This is a collaborative project with the group of Professor T. P. Beebe, Jr. (Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Delaware).
    We can produce well defined pits on a surface of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite and fill them up with silicon, producing a variety of nanostructures as schematically illustrated on a scheme (left). The sizes and shapes of these nanostructures can be controlled by adjusting parameters required for their production. Their positions can also be determined by using spacially resolved ion bunches, and their surfaces can be used for further modification. Currently, the nanopits of several tens of nanometers in diameter can be easily produced as confirmed on a scheme below. The height of 10 nm can be reached for silicon deposited with the distribution of heights within 1 nm. The nanostructures produced by such an approach are amaizingly flat, with RMS roughness of the top plane within 0.5 nm. 
    Chemistry of these nanostructures is similar to the chemistry of silicon single crystals and several novel reactions, including cyclocondensation on hydrogen-terminated silicon and 1,3-cycloaddition schemes have been developed specifically for this kind of structures. In addition to chemical modification, we found that gold metal can be adsorbed selectively onto silicon, leaving graphite surface unoccupied.
    These nanostructures will be further used as true nanoreactors and elements of nanoelectronic components, as current chemical studies lead us to be able to selectively modify their surfaces and to deposit alternate materials, including diffusion barrier layers without disturbing teh structure of the silicon filler.