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In this paper, we propose and experimentally demonstrate a new laser processing method for low-temperature formation of effective aluminum oxide passivation layers on crystalline silicon. An aluminum film with a thickness of only several nm is evaporated on the silicon surface, after which a long pulse laser is utilized to convert the metal film to oxide. Laser processing parameters, especially laser energy fluence, are systematically optimized to get the critical condition to realize carrier lifetime similar to that of the bulk wafer, which we consider good passivation, while causing no damage to its surface. An effective surface recombination velocity below 25 cm s−1 is obtained right after the proper laser treatment of the Al metal film. After further annealing in forming gas, a 1.02 millisecond effective carrier lifetime as well as an effective surface recombination velocity below 13 cm s−1 is achieved for 1.4 Ω·cm n-type Si wafer.

Optical functional surfaces are key components of nearly every optical device and they have become a special focus in both academia and industry. The no contact, one step, direct, and maskless laser surface texturing technique is one of the most encouraging approaches for realizing the surface functions. We use a high power and high repetition rate ultrafast laser system to produce micro–nano structures on metal surfaces. We demonstrate that metal surface micro–nano structures and correspondingly their optical responses can be facilely tailored by simple controlling the ultrafast laser processing parameters. Nano particles of tens to hundreds nm, sub-micro particles of 0.5–1 μm, fine-micro particles of 1–10 μm, micro particles of 10–50 μm, and coarse-micro particles larger than 50 μm have been fabricated on Cu surfaces. And surface reflection of copper surfaces has been tuned from 10% to 90% in spectra level and from UV to MIR in spectrum range, with unique optical properties like visible selective reflection, linear changing reflection, band reflection, and broadband absorption being achieved. The formation processes of those particle structures as well as the underlying mechanisms for their optical responses are discussed.

We report here a simple and efficient hot embossing process capable of mass fabricating superhydrophobic and self-cleaning polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) film surfaces. Adding superhydrophobicity to hydrophobic polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) significantly enhances their application potential in industry as well as in daily life. We applied a picosecond laser to fabricate regular array of micro-holes companied with submicron structures on high strength steel substrate to form a lotus-leaf-like template. Then the hot embossing process was performed on flat PTFE films to introduce a dual-scale structure composed of the micro-scale protrusions and nano-scale fibril structures on the top of protrusions. The hot embossing parameters such as the embossing pressure and time were optimized to achieve required micro- and nano-scale dual structure on PTFE film very closed to the similar dual structure of the lotus leaf surface. The PTFE films then exhibited superhydrophobicity with contact angle up to 154.6° and sliding angle of as low as 5.5°. The thermal stability of the superhydrophobic PTFE films was investigated from room temperature up to 430 °C. We demonstrate that the micro–nano dual structure on PTFE films and their superhydrophobicity is thermally stable up to 340 °C. The micro-scale protrusions will collapse and the superhydrophobicity will lose when the temperate is over 370 °C.

In this study, functional copper surfaces combined with vivid structural colors and superhydrophobicity were fabricated by picosecond laser. Laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS), i.e. ripples, were fabricated by picosecond laser nanostructuring to induce rainbow-like structural colors which are uniquely caused by the grating – type structure. The effects of laser processing parameters on the formation of ripples were investigated. We also discussed the formation mechanism of ripples. With different combinations of the laser processing parameters, ripples with various morphologies were fabricated. After the modification with triethoxyoctylsilane, different types of ripples exhibited different levels of wettability. The fine ripples with minimal redeposited nanoparticles exhibited high adhesive force to water. The increased amount of nanoscale structures decreased the adhesive force to water and increased the contact angle simultaneously. In particular, a specific type of ripples exhibited superhydrophobicity with a large contact angle of 153.9 ± 3.2° and a low sliding angle of 11 ± 3°.