Functional surface structures

Surface structures or textures can be machined on the micro- and nanoscale. Here the effect of self organizing nanostructures is used. Ablating material with ultrafast laser pulses leads to a striking effect. Periodic ripple patterns are formed on the surface, which are spaced in the range of some hundreds of nanometers. These patterns can be influenced by the laser parameters and can also be altered into more chaotic structures.

Macro structures can directly be fabricated by the direct write technique. The laser beam follows a defined path and machines groves or holes with accurately defined depths.

By applying self organizing nanostructures on top of macro structures, multiple scale structures can be machined.

Such structures are useful for a lot of applications. Material properties that can be changed include:

Research has been conducted in the field of ultrahydrophobic surfaces in the Lotus project (Dutch). In this project a method was developed to fabricate self-cleaning pastic surfaces by injection molding. Key of this technology is texturing of injection molds with a combined micro- and nanostructure. Ultrafast laser pulses are the perfect tool for such an application. This technology was developed by the company's founder Max Groenendijk in the course of his Phd. project. Some publications on this project can be found in

To the left a SEM image of a steel mould with lotus texture, to the right the injection-moulded product in plastic.

Lightmotif can already apply functional structures to flat, cylindrical and surfaces with minor curvatures. Future development aims at large and complex 3d surfaces.

Research into the specific application can be done in cooperation with the customer. Also research groups located at the University of Twente can aid in this.

Composition of high speed camera images of water droplet bouncing off a superhydrophobic surface.