Highly aligned intrinsic and indium doped CdS nanopillar arrays were fabricated via a template assisted Solid Source Chemical Vapor Deposition method (SSCVD). The prepared nanopillar arrays were well aligned, dense and uniform in diameter and length. Their geometry can be well defined by the design of the templates. These unique properties make them promising candidates for future photonic and optoelectronic devices. The structure of the prepared nanopillars has been studied by high resolution transmission electron microscopy and their different growth orientation as compared to those grown in free space has been observed and interpreted by the template induced change of the liquid-solid interfacial energy and the surface tension at the edge of the circular interface. To investigate electrical property of CdS nanopillars, vertical nanopillar array devices and horizontal individual nanopillar field-effect transistors have been fabricated and characterized. The measurements showed that the location of the indium doping source significantly affected carrier concentration, conductivity and field-effect mobility of the prepared CdS nanopillars. Particularly, it was found that conductivity could be improved by 4 orders of magnitude and field-effect mobility could be enhanced up to 50 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1) via proper doping control. These results enable further applications of CdS nanopillars in nano-optoelectronic applications such as photodetection and photovoltaics in the future.