Silicon nanoporous pillar array (Si-NPA) has been prepared by a hydrothermal etching technique. Using Si-NPA as substrate, a Cu/Si-NPA nanocomposite thin film has been obtained with immersion plating method. Morpho- logical and structural analysis indicates that Si-NPA is a typical structural composite system characterized by a triple hierarchical structure, i. e. the array of micron-sized silicon pillars, the nanopores densely distributed on the surface of the pillars, and the silicon nanocrystallites that constitute the pore walls. Cu/Si-NPA inherits the morphological character- istics of Si-NPA. The compactability of the deposited copper nanoparticles varies alternatively with the local geometrical features of Si-NPA and forms a quasi-periodical pattern. Such an experimental phenomenon is attributed to the veloc- ity dependence of the copper deposition upon the local geo- metrical features of Si-NPA. These results indicate that Si-NPA might be used as an ideal template for preparing specially patterned, structured or functionalized metal/ sili- con nanocomposite systems.
FU Xiaonan1,2,3, CHAI Huadou1,2 & LI Xinjian1,2 1. Department of Physics, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, China
