Discrete model for laser driven etching and microstructuring of metallic surfaces

TL;DR

This paper introduces a discrete kinetic Monte Carlo model to simulate laser-induced microstructuring of metallic surfaces, capturing ripple formation phenomena and analyzing the effects of laser power on pattern development.

Contribution

It extends a previous ion sputtering model to laser etching, reproducing ripple patterns and analyzing parameter effects in metallic surface structuring.

Findings

Model reproduces ripple regimes observed experimentally.

Ripple formation depends on laser power within specific ranges.

The model links physical processes to pattern formation dynamics.

Abstract

We present a unidimensional discrete solid-on-solid model evolving in time using a kinetic Monte Carlo method to simulate micro-structuring of kerfs on metallic surfaces by means of laser-induced jet-chemical etching. The precise control of the passivation layer achieved by this technique is responsible for the high resolution of the structures. However, within a certain range of experimental parameters, the microstructuring of kerfs on stainless steel surfaces with a solution of $\mathrm{H}_3\mathrm{PO}_4$ shows periodic ripples, which are considered to originate from an intrinsic dynamics. The model mimics a few of the various physical and chemical processes involved and within certain parameter ranges reproduces some morphological aspects of the structures, in particular ripple regimes. We analyze the range of values of laser beam power for the appearance of ripples in both experimental and simulated kerfs. The discrete model is an extension of one that has been used previously in the context of ion sputtering and is related to a noisy version of the Kuramoto-Sivashinsky equation used extensively in the field of pattern formation.