Preparation of Hydrophobic Glass Surfaces by Femtosecond Laser.

Abstract

Functional glass surfaces with tunable wettability are of growing interest in optical, biomedical, and architectural applications. In this study, we investigate the influence of femtosecond laser processing parameters-including power, scanning speed, and repetition rate-on the surface morphology, wettability, and optical properties of Panda glass. Laser structuring generated microscale ablation features and increased surface roughness (arithmetic mean height, Sa, rising from ~0.02 µm for pristine glass to ~1.85 µm under optimized conditions). The treated surfaces exhibited enhanced hydrophobicity, with static water contact angles up to ~82° and sliding angles exceeding 50°, indicating significant droplet pinning. Optical characterization further showed a reduction in transmittance at 550 nm from ~92% (pristine) to ~68% after laser treatment, consistent with increased scattering by surface textures. These findings demonstrate that femtosecond laser processing is an effective mask-free method to enhance the hydrophobicity of glass surfaces and establish clear process-structure-property relationships, providing guidance for future optimization toward superhydrophobic performance.