Modification of Surface Energy Via Direct Laser Ablative Surface Patterning
AssigneeU.S.A. as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
InventorsChristopher J. Wohl, JR., Marcus A. Belcher, John W. Connell, John W. Hopkins
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Abstract
Surface energy of a substrate is changed without the need for any template, mask, or additional coating medium applied to the substrate. At least one beam of energy directly ablates a substrate surface to form a predefined topographical pattern at the surface. Each beam of energy has a width of approximately 25 micrometers and an energy of approximately 1-500 microJoules. Features in the topographical pattern have a width of approximately 1-500 micrometers and a height of approximately 1.4-100 micrometers.
Claims20
A method of changing the surface energy of a substrate without the need for any template, mask, or additional coating medium applied to the substrate, comprising the step of directly ablating a completely uncovered surface of a substrate using at least one beam of energy to form a predefined topographical pattern at said surface, said at least one beam of energy having a width of approximately 25 micrometers and an energy of approximately 1-500 microJoules, wherein features in said topographical pattern have a width of approximately 1-500 micrometers and a height of approximately 1.4-100 micrometers.
A method of changing the surface energy of a substrate without the need of any template, mask, or additional coating medium applied to the substrate, comprising the step of directly ablating a completely uncovered surface of a substrate using at least one laser beam of energy to form a predefined topographical pattern at said surface, said at least one laser having a width of approximately 25 micrometers and an energy of approximately 1-200 microJoules, wherein features in said topographical pattern have a width of approximately 10-250 micrometers and a height of approximately 1.4-50 micrometers, and wherein said substrate is selected from the group consisting of metals, metal alloys, ceramics, polymers, fiber-reinforced composites thereof, and combinations thereof.
A method of changing the surface energy of a substrate without the need of any template, mask, or additional coating medium applied to the substrate, comprising the step of directly ablating a completely uncovered surface of a substrate using at least one laser beam of energy to form a predefined topographical pattern at said surface, said at least one beam of energy having a width of approximately 25 micrometers and an energy of approximately 3-175 microJoules, wherein features in said topographical pattern have a width of approximately 15-100 micrometers and a height of approximately 10-30 micrometers, wherein the ablating step comprises the step of controlling parameters selected from the group consisting of beam size, laser power, laser frequency, scan speed, number of pattern iterations, and combinations thereof.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.