Fabrication of broadband antireflective black metal surfaces with ultra-light-trapping structures by picosecond laser texturing and chemical fluorination

A hybrid method consisting of ultrafast laser-assisted texturing and chemical fluorination treatment was applied for efficiently enhancing the surface broadband antireflection to fabricate black titanium alloy surface with ultra-light-trapping micro-nanostructure. Based on the theoretical analysis of surface antireflective principle of micro-nanostructures and fluoride film, the ultra-light-trapping micro-nanostructures have been processed using a picosecond pulsed ultrafast laser on titanium alloy surfaces. Then fluorination treatment has been performed by using fluoroalkyl silane solution. According to X-ray diffraction phase analysis of the surface compositions and measurement of the surface reflectance using spectrophotometer, the broadband antireflective properties of titanium alloy surface with micro-nano structural characteristics were investigated before and after fluorination treatment. The results show that the surface morphology of micro-nanostructures processed by picosecond laser has significant effects on the antireflection of light waves to reduce the surface reflectance, which can be further reduced using chemical fluorination treatment. The high antireflection of over 98 % in a broad spectral range from ultraviolet to infrared on the surface of metal material has been achieved for the surface structures, and the broadband antireflective black metal surfaces with an extremely low reflectance of ultra-light-trapping structures have been obtained in the wavelength range from ultraviolet–visible to near-infrared, middle-wave infrared. The average reflectance of microgroove groups structured surface reaches as low as 2.43 % over a broad wavelength range from 200 to 2600 nm. It indicates that the hybrid method comprising of picosecond laser texturing and chemical fluorination can effectively induce the broadband antireflective black metal surface. This method has a potential application for fabricating antireflective surface used to improve the photothermal or photoelectric conversion efficiency of solar installations and enhancing the surface wave-absorbing capacity of devices.