Via a specially widened anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) pore arrays, carbon nanodot arrays with uniform size and high density were obtained through filtered cathodic arc plasma (FCAP) technique. The AAO template was prepared in oxalic acid by multi-steps to get a specially enlarged opening which plays an important role in the deposition of nanodots. The morphology of the nanodots was studied by a field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The diameter of the as-prepared nanodot demonstrated here is about 100 nm at the bottom and less than 40 nm at the top, and the density was estimated to 10(10) cm(2). Field emission properties of the nanodot arrays were investigated and a low threshold field of 5.1 V/mu m at 10 mA/cm(2) was obtained. In this paper, the carbon nanodot arrays grown as replicas of the specially widened AAO template may support a strategy to realize the fabrication of nanodot arrays with various materials. (C) 2008 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.