Control of short-pulsed laser induced periodic surface structures with machining -picosecond laser nanotexturing with magnetic abrasive finishing-

An active area of research is the altering of surface functions (e.g., wettability and cell adhesion) by controlling fine surface structures such as laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS). It has been found that micrometer-scale grooving (produced, for example, using ultraprecision cutting) followed by short-pulsed laser irradiation can result in efficient LIPSS coverage of a large area. However, micrometer-scale grooves can remain on the surface after short-pulsed laser irradiation. In this paper, to clarify the phenomenon and processing principle of groove-assisted short-pulsed laser irradiation, a finite-difference time-domain simulation is developed and experiments are conducted using 304 stainless steel and nickel-phosphorus (Ni–P) plating layer substrates. The use of magnetic abrasive finishing (MAF) is proposed for fabricating sub-micrometer-deep straight grooves with various peak-to-peak distances (pitch length) prior to the short-pulsed-laser irradiation. The subsequent short-pulsed-laser irradiation produces sub-micrometer-deep straight structures superimposed on the MAF-produced surface. While the pattern and depth of LIPSS are influenced by the groove depth made by MAF prior to the short-pulsed laser irradiation, the pitch length of LIPSS is dependent on the laser wavelength. This demonstrates the ability of MAF to produce grooves that guide the LIPSS and the efficacy of the developed method for fabricating fine LIPSS. The geometry of the sub-micrometer deep grooves—made prior to the short-pulsed laser irradiation—is the dominant factor in determining the pattern and geometry of the LIPSS.