposition and reactive ion etching. The method may be useful for applications in photonics requiring structural order on multiple length scales.