A surface covered with a nanopatterned, regularly spaced array of SiO2 bloc
ks is obtained by coating silica with a block copolymer, selectively removi
ng one polymer from the layer, depositing SiO2 in the voids, and finally de
grading the second polymer. The Figure shows an AFM image of a finished sam
ple. Rough surfaces of this type are very promising candidates for sensor a
nd lab-on-a-chip applications.