World record in high speed laser surface microstructuring of polymer and steel using direct laser interference patterning

Periodic surfaces structures with micrometer or submicrometer resolution produced on the surface of components can be used to improve their mechanical, biological or optical properties. In particular, these surfaces can control the tribological performance of parts, for instance in the automotive industry. In the last years, substantial efforts have been made to develop new technologies capable to produce functionalized surfaces. One of these technologies is the Direct Laser Interference Patterning (DLIP) technology, which permits to combine high fabrication speed with high resolution even in the sub-micrometer range. In DLIP, a laser beam is split into two or more coherent beams which are guided to interfere on the work piece surface. This causes modulated laser intensities over the component's surface, enabling the direct fabrication of a periodic pattern based on selective laser ablation or melting. Depending on the angle between the laser beams and the wavelength of the laser, the pattern's spatial period can be perfectly controlled. In this study, we introduce new modular DLIP optical heads, developed at the Fraunhofer IWS and the Technische Universität Dresden for high-speed surface laser patterning of polymers and metals. For the first time it is shown that effective patterning speeds of up to 0.90 m2/min and 0.36 m2/min are possible on polymer and metals, respectively. Line- and dot-like surface architectures with spatial periods between 7 mm and 22 mm are shown.