Controlling the Hydrophobic Properties of Material Surface Using Femtosecond Ablation

The wetting properties of the material can be altered by changing the surface topography. We have demonstrated the controlling of the wetting properties of the metal surface by texturing it using femtosecond laser ablation. Contact angles well above 150 degrees can be obtained to the steel sample using self-organized structures generated by the laser-matter interaction. The combination of micro- and nano-sized structures, obtained using specific laser parameters, changes the stainless steel surface to water repellant.