Surface modification of silica nanoparticles was investigated using an aerosol self assembly. Stearic acid was used as surface treating agent. A two-fluid jet nozzle was employed to generate an aerosol of the colloidal suspension, which contained 20 nm of silica nanoparticles, surface modifier, and ethyl alcohol. Powder properties such as morphology, specific surface area and pore size distribution were analyzed by SEM, BET and BJH methods, respectively. Surface properties of the silica power were analyzed by FT-IR. The OH bond of the SiO2 surface was converted to a C-H bond. It was revealed that the hydrophilic surface changed to a hydrophobic one due to the aerosol self assembly. Morphology of the surface treated powder was nanostructured with lots of pores having an average diameter of around 2 μm. Depending on the stearic acid concentration (0.25 to 1.0 wt%), the pore size distribution of the particles and the degree of hydrophobicity ranged from 1.5 nm to 180 nm and 29.6% to 50.2%, respectively.