Fabrication of a superhydrophobic Al₂O₃ surface using picosecond laser pulses.

Ultrashort pulse laser (USPL) machining/structuring is a promising technique to create a micropattern on a material surface with very low distortion to the peripheral area or high precession. Thin sheets of alumina (Al2O3) are micromachined with ultraviolet laser pulses of 6.7 ps, to create a superhydrophobic surface by single-step processing. USPL patterned micropillars and microholes have been fabricated with a range of pulses varying from 100 to 1200 pulses/unit area. The impact of the number of pulses/unit area with respect to the geometry and static contact angle measurements has been studied. The surface is free from cracks, and the melting effect is well-pronounced for the blind microhole structures. An energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy study revealed a marginal change in the elemental composition of the laser-patterned surface. The results show that the geometry of the laser-machined pattern plays a major role in changing the wetting properties rather than the chemical changes induced on the surface. The micropillars exhibited a consistent superhydrophobic surface with a static contact angle measurement of 150° ± 3°.