Femtosecond Laser-induced Periodic Surface Structures Research Articles

Fabricating Femtosecond Laser-Induced Periodic Surface Structures with Electrophysical Anisotropy on Amorphous Silicon.

One-dimensional periodic surface structures were formed by femtosecond laser irradiation of amorphous hydrogenated silicon (a-Si:H) films. The a-Si:H laser processing conditions influence on the periodic relief formation as well as correlation of irradiated surfaces structural properties with their electrophysical properties were investigated. The surface structures with the period of 0.88 and 1.12 μm were fabricated at the laser wavelength of 1.25 μm and laser pulse number of 30 and 750, respectively. The orientation of the surface structure is defined by the laser polarization and depends on the concentration of nonequilibrium carriers excited by the femtosecond laser pulses in the near-surface region of the film, which affects a mode of the excited surface electromagnetic wave which is responsible for the periodic relief formation. Femtosecond laser irradiation increases the a-Si:H films conductivity by 3 to 4 orders of magnitude, up to 1.2 × 10−5 S∙cm, due to formation of Si nanocrystalline phase with the volume fraction from 17 to 28%. Dark conductivity and photoconductivity anisotropy, observed in the irradiated a-Si:H films is explained by a depolarizing effect inside periodic microscale relief, nonuniform crystalline Si phase distribution, as well as different carrier mobility and lifetime in plane of the studied samples along and perpendicular to the laser-induced periodic surface structures orientation, that was confirmed by the measured photoconductivity and absorption coefficient spectra.

Femtosecond Laser-Induced Periodic Surface Structures on Different Tilted Metal Surfaces.

Laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) are used for the precision surface treatment of 3D components. However, with LIPSS, the non-normal incident angle between the irradiated laser beam and the specimen surface occurs. This study investigated LIPSS on four different metals (SUS 304, Ti, Al, and Cu), processed on a tilted surface by an s-polarized femtosecond fiber laser. A rotated low spatial frequency LIPSS (LSFL) was obtained on SUS 304 and Ti materials by the line scanning process. However, LSFL on Cu and Al materials was still perpendicular to the laser polarization. The reason for the rotated and un-rotated LSFL on tilted metal surfaces was presented. The electron-phonon coupling factor and thermal conductivity properties might induce rotational LSFL on tilted SUS 304 and Ti surfaces. When fabricating LSFL on an inclined plane, a calibration model between the LSFL orientation and inclined plane angle must be established. Hence, the laser polarization direction must be controlled to obtain suitable LSFL characteristics on a 3D surface.

Direct fabrication of rotational femtosecond laser-induced periodic surface structure on a tilted stainless steel surface

This study investigated laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) produced on a tilted stainless steel surface with a p- and s-polarized laser beam. Different types of LIPSS on the tilted surface were compared, and the direct fabrication of one-dimensional rotational low spatial frequency LIPSS (LSFL) on a tilted surface using a stationary s-polarized laser beam was demonstrated. In addition, by changing the laser scanning strategy, an area pattern covered with lightning-like structures and even the two-dimensional structures fabricated on the tilted surface we demonstrated. The evolution of LSFL at different line scanning regions was obtained, and the possible reason for the rotation of LSFL on tilted surfaces was presented.

Three-Step Description of Single-Pulse Formation of Laser-Induced Periodic Surface Structures on Metals.

Two different scenarios are usually invoked in the formation of femtosecond Laser-Induced Periodic Surface Structures (LIPSS), either “self-organization” mechanisms or a purely “plasmonic” approach. In this paper, a three-step model of formation of single-laser-shot LIPSS is summarized. It is based on the periodic perturbation of the electronic temperature followed by an amplification, for given spatial periods, of the modulation in the lattice temperature and a final possible relocation by hydrodynamic instabilities. An analytical theory of the evolution of the temperature inhomogeneities is reported and supported by numerical calculations on the examples of three different metals: Al, Au, and Mo. The criteria of the possibility of hydrodynamic instabilities are also discussed.

Rotationally symmetric colorization of metal surfaces through omnidirectional femtosecond laser-induced periodic surface structures.

Following femtosecond (fs) laser pulse irradiation, the formation of a new type of low-spatial-frequency laser-induced periodic surface structure (LSFL) patterns, namely, omnidirectional LSFLs (OD-LSFLs) with the periodic ordering of their orientations, are investigated on Ni in this Letter. Using a liquid crystal polymer patterned depolarizer, we periodically rotate the polarization of fs laser pulses across the laser spot and create OD-LSFLs by raster scanning fs laser pulses. We also show that the period of the OD-LSFL orientation rotation can be controlled with the defocused distance, and OD-LSFLs can significantly expand the viewing angle of the structural colors in the azimuthal direction without noticeable color degradations.

Uniform colorization of metal surfaces through omnidirectional femtosecond laser-induced periodic surface structures

Uniform colorization of metal surfaces through omnidirectional femtosecond laser-induced periodic surface structures

Laser-Induced Periodic Ag Surface Structure with Au Nanorods Plasmonic Nanocavity Metasurface for Strong Enhancement of Adenosine Nucleotide Label-Free Photoluminescence Imaging.

The label-free detection of biomolecules by means of fluorescence spectroscopy and imaging is topical. The developed surface-enhanced fluorescence technique has been applied to achieve progress in the label-free detection of biomolecules including deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) bases. In this study, the effect of a strong enhancement of photoluminescence of 5′-deoxyadenosine-monophosphate (dAMP) by the plasmonic nanocavity metasurface composed of the silver femtosecond laser-induced periodic surface structure (LIPSS) and gold nanorods or nanospheres has been realized at room temperature. The highest value of 1220 for dAMP on the Ag-LIPSS/Au nanorod metasurface has been explained to be a result of the synergetic effect of the generation of hot spots near the sharp edges of LIPSS and Au nanorod tips together with the excitation of collective gap mode of the cavity due to strong near-field plasmonic coupling. A stronger plasmonic enhancement of the phosphorescence compared to the fluorescence is achieved due to a greater overlap of the phosphorescence spectrum with the surface plasmon spectral region. The photoluminescence imaging of dAMP on the metasurfaces shows a high intensity in the blue range. The comparison of Ag-LIPSS/Au nanorod and Ag-LIPSS/Au-nanosphere metasurfaces shows a considerably higher enhancement for the metasurface containing Au nanorods. Thus, the hybrid cavity metasurfaces containing metal LIPSS and nonspherical metal nanoparticles with sharp edges are promising for high-sensitive label-free detection and imaging of biomolecules at room temperature.

Laser-induced graphitized periodic surface structure formed on tetrahedral amorphous carbon films

Femtosecond laser-induced periodic surface structure (LIPSS), graphitization and swelling observed on ultra-hard, hydrogen-free tetrahedral amorphous carbon (ta-C) films are examined and compared with those on hydrogenated amorphous carbon (a-C:H) films, nitride films, and glassy carbon plates. The threshold fluence for LIPSS formation on ta-C is approximately twice as high as that for other specimens, and the LIPSS period Λ near the threshold is very fine at ca. 80 nm. Λ gradually increases with increasing fluence, and rapidly increases to ca. 600 nm at a high fluence. The ablation rate also increases rapidly at this fluence. In addition, ta-C and a-C:H are graphitized by irradiation and expand in volume. The surface layer of ta-C film changes to nanocrystalline graphite as the fluence increases and the crystallinity is improved; however, at higher fluence, the crystallinity deteriorates suddenly similar to that at low fluence. At high fluence, the rapid increase in Λ and the ablation rate, and the sudden deterioration in crystallinity are determined as common phenomena for these disordered carbons. LIPSS formation and swelling over a large area by scanned spot irradiation produces submicron height flat hills with conductivity and surface functionality on the insulating surface.

Effect of Laser Pulse Overlap and Scanning Line Overlap on Femtosecond Laser-Structured Ti6Al4V Surfaces.

Surface structuring is a key factor for the tailoring of proper cell attachment and the improvement of the bone-implant interface anchorage. Femtosecond laser machining is especially suited to the structuring of implants due to the possibility of creating surfaces with a wide variety of nano- and microstructures. To achieve a desired surface topography, different laser structuring parameters can be adjusted. The scanning strategy, or rather the laser pulse overlap and scanning line overlap, affect the surface topography in an essential way, which is demonstrated in this study. Ti6Al4V samples were structured using a 300 fs laser source with a wavelength of 1030 nm. Laser pulse overlap and scanning line overlap were varied between 40% and 90% over a wide range of fluences (F from 0.49 to 12.28 J/cm²), respectively. Four different main types of surface structures were obtained depending on the applied laser parameters: femtosecond laser-induced periodic surface structures (FLIPSS), micrometric ripples (MR), micro-craters, and pillared microstructures. It could also be demonstrated that the exceedance of the strong ablation threshold of Ti6Al4V strongly depends on the scanning strategy. The formation of microstructures can be achieved at lower levels of laser pulse overlap compared to the corresponding value of scanning line overlap due to higher heat accumulation in the irradiated area during laser machining.

Creating superhydrophobic and antibacterial surfaces on gold by femtosecond laser pulses

Femtosecond laser-induced surface structuring is a promising technique for the large-scale formation of nano- and microscale structures that can effectively modify materials’ optical, electrical, mechanical, and tribological properties. Here we perform a systematic study on femtosecond laser-induced surface structuring on gold (Au) surface and their effect on both hydrophobicity and bacterial-adhesion properties. We created various structures including subwavelength femtosecond laser-induced periodic surface structures (fs-LIPSSs), fs-LIPSSs covered with nano/microstructures, conic and 1D-rod-like structures (≤ 6 μm), and spherical nanostructures with a diameter ≥10 nm, by raster scanning the laser beam, at different laser fluences. We show that femtosecond laser processing turns originally hydrophilic Au to a superhydrophobic surface. We determine the optimal conditions for the creation of the different surface structures and explain the mechanism behind the formed structures and show that the laser fluence is the main controlling parameter. We demonstrate the ability of all the formed surface structures to reduce the adhesion of Escherichia coli(E.coli) bacteria and show that fs-LIPSSs enjoys superior antibacterial adhesion properties due to its large-scale surface coverage. Approximately 99.03% of the fs-LIPSSs surface is free from bacterial adhesion. The demonstrated physical inhibition of bacterial colonies and biofilm formation without antibiotics is a crucial step towards reducing antimicrobial-resistant infections.

Wettability Analysis of Water on Metal/Semiconductor Phases Selectively Structured with Femtosecond Laser-Induced Periodic Surface Structures

Femtosecond (fs) laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) were selectively generated on the surface of an Ag-Si alloy consisting of a metallic and a semiconducting phase. For this purpose, the alloy was irradiated with linearly polarized fs-laser pulses (τ = 300 fs, λ = 1025 nm, frep = 100 kHz) using a laser peak fluence F = 0.30 J/cm2. Due to the different light absorption behaviors of the semiconductor (Si) and the metal (Ag) phases that result in different ablation thresholds of the respective phases, pronounced LIPSS with a period of Λ ≈ 950 nm and a modulation depth of h ≈ 220 nm were generated solely on the Si phase. The alloy surface was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, optical microscopy, white-light interference microscopy, and atomic force microscopy before and after laser irradiation. The chemical analysis was carried out by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, revealing surface oxidation of the Si phase and no laser-induced chemical modification of the Ag phase. The surface wettability of the alloy was evaluated with distilled water and compared to those of the single constituents of the composites. After fs-laser irradiation, the surface is characterized by a reduced hydrophilic water contact angle. Furthermore, the alloy selectively structured with LIPSS revealed a droplet shape change due to the distinctly different contact angles on the Si (θ = 5°) and Ag (θ = 74°) phases. This phenomenon was evaluated and discussed by local contact angle analyses using a confocal laser scanning microscope and Rhodamine B dye. In addition, it was shown that the shape change due to different contact angles of the components allowed a targeted droplet movement on a macroscopic material boundary (Ag/Si) of the alloy. Selectively structured metal/semiconductor surfaces might be of particular interest for microfluidic devices with a directional droplet movement and for the fundamental research of wettability.

Tribological performance of metal-reinforced ceramic composites selectively structured with femtosecond laser-induced periodic surface structures

The impact of femtosecond (fs) laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) on tribological properties was investigated for metal-reinforced ceramic composites (Al2O3-ZrO2-Nb). For this purpose, the metallic niobium (Nb) phase was selectively structured with LIPSS in an air environment with different values of the fs-laser peak fluence by near-infrared fs-laser radiation (λ = 1025 nm, τ = 300 fs, frep = 1 kHz), taking advantage of the different light absorption behavior of ceramic and metal. The tribological performance was evaluated by reciprocating sliding tests in a ball-on-disc configuration using Ringer's solution as lubricant. The surfaces were characterized before and after laser irradiation by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and by measuring the contact angle with Ringer's solution. The LIPSS formation resulted in an increased wetting of the surface with the lubricant. Moreover, the selectively structured composite surfaces revealed a coefficient of friction significantly reduced by a factor of ~3 when compared to the non-irradiated surface. Furthermore, the formation of a laser-induced oxidation layer was detected with NbO as the most prominent oxidation state. Selectively structured composites with outstanding mechanical properties and enhanced tribological performance are of particular interest for biomedical applications.

On the Role of a ZDDP in the Tribological Performance of Femtosecond Laser-Induced Periodic Surface Structures on Titanium Alloy against Different Counterbody Materials

Laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS, ripples) with ~500–700 nm period were produced on titanium alloy (Ti6Al4V) surfaces upon scan processing in air by a Ti:sapphire femtosecond laser. The tribological performance of the surfaces were qualified in linear reciprocating sliding tribological tests against balls made of different materials using different oil-based lubricants. The corresponding wear tracks were characterized by optical and scanning electron microscopy and confocal profilometry. Extending our previous work, we studied the admixture of the additive 2-ethylhexyl-zinc-dithiophosphate to a base oil containing only anti-oxidants and temperature stabilizers. The presence of this additive along with the variation of the chemical composition of the counterbodies allows us to explore the synergy of the additive with the laser-oxidized nanostructures.

Mechanism of superhydrophilic to superhydrophobic transition of femtosecond laser-induced periodic surface structures on titanium

The wettability is an imperative property of a solid surface. For decades, superhydrophobic and superhydrophilic surfaces have been focus of extensive research owing to their importance for both fundamental research and in many biomedical, aeronautical, and industrial applications. There have been many studies reported on wettability transition of micro- and nanostructured metal surfaces over time, but there seems to be no well-accepted mechanism to address this phenomenon. Therefore, a detailed study of the surface chemical composition of the laser ablated surfaces at different time points is necessary to develop an understanding of the factors resulting in change in wettability over time. The aim of the present work was to investigate the mechanism underlying the wettability transition of femtosecond laser generated periodic surface structures on titanium between the superhydrophilic and superhydrophobic wetting states under ambient conditions. The time-dependent wettability of the laser treated surfaces assessed by the sessile drop method. The samples exhibited superhydrophilic behavior immediately after laser texturing and became superhydrophobic over time. Detailed surface chemical analyses by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed that the unique electronic structures of Ti2O3 and TiO2 and resulting in hydrophilic and hydrophobic hydration structures, respectively, played a crucial role in the observed wettability transition.

One-step fabrication of bi- and quad-directional femtosecond laser-induced periodic surface structures on metal with a depolarizer

With femtosecond (fs) laser pulse irradiation, a simple but efficient technique to fabricate bi- and quad-directional low spatial frequency laser-induced periodic surface structures (BD- and QD-LSFLs) is suggested on metals. By inserting a quartz wedge achromatic depolarizer prior to the focusing optics, we change the polarization of fs laser pulses periodically in one dimension within the laser spot, and find that this method leads to the creation of BD- and QD-LSFLs by simply raster scanning fs laser pulses on Ni. It is also demonstrated that the interval of orientation change of BD-LSFLs can be manipulated with defocus.

Cell and tissue response to nanotextured Ti6Al4V and Zr implants using high-speed femtosecond laser-induced periodic surface structures

In this paper, the effect of femtosecond laser nanotexturing of surfaces of Ti6Al4V and Zr implants on their biological compatibility is presented and discussed. Highly regular and homogeneous nanostructures with sub-micrometer period were imprinted on implant surfaces. Surfaces were morphologically and chemically investigated by SEM and XPS. HDFa cell lines were used for toxicity and cell viability tests, and subcutaneous implantation was applied to characterize tissue response. HDFa proliferation and in vivo experiments evidenced the strong influence of the surface topography compared to the effect of the surface elemental composition (metal or alloy). The effect of protein adsorption from blood plasma on cell proliferation is also discussed.

Maskless formation of uniform subwavelength periodic surface structures by double temporally-delayed femtosecond laser beams

Surface structures with nanoscale size and periodicity are important in controlling the flow of light as well as light-matter interaction. Fabrication of these periodic nanostructure requires sophisticated and expensive nanofabrication methods that limits large scale production of such structures. Laser induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) is a scalable and cheap method to create periodic structures. However, they suffer from lacking a long-range order. Here, we present a maskless fabrication technique of creating highly uniform subwavelength structures on nickel surface, using two collinear femtosecond laser beams at various temporal delays. Our femtosecond laser induced periodic surface structures (FLIPSSs) show a high spatial uniformity with a grating period ranging between 320–350 nm. The high spatial uniformity is a consequence of using two pulsed beams with short inter-beam delay time due to reduction in the propagation length of excited surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs). The subwavelength period is due to grating splitting mechanism where the two beams sequentially interact with existing structures to create a superimposed grating. The demonstrated fabrication method enables large scale fabrication of regular sub-wavelength structures.

Femtosecond laser-induced periodic surface structures of copper: Experimental and modeling comparison

This study compared the experimental and numerical results of femtosecond laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) produced on copper surface. The experiments were carried out using a fiber laser of duration 300 fs, wavelength 515 nm, and a repetition rate 100 kHz. The periods of LIPSS were obtained by 2D fast Fourier transform analysis of the SEM images, and the depths were measured with an Atomic force microscope. Numerical analysis was performed using a two-dimensional two-temperature model (TTM) along with a modified Drude-critical points model, periodic energy distribution, and the phase change and explosion models for material ablation. The simulation results are in fairly good agreement with the experimental measurements.

Femtosecond Laser-Induced Periodic Surface Structures on Fused Silica: The Impact of the Initial Substrate Temperature.

The formation and properties of laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) were investigated upon fs-laser irradiation of fused silica at different initial substrate temperatures, TS. For substrate heating between room temperature, TRT, and TS = 1200 °C, a continuous wave CO2 laser was used as the radiation source. The surface structures generated in the air environment at normal incidence with five successive fs-laser pulses (pulse duration, τ = 300 fs, laser wavelength, λ = 1025 nm, repetition frequency, frep = 1 kHz) were characterized by using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and 2D-Fourier transform analysis. The threshold fluence of fused silica was systematically investigated as a function of TS. It was shown that the threshold fluence for the formation of low-spatial frequency LIPSS (LSFL) decreases with increasing TS. The results reveal that the initial spatial period observed at TRT is notably increased by increasing TS, finally leading to the formation of supra-wavelength LIPSS. The findings are discussed in the framework of the electromagnetic interference theory, supplemented with an analysis based on thermo-convective instability occurring in the laser-induced molten layer. Our findings provide qualitative insights into the formation mechanisms of LIPSS, which allow improvements of the control of nanostructure formation to be made for corresponding applications of dielectric materials in the future.

Modification of surface properties of solids by femtosecond LIPSS writing: comparative studies on silicon and stainless steel

We investigate the implication of modified surface morphology on wettability of stainless steel (AISI 304) and silicon (100) targets covered by laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) on extended areas (10 × 10 mm2). Using multiple pulses from a Ti: Sapphire laser (790 nm/100 fs/1 kHz) at a fluence in the range of 0.35–2.1 J/cm2 on a spot of 1.13 × 10− 4 cm2, we scanned the target under the spot to cover a large area. A systematical variation of the irradiation dose by changing the scanning speed and thus dwelling time per spot results in the formation of surface patterns ranging from very regular linear structures with a lateral period of about 500–600 nm to complex patterns of 3D microstructures with several-µm feature size, hierarchically covered by nano-ripples.