Although the SiOx nanoparticles were previously reported to electrochemically nucleate from the bottoms of the pore array formed in the AAO/Ti/Si system, new applications of anodic aluminum oxide templates, i.e., successive nucleation and a rodlike growth of SiOx nanoparticles, were observed utilizing the subsequent annealing technique after the nanoparticle precipitation. Tailoring the pore bottom profile by doping type and level of wafers; also critically affected to nucleate the SiOx nanoparticles from the pore bottoms. By anodization, as previously reported, only one nanoparticle per each pore was generally precipitated from the pyramid-shaped Si-containing TiOx nanopillars; however, subsequent annealing under a low pressure of hydrogen enabled the successive precipitation of nanoparticles. Annealing under atmospheric pressure with H-2 and N-2 resulted in the rodlike growth of a single nanoparticle without successive nanoparticle precipitation. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.