Nanosecond Laser Fabrication of Novel Micro-/Nanostructured Metal Surfaces: A Dual-Functional Supersurface Combining Antireflectivity and Superhydrophobic Properties

Abstract

The research and applications in the field of micro/nano surface manufacturing are progressively shifting their focus toward multifunctional surfaces. In practical applications, objects often need to operate under demanding environmental conditions, and single-function surfaces have inherent limitations in terms of performance, adaptability, and longevity. In this paper, a micro-/nanolayered structural strategy with dual functions of ultrahigh antireflective properties and superhydrophobicity was created on the surface of titanium alloy by using nanosecond pulsed laser processing, and two structural modes of periodic honeycomb and lattice with controllable shapes were designed. In addition, the morphology and formation mechanism of multilevel micro-/nanostructures were investigated in depth, combining laser texturization and silanization of substrate microstructures. The effects of the micro-/nanostructured morphology on the reflection and wettability properties were evaluated with different pulse widths and lateral overlap index. This study also demonstrated that water droplets exhibit excellent bouncing and rolling behavior on superhydrophobic surfaces, further verifying the excellent hydrophobic properties of the prepared samples. Furthermore, in addressing the challenges of susceptibility to dust contamination and performance degradation in extreme environments associated with antireflective surfaces, a series of durability and mechanical stability tests were conducted on controllability periodic micro-/nanostructured surfaces. Successfully meeting this challenge will open up great potential and opportunities for significant improvements in equipment performance and stable operation under extreme operating conditions.

Fabrication of Bulk Tungsten Microstructure Arrays for Hydrophobic Metallic Surfaces Using Inductively Coupled Plasma Deep Etching

“…Electroplating of nickel microstructure arrays on glass substrates also leads to a superhydrophobic surface [ 25 ]. In the top–down approach, laser structuring is widely used due to its no-contact, 3D-patterning ability and wide material-adaptability [ 26 , 27 ]. Laser-induced periodical surface structures (LIPSS), direct laser interference patterning (DLIP) and direct laser writing (DLW) have been reported to modify the surfaces of various metals, including Ti64 and Al2024 [ 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 ].…”