Journal Article

Effect of Picosecond Laser Diverse Scanning Strategies in Fabrication of Broadband AntiReflection Structures on Copper

Chen, Yilongrui, He, Zongtai, Cao, Zehao, Zhao, Jie

2026

Overview

Broadband antireflective surface technology constitutes a crucial technique in optoelectronic devices, playing a key role in reducing optical losses. Ultrafast laser processing provides a flexible route for fabricating micro-nano structures on metallic surfaces because it enables efficient fabrication, high spatial resolution, and minimal chemical consumption. This study uses a variable-angle scanning strategy to texture the copper surface, produce a series of antireflection arrayed micro-nano structures, and study the spectral reflectance characteristics of the copper surface. The results exhibit that 90° orthogonal scanning favors the formation of an arrayed microcone structure, which shows lower reflectance than the non-orthogonal scanning strategies in the 200–1300 nm band, with a minimum reflectance of 0.94%. The 60° and 45° cross-scanning based on the non-orthogonal strategy favors the formation of microcavity structures, and shows low reflectance in the 1300–2500 nm band, with the maximum reflectance remaining below 5%. Laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) are observed on the structures fabricated by all strategies. This work demonstrates that the scanning angle itself can be used to switch the dominant surface morphology and thereby tailor the spectral antireflection response, and lies in establishing a clear processing–structure–spectral response relationship for copper surfaces, which provides a designable route for wavelength-selective optical absorption in photothermal conversion, infrared detection, and sensing applications.

• Publisher: MDPI AG
• Subject: Ablation / Analysis / Broadband / broadband antireflection / Copper / Copper products / diverse scanning strategy / Laser processing / Lasers / micro-nano hierarchical structures / Morphology / Nanoparticles / Optoelectronic devices / Photothermal conversion / Spatial resolution / Spectral reflectance / Spectral sensitivity / Surface layers / ultrafast laser / Ultrafast lasers