US Patent 8044379 - High density silicon nanowire bundles

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/8044379.html

This patent from Hitachi teaches the formation of high surface area silicon nanowire arrays useful to increase the sensitivity of nanosensors and contacts in nanoelectronic devices. Claim 1 reads:

1. A structure comprising:

well-aligned, densely packed bundles of silicon nanowires, each nanowire having a diameter of less than about 50 nm and a length of 10 nm -100 microns, the dimensions of the nanowires being substantially uniform, the structure consisting essentially of silicon and oxygen, or compounds thereof, and the structure having a porosity of at least 80%.