Femtosecond Laser Technology for Solid-State Material Processing: Creation of Functional Surfaces and Selective Modification of Nanoscale Layers

Information on the rapidly increasing use of modification of solid-state materials surfaces by femtosecond laser pulses at moderate intensities (around 0.1–10 TW/cm²) is presented as applied to creation of functional surfaces with tailored thermophysical, hydrodynamic, and mechanical properties and in application to selective modification and removal of nanoscale (1–100 nm) layers of bulk and thin-film multilayer materials. The problems in obtaining functional surfaces with the externally controllable wetting behavior of superhydrophobic surfaces showing a self-cleaning effect and superhydrophilic surfaces with a controlled Leidenfrost temperature, critical heat flux, and heat transfer coefficient are considered for heat-transfer enhancement during the evaporation and boiling of the working fluid. Data on the hardening of the surface layer of structural materials and the synthesis of diamond-like films are given. The methods for the precision selective removal of nanoscale films and surface modification with the formation of subnanoscale structures are considered.