Fabrication of sub-micron surface structures on copper, stainless steel and titanium using picosecond laser interference patterning

•Laser interference patterning is introduced to generate sub-micrometer surface pattern.•The two-temperature model is applied to ps-laser interference patterning of metals.•Line-like structures with a pitch of 0.7μm were fabricated on SAE 304, Ti and Cu.•The process is governed by a photo-thermal mechanism for a pulse duration of 35ps.•A “cold”-ablation process for metals requires a pulse duration shorter than 10ps. Picosecond direct laser interference patterning (ps-DLIP) is investigated theoretically and experimentally for the bulk metals copper, stainless steel and titanium. While surface texturing with nanosecond pulses is limited to feature sizes in the micrometer range, utilizing picosecond pulses can lead to sub-micrometer structures. The modelling and simulation of ps-DLIP are based on the two-temperature model and were carried out for a pulse duration of 35ps at 515nm wavelength and a laser fluence of 0.1J/cm2. The subsurface temperature distribution of both electrons and phonons was computed for periodic line-like structures with a pitch of 0.8μm. The increase in temperature rises for a lower absorption coefficient and a higher thermal conductivity. The distance, at which the maximum subsurface temperature occurs, increases for a small absorption coefficient. High absorption and low thermal conductivity minimize internal heating and give rise to a pronounced surface micro topography with pitches smaller than 1μm. In order to confirm the computed results, periodic line-like surface structures were produced using two interfering beams of a Yb:YAG-Laser with 515nm wavelength and a pulse duration of 35ps. It was possible to obtain a pitch of 0.7μm on the metallic surfaces.