Fabrication of micro-convex domes using long pulse laser

Abstract

Micro-convex domes inspired from nature can be machined by chemical and physical routes to achieve specific functions. Laser surface texturing (LST) is the front runner among the current material micro-processing technologies. However, most of the studies relating to LST dealt with the formation of micro-dimples. In this paper, LST using long pulse laser was used to create micro-convex domes on 304L stainless steel. Spherical-cap-shaped domes with diameters of 30–75 μm and height of 0.9–5.5 μm were created through LST. The effects of laser-processing parameters on surface morphologies of the created convex domes were investigated. The height of the convex dome increased at first and then decreased with the increasing laser power. The change tendency of the height with the pulse duration varied at different laser powers. The diameter of the convex dome increased almost linearly with the laser power or pulse duration. The superior micro-convex domes were achieved at a pulse energy of 5.6 mJ with a laser power of 80 W and pulse duration of 70 μs.