We report a study on the spatial homogeneity and nitridation of a nanopattern template using a spectroscopic photoemission and low energy electron microscopy. The template was composed of Al nanodots which were patterned into a SiO2/Si(1 1 1) surface using e-beam lithography and reactive ion etching. The template exhibited a global inhomogeneity in terms of the local topography, Al composition and structure of the individual nanopatterns. After nitridation, the individual nanopatterns were diminished, more corrugated and faceted. The nitridated nanopatterns were structurally ordered but differently orientated. The nitridation effectively removed the fluorine contaminants by decomposition of the fluorocarbon sidewalls, resulting in the AlN nanopatterns and partially nitridated Si substrate surface outside the nanopattern domains. (C) 2012 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.