Femtosecond laser pulse surface structuring methods and materials resulting therefrom
AssigneeUniversity of Rochester
InventorsChunlei Guo, Anatoliy Y. Vorobyev
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Abstract
Embodiments of the present invention are generally directed to materials processing methods using femtosecond duration laser pulses, and to the altered materials obtained by such methods. The resulting nanostructured (with or without macro- and micro-structuring) materials have a variety of applications, including, for example, aesthetic applications for jewelry or ornamentation; biomedical applications related to biocompatibility; catalysis applications; and modification of, for example, the optical and hydrophilic properties of materials including selective coloring.
Claims23
1-20. (canceled)
An object comprising:
- a metal or metal alloy having a surface with a femtosecond laser treated region;
- the surface having a pre-laser treatment profile defining an inward orientation facing into the object and an outward orientation facing away from the object;
- the metal or metal alloy having a first light absorption when profiled per the pre-laser treatment profile;
- the femtosecond laser treated region of the surface comprising a plurality of nanoscale structure shapes formed by the metal or metal alloy, the nanoscale structure shapes including:
- a plurality of nanoscale cavities extending inwardly into the pre-laser treatment profile;
- and
- a plurality of nanoscale protrusions extending outwardly away from the pre-laser treatment profile;
- the nanoscale structure shapes increasing absorption of at least some light wavelengths of the metal or metal alloy within the femtosecond laser treated region so that the metal or metal alloy within the femtosecond laser treated region has a second light absorption greater than the first light absorption.
An object comprising:
- a metal or metal alloy having a surface with a femtosecond laser treated region;
- the surface having a pre-laser treatment profile;
- the metal or metal alloy having a first light absorption when profiled per the pre-laser treatment profile;
- the femtosecond laser treated region of the surface comprising a periodic structure including a plurality of grooves and a plurality of ridges, the treated region further comprising a plurality of nanoscale structure shapes associated with the plurality of grooves and ridges;
- the grooves, ridges and structure shapes increasing absorption of at least some light wavelengths of the metal or metal alloy within the femtosecond laser treated region so that the metal or metal alloy within the femtosecond laser treated region has a second light absorption greater than the first light absorption.
A metal or metal alloy object, comprising:
- a base metal or metal alloy having at least one femtosecond laser treated surface portion, the treated surface portion comprising a plurality of nanoscale structures including nanoscale cavities extending into the surface portion and nanoscale protrusions extending out of the surface portion, wherein the nanoscale structures are configured to decrease the metal or metal alloy's absorption of at least some light wavelengths, the decrease being relative to the same metal or metal alloy without the nanoscale structures.
A metal or metal alloy object, comprising:
- a base metal or metal alloy having at least one femtosecond laser treated surface portion, the treated surface portion comprising a plurality of nanoscale structures including nanoscale cavities extending into the surface portion and nanoscale rims extending out of the surface portion and around at least some of the nanoscale cavities, wherein the nanoscale structures are configured to decrease the metal or metal alloy's absorption of at least some light wavelengths, the decrease being relative to the same metal or metal alloy without the nanoscale structures.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.