Laser Texturing Process Research Articles

Influence of laser texturing on the properties of fusion joints between aluminum alloys and carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites

Laser texturing is an effective method to enhance the fusion joining of aluminum alloy (Al) to carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastics composite (CFRTP). The enhancement effect is related to the morphology and spacing of the microstructures on Al surface. However, because of the correlation between the morphology and the spacing of the microstructures, excessive dense microstructures change the morphology, leading to a reduction in the enhancement effect, while sparse microstructures are also difficult to significantly enhance the joint. To this end, this paper proposes an improved laser texturing process to enhance fusion joints, through the investigation of the recast layer formation process during laser texturing on the Al surface, which comprehensively reveals the synergistic effects of microstructural morphology and spacing on joint properties. The results indicated that the increase of the number of laser processes and the microstructure spacing increased the height of the recast layer, with the difference that the microstructure spacing had less effect after increasing to a certain value. With the increase of microstructure spacing, the morphology of the microstructure on the Al surface transformed from the serrated microstructure to the double-scale microstructure, and finally to the independent microstructure, affected by the recast layer on sides of the microstructure. Once the dual-scale microstructures were formed on the Al surface, the shear strength of the Al/CFRTP fusion joint was the highest with a value of 25.05 MPa. The findings could provide a basis for laser texturing pretreatment for fusion joining.

Laser Produced Hydrophilic and Hydrophobic Silicon Surfaces

Two lasers were utilized for silicon processing using photoelectrochemical etching and laser texturing in order to produce nano/micro structures, respectively. Photoelectrochemical etching process utilizes a CW diode laser of 532 nm wavelength was used to support electrochemical etching for both n-type and p-type conductivity. While laser texturing process was employed using pulsed fiber laser of 1064 nm wavelength. Various characterization methods were devoted to examine silicon micro/nanostructures surfaces produced by lasers. These methods include AFM, SEM and Raman scattering to provide clear evidence about formation of micro/nanostructures abundant at silicon surfaces. Moreover, FTIR analysis for the laser produced silicon surfaces could emphasize whether the resultant silicon surface is hydrophilic or hydrophobic. Image analysis software adopted a side view micro image was used to measure the contact angle between the water droplet and silicon micro/nano-surfaces. It is found that the laser produced silicon nanostructure by photoelectrochemical etching creates a hydrophobic surface and even super hydrophobic with contact angle of 130 degrees for 50 nm average size. In addition, utilizing fiber laser of high repetition rate for laser texturing produces microstructures that are super hydrophilic with contact angle could reach 8 degrees for a surface dimension of 50 μm.

Effect of interface laser texture on the bonding property of co-extruded laminate with dissimilar DP600/AA1060 alloys

Steel-aluminum laminates show promise in industrial manufacturing, yet their utilization is limited by unstable interface bonding. This study investigates the influence of laser texturing on the interface bonding properties of DP600/AA1060 obtained through co-extrusion. White-light interference profilometry (WLIP) and MATLAB algorithms are used to quantify different surfaces. A model is established to predict the shear load with different process angles. Furthermore, energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) are utilized to examine the microstructure of interface fractures and DP600/AA1060 alloys. Notably, the laser texturing process (LTP) significantly enhances the interface bonding strength of the DP600/AA1060, yielding a 37% increase in maximum shear strength compared to the original sample. The prediction holds true for the process angle in the range of 0°–45° but failed between 45° and 90° due to the occurrence of tensile/compressive stress in the laser-textured area, leading to unstable bonding caused by oxides and alloy particles. However, the laser-textured surface of DP600 enhances mechanical interlocking and increases the number of micro-protrusions, thereby strengthening the interface bonding and improving the mechanical properties of co-extruded laminates.

The influence of laser texturing on the tribological behavior of titanium alloy Ti6Al4V in medical applications

This paper analyzes the tribological behavior of the Ti6Al4V ELI alloy subjected to laser texturization for medical purposes. Laser texturing enables one to observe specific patterns of the material surface at established depths. Microtexturing of the samples was performed using a 355 nm picosecond laser. The influence of the microtexturing process (depending on the process parameters) on the geometric parameters of the proposed laser texturing pattern was evaluated. Selected samples were subjected to tribological testing using the ball-on-plate technique in dry and lubricant-sliding methods (in Ringer solution). The wear properties were evaluated by comparing the coefficient friction, wear volumes, and wear ratio. A scanning electron microscope characterized the morphologies of the wear scar and the wear mechanism. The experimental results show that the surface texturing and the changes in microgrooves can reduce wear. The results indicate, that samples after laser texturing were characterized by 15% higher microhardness, compared to those in the initial state. It was found, a 26% reduction in friction coefficient and 29% in the wear volume compared to the smooth, untextured surface samples under lubricated conditions. The decrease in value of the coefficient friction and wear volume for the samples after the laser texturing process is an effect of synergistic of entrapped wear debris in micro-grooves and increased hardness for samples after laser textured.

Surface Texturing and Wettability Modification by Nanosecond Pulse Laser Ablation of Stainless Steels

Laser surface texturing has attracted growing interest, particularly in functional surface modification. Lasers with nanosecond pulse widths and infrared wavelengths are commonly used for metallic surface texturing because of their low cost and potential for fabricating a large range of textures. In this research, a laser with a nanosecond pulse width and infrared wavelength was used for the surface texturing of 316 stainless steels. Standard grooved and near-isotropic surface textures, as well as novel porous texture and feather-like dendrite texture, were fabricated through single-time laser texturing. Water contact angle tests were performed on the post-process surfaces, and they showed wettability changes from superhydrophilic to superhydrophobic according to different types of textures. Discussion on the relationship between water contact angle and surface roughness, groove width/depth ratio, surface carbon and oxygen contents indicated that it is the surface morphology that impacts changes in wettability. The comprehensive formation mechanism of different textures and the wettability control mechanism through different textures have been systematically discussed. For the first time, the three-level (point-line-area) laser surface ablation mechanism has been established. The proposed findings can be used for future laser texturing process designs on metals using lasers with a nanosecond pulse width and an infrared wavelength for various applications including wettability modification.

Hierarchical microporous Ni-based electrodes enable “Two Birds with One Stone” in highly efficient and robust anion exchange membrane water electrolysis (AEMWE)

Anion exchange membrane water electrolysis (AEMWE) is currently the most promising technology to produce green hydrogen. However, the lack of cost-effective and scalable methods for fabricating robust and highly active non-noble metal electrodes primarily inhibits its large-scale industrialization. This study unveils an effective strategy for tackling this challenge by creating a novel hierarchical conical-microporous nickel-based electrode, through a synergistic implementation of both rapid and scalable atmospheric plasma spraying (APS) and laser texturing (LT) processes. The resultant NA-LT-CA electrodes exhibits remarkable catalytic performances for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Notably, the AEMWE cell with NA-LT-CA electrodes yields a remarkable enhancement of cell efficiency, toward a reduction in cell voltage of 244 mV at 0.8 A cm−2, compared to the NA-CA electrode (without LT) cell. The notable achievements stem from the improved bubble dynamic contributed by the introduced hierarchical micropores into NA-LT-CA electrodes by the LT process. Moreover, the cell equipped with the NA-LT-CA electrodes demonstrates an outstanding durability, maintaining its performance for 1000 h without visible degradation under 0.8 A cm−2, which can be ascribed to the distinctive “pinning effect” produced by the transition layer during the LT process, adeptly preventing the catalytic layer peeling off even under industrial-scale current densities. Notably, introducing the LT process delivers a dual benefit, akin to achieving “Two Birds with One Stone.”. This work supports the effectiveness of combining APS and LT processes as a potent strategy for fabricating high-efficiency and enduring electrodes, thus advancing AEMWE for practical industrial applications.

A novel multi-channel porous structure facilitating mass transport towards highly efficient alkaline water electrolysis

An advantageous porous architecture of electrodes is pivotal in significantly enhancing alkaline water electrolysis (AWE) efficiency by optimizing the mass transport mechanisms. This effect becomes even more pronounced when aiming to achieve elevated current densities. Herein, we employed a rapid and scalable laser texturing process to craft novel multi-channel porous electrodes. Particularly, the obtained electrodes exhibit the lowest Tafel slope of 79 mV dec−1 (HER) and 49 mV dec−1 (OER). As anticipated, the alkaline electrolyzer (AEL) cell incorporating multi-channel porous electrodes (NP-LT30) exhibited a remarkable improvement in cell efficiency, with voltage drops (from 2.28 to 1.97 V) exceeding 300 mV under 1 A cm−1, compared to conventional perforated Ni plate electrodes. This enhancement mainly stemmed from the employed multi-channel porous structure, facilitating mass transport and bubble dynamics through an innovative convection mode, surpassing the traditional convection mode. Furthermore, the NP-LT30-based AEL cell demonstrated exceptional durability for 300 h under 1.0 A cm−2. This study underscores the capability of the novel multi-channel porous electrodes to expedite mass transport in practical AWE applications.

Effect of laser texturing process on properties of composite coated cemented carbide ball-end milling cutter milling titanium alloy

To explore the strengthening mechanism of the laser texturing process on the surface of composite coating (AlCrN/AlTiSiN) cemented carbide and improve the application rate of laser texturing process in the field of tool cutting. Firstly, the influence of laser texturing process on the surface properties of composite coated cemented carbide was compared and analyzed. Secondly, a test platform for milling titanium alloy with composite coated cemented carbide ball-end milling cutters with different meso-geometry features parameters (blunt round edge radius and micro-texture distance from cutting edge) was built. Finally, the influence analysis and the optimization of geometric characteristic parameters were carried out with milling force, tool wear and workpiece surface roughness as dependent variables. It is concluded that the laser texturing process can significantly improve the phase structure of the composite coating and improve the quality of the coating. The influence of meso-geometry features on milling force, tool wear, and workpiece surface roughness and the parameter optimization of a single dependent variable are obtained by the milling test. Based on the genetic algorithm, the optimal meso-geometry features parameters of the carbide ball-end milling cutter are obtained, that is, the blunt round edge radius is 20.15 μm, and the micro-texture distance from cutting edge is 119.463 μm. It provides a practical basis for the application of laser-textured coating technology in the field of cutting tools.

Effect of Laser Surface Modification on Texture, Roughness, Wettability and Surface Energy of Hastelloy C22, C276 & X

Hastelloy is a nickel-chromium-molybdenum-iron-based alloy and a member of the ‘superalloy’ family. Hastelloy has exceptional properties like high strength, wear resistance and high-temperature stress-corrosion resistance. Therefore, Hastelloy is used in gas turbines, power plants, metal injection molding, etc. Many industrial applications are related to the properties of the surface. Wettability is a key surface property that affects applications like lubrication, adhesion, coating, heat conduction, etc. Laser Texturing is an excellent method to modify the surface properties of materials like metal, polymers and ceramic. In the present study, a carbon dioxide laser created unidirectional textures on Hastelloy (C22, C276, X). Different sets of unidirectional textures were formed by changing the laser power and frequency. Various roughness parameters were compared for every laser parameter. In this paper, the effective change in wettability properties of Hastelloy (C22, C276, X) after the Laser texturing process for a range of power and frequency were studied under DI water and glycerol as test fluids. Results show that the contact angle of the test fluid increases as the laser power increases, and the contact angle decreases as the laser frequency increases for all three superalloys. The surface energy of a given set of samples was also measured using the recorded contact angle of DI water and Glycerol by the OWRK equation. Similar trends were found in surface energy for all three Hastelloy.

Rapid Fabrication of Efficient and Stable Microporous Electrodes for Practical Alkaline Water Electrolysis

Efficient and stable electrode is paramount for advancing practical alkaline water electrolysis (AWE) technology. In this study, we employed a rapid and scalable laser texturing process to create microporous nickel electrodes, demonstrating promising catalytic performances for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The alkaline electrolyzer cell (AEL) incorporating laser-textured electrodes (NP-LT30) exhibited a remarkable improvement, with voltage drops exceeding 300 mV under a current density of 1 A cm−1, compared to conventional perforated Ni plate electrodes (NP) based cell. This enhancement resulted from a substantial boost in mass transport, as unveiled by in-situ electrochemical impedance analysis. Of particular note is the unique multi-channel porous structure within the NP-LT30 electrode, enabling rapid mass transport through an innovative convection mode driven by an intermittent bubble eruption (IBE) mechanism, outperforming the traditional convection mode. Furthermore, AEL using NP-LT30 electrodes demonstrated exceptional durability, maintaining performance at 1.0 A cm–2 for an impressive 300 hours. This study highlights the capability of the multi-channel structure within NP-LT30 electrodes to expedite mass transport in practical AWE applications significantly. Moreover, the cost-effective and scalable nature of laser-textured porous electrodes positions them for commercialization, enabling the production of highly efficient electrodes for practical AWE implementation.

Improvement of laser welded TC4/CFRTP joint strength by combination of surface modification of MAO and laser texturing

Laser texturing and MAO (micro-arc oxidation) hybrid process was adopted to enhance the tensile-shear strength of laser welded CFRTP/TC4 joint. Introduction of porous MAO coating enhanced wetting ability of molten peek from CFRTP and increased surface roughness. Porous structure could also provide a mechanical interlocking effect in CFRTP/TC4 interface and improve the resistance to tensile-shear load. Highest tensile-shear force of 1587 N was obtained when 2.3 μm MAO coating was prepared. Based on this, influence of various laser texturing patterns with different MAO coating thickness on the tensile-shear forces was clarified by combination of experiment and reasonable SVR (Support Vector Regression) model. Maximum predicated surface roughness of 3.075 mm was produced at texturing width of 0.327 mm, texturing depth of 100.54 μm and MAO duration of 1.667 min. Furthermore, highest predicated tensile-shear force of 2995.1 N was achieved at texturing width of 0.331 mm, texturing of depth of 100.6 μm and MAO duration time of 1.718 min.

Evaluation of surface tortuosity on the corrosion resistance of organic coatings using laser texturing process

Surface tortuosity is a quantitative measure of the complexity of a material's surface. It is commonly defined as the ratio between the real length of the surface over the shortest distance between two points on the surface. An increase in surface tortuosity has been found to have advantageous effects on the durability of coated parts when exposed to corrosive and humid conditions. Laser surface texturing, a versatile process, can be used to modify the surface tortuosity by creating various structure patterns on the surface of steel. This study aims to investigate the impact of V-shaped groove dimensions on the resistance against corrosion creep of an organic coating applied to textured surfaces. Comparative surface tortuosity measurements were obtained for different groove dimensions while keeping the aspect ratio and textured areas constant. V-shaped grooves with an aspect ratio of 1 and sizes of 50, 100, and 200 μm were machined on carbon steel AISI-A36. The distance between adjacent grooves was varied to achieve different textured areas, ranging from 10% to 60%. The surface roughness (Sa) and surface tortuosity were characterized. The performance of the coating was evaluated using an accelerated corrosion test based on ISO 12944-9. The results indicate that V-shaped grooves with dimensions of 100 μm and a textured area of 40% exhibit the lowest coating delamination. It is worth to mention that the performance of organic coatings is enhanced up to a certain optimal point by an increase in surface tortuosity. However, beyond this optimal point, further increases in tortuosity do not lead to an increased resistance to the propagation of corrosion.

Influence of pulsed Nd:YAG laser oscillation energy on silicon wafer texturing for enhanced absorption in photovoltaic cells

The influence of the Nd:YAG laser's oscillation energy on creating textured surfaces on silicon wafers is investigated in this study. The silicon wafer surfaces were directly ablated by a pulsed Nd:YAG laser beam to create the texturing, which was then examined using UV–Vis spectroscopy, AFM andFESEM to determine its characteristics. The reflectance was reduced up to 15% after laser texturing of multicrystalline silicon wafers. The silicon surface suffers from structural defects and a laser damage layer as a result of the laser texturing process, which in turn has an effect on the lifespan of the photo-generated carriers. To compensate for the laser damage layer, the silicon surface was cleaned with diluted KOH (15%) to remove undesirable particles and the oxide layer. Surface roughness and reflectance in silicon solar cells were changed depending on the laser oscillation energy utilized for texturing. The roughness and reflectance were measured using AFM and UV–Vis, respectively. The laser oscillation energy of 84 J/p had the highest average roughness of 0.2104 m and the lowest reflectance of 5%. As a result, standardsilicon solar cell devices revealed photovoltaic conversion efficiencies of roughly 7.5% and 5.0% for laser-textured grid and one-dimensional line patterns, respectively.

Ultrashort Laser Texturing of Superelastic NiTi: Effect of Laser Power and Scanning Speed on Surface Morphology, Composition and Wettability

Among metallic biomaterials, near-equiatomic NiTi is one of the most promising intermetallic system applicable for biomedical applications, thanks to its high biocompatibility and unique superelasticity (or pseudoelasticity), offering a complete recoverable strain up to 8%. In the prospective uses for bio-devices, the surface processing of NiTi medical components plays a fundamental role for guaranteeing both a Ti oxide passivizing layer for avoiding Ni ion release into the human body and surface morphology for controlling the cell proliferation. Mechanical polishing, thermal, chemical or electro-chemical treatments are typically performed for surface modifications. Recently, laser texturing has been successfully applied for different materials, included NiTi shape memory alloys, and also for tuning the surface properties, such as wettability. In the present work, ultrashort laser surface modification was carried out, through the use of a femtosecond laser, for the surface texturing of commercial superelastic NiTi plates. The main goal is to investigate the correlation among morphology, chemical composition and wettability with the principal process parameters, such as average power and scanning velocity in high power ultrashort laser texturing. Laser patterned surfaces were characterized by means of scanning electron microscopy, 3D-profilometry, XPS analysis and wetting measurements. After the laser treatments, both surface morphology and Ni/Ti ratio were largely modified from the initial surface, depending on the adopted process parameters. The wettability of the laser textured surfaces can be also varied with respect to the initial surface, due to the roughness values and grooves induced by the laser beam scans. The laser texturing process induced a combination between micro and nano structures, depending on the input energy. In details, the surfaces were tuned to lower roughness values (from 0.4 μm to 0.3 μm) with a laser power of 1 W, while it was increased up to 0.65 μm with a laser power of 13 W. The laser surface modification promoted a change of the contact angle from 70° of the untreated condition up to 135° to the surface laser treated with a power of 13 W.

Improvement of Frictional Property of AISI D2 Tool Steel Surface against JIS SPFC 980Y Advanced High-Strength Steel by Using Laser Texturing Process

Surface friction in metal forming processes can be reduced by creating lubricant reservoirs at the interface between surfaces in contact, and a laser texturing process can be employed to produce the micro-dimples that act as the reservoirs on the surfaces. However, the role of the laser texturing parameters in the friction reduction of tool steel surfaces has still received very little attention. Therefore, this study aims to reduce the friction of the AISI D2 tool steel surface on which a nanosecond pulse laser was applied to create an array of micro-lubricant pockets for trapping lubricant. The effects of laser power, irradiation duration, and spacing distance between pockets on the pocket diameter, size of the heat-affected zone, surface friction, and wettability were investigated in this work. The average laser power in the range from 5 to 10 W and laser irradiation duration of 0.02 to 0.10 s were applied. The results showed that the increase in laser power and irradiation duration enlarged the pocket diameter and heat-affected zone. The largest pocket diameter of 40 µm was achievable by using 10 W laser power together with 0.10 s irradiation time. The pin-on-disc method was employed to determine the friction coefficient of the tool steel, where JIS SPFC 980Y advanced high-strength steel was used as a disc. The friction coefficient of laser-textured with different spacing distances of 150, 200, and 250 µm versus untextured surfaces was compared and found to vary depending on the applied normal load. The laser-textured surface having a pocket spacing distance of 150 µm and pocket density of 5.6%, offered the lowest friction coefficient of 0.097 on average for all tested loads, whereas the average friction coefficient of the untextured surface was 0.117. In addition, the wettability of textured surfaces was insignificantly changed compared to that of untextured ones, so the micro-lubricant pockets did not cause oleophobicity affecting the performance of lubrication. Well-defined micro-pockets using the most appropriate laser parameters, i.e., 10 W laser power with 0.10 s irradiation duration and 150 µm spacing distance, successfully reduced the sliding friction of contacting couples between the laser-textured tool steel and advanced high-strength steel surfaces. The low surface friction induced by the laser-fabricated micro-lubricant pockets has been feasible for the forming tool and die applications where the energy consumed in their operations can be minimized.

High-efficient laser-based bionic surface structuring for enhanced surface functionalization and self-cleaning effect

In this work, a laser-based surface functionalization method combining laser surface texturing and silicone oil-assisted heat treatment was developed to fabricate superhydrophobic surface. Two bionic surface patterns, i.e., duck feather pattern and shark skin pattern were designed and fabricated using different laser processing parameters. 3-D digital microscope, scanning electron microscope, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were utilized to analyze the surface morphology and chemistry of the laser functionalized surface. Self-cleaning test was conducted to compare the dust removal ability between the untreated surface and laser functionalized surface. The rough hierarchical surface structure was induced by laser texturing process, and the heat treatment process with silicone oil led to the formation of low surface energy. With the combined effects of surface structure and chemistry, the fabricated surface exhibits superior superhydrophobicity. Moreover, the laser functionalized superhydrophobic surface exhibits good self-cleaning ability, and highly efficient dust removal process was observed owing to the bouncing removal of water droplets. This work is not only simple and convenient, but also significantly reduces the production cost and enhances time efficiency for fabrication of superhydrophobic surface, and thus shows strong potential for applications in diverse areas.

Tribological properties of textured diamond-like carbon coatings

This paper presents selected mechanical and tribological properties of DLC coatings (diamond-like carbon coatings) and the results of an applied texture to improve these properties under specific circumstances. It presents the results of the selection of parameters for the laser-texturing process of DLC coatings using a picosecond laser with a wavelength of 343 nm.

Tribological Properties of Ti6Al4V Alloy Composite Texture Fabricated by Ultrasonic Strengthening Grinding and Laser Processing

The Ti6Al4V alloy has been widely used in aerospace equipment and medical devices. However, the poor wear resistance of the Ti6Al4V alloy hinders its further engineering application. In this study, the ultrasonic strengthening grinding process (USGP) and laser texturing process were employed to enhance the wear resistance of Ti6Al4V alloy. The frictional behavior of all samples was determined via a ball-on-disc friction and wear tester under dry conditions. The worn surface morphology, cross-sectional hardness, surface roughness, and microstructure were analyzed. The results demonstrated that the USGP induced high hardness, high dislocation density, and grain refinement, as well as improvements in the wear resistance of Ti6Al4V. Moreover, laser texture could enhance the capacity to capture wear debris and reduce wear probability. When combining the USGP and laser texturing process for the surface treatment of Ti6Al4V alloy, the lowest and most stable friction coefficients were obtained, as well as the best wear resistance. Compared to the polished sample, the steady stage friction coefficient of the sample treated by USGP and laser texturing process was remarkably decreased by 58%. This work demonstrates that combining the USGP and laser texturing process could be a promising solution for improving the wear resistance properties of Ti6Al4V alloy, which makes it more suitable for various engineering applications.

Underwater laser texturing for enhanced adhesive joint bonding strength of Al-Mg alloy

In this research work, nanosecond pulsed fiber laser texturing was performed on Aluminum-Mg alloy (AA5754). Effect of laser texturing as a surface pre-treatment method in adhesive bonding process was investigated in details. Laser texturing was performed in under open air condition, under static water condition and under flowing water conditions. Grid shaped textures were fabricated on Al-Mg alloy work-pieces. The geometrical parameters of grid texturing were varied at two levels. Pitch of the lines were kept at 300 and 400 μm in both horizontal as well as vertical directions. Scanning speed of laser texturing process was also varied at two levels that is 2.5 and 5 mm/s. Total four experiments were conducted in each atmospheric conditions. Surface roughness and water contact angle of each surface was evaluated. Surfaces were also characterized using scanning electron microscope. Lap shear strength of each samples were evaluated using a universal tensile testing machine (UTM). Failed surfaces were analyzed to investigate the mode of failure. It was observed that the textures created in flowing water conditions resulted in cohesive mode of failure while samples fabricated in open air and in under static water conditions failed in adhesive and mixed mode respectively. Samples prepared in flowing water conditions resulted in higher lap shear strengths compared to static water, open air, and plain surfaces.

Novel laser texturing of W-doped VO2 thin film for the improvement of luminous transmittance in smart windows application

Vanadium dioxide is a promising material for application in smart windows, which undergoes a metal-to-insulator transition, MIT, at 68 °C accompanied by a structural phase transformation, SPT, from VO2(M1) to VO2(R). In this study, two VO2 thin films, one W6+-doped and another one undoped, have been prepared. Both were synthesized via polymer-assisted sol–gel route. The effect of doping on thermochromic parameters was evaluated, giving rise to a reduction of the phase transition temperature by 21 °C with an IR modulation capability of 20 % in the doped sample. Additionally, doping effect on the thermochromic parameters and nanomechanical properties has been analyzed by Spectrophotometry and Atomic Force Microscopy. With the aim of recovering the luminous transmittance that decreased because of doping, the sample has been subjected to an innovative laser texturing process. This laser treatment is able to increase the luminous transmittance by almost 40 % without negatively affecting the other thermochromic parameters. Results show that the combination of both strategies, doping and laser texturing, leads to the production of VO2 thin films with low critical temperature, high solar and IR modulation capacity and enhanced luminous transmittance, with values close to those required for their real application in smart windows.