A one-step process for copper nanopatterning on a silicon surface is reported. The patterns were formed by selective copper electroless deposition from a diluted HF/Cu2+ solution on defect sites on the silicon surfaces introduced by nanomechanical scratching. Field emission scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analyses show that copper particles were deposited preferentially on well-defined defect sites with high selectivity. The experiment demonstrated here shows a new one-step approach for metallic nanopatterning formation on a silicon surface. (C) 2003 The Electrochemical Society.