Hydrophobic nanostructured glass surfaces using metal dewetting process

Abstract

This project aims to create a hydrophobic surface through a top down fabrication process of a nanostructure surface on a glass surface. The nanostructure is created through reactive ion etching utilizing silver as a mask. The silver mask is the result of a solid state thermal dewetting process which is controlled by varying the temperature and time of the process. Using this fabrication process, contact angles up to 137 degrees was achieved. Further surface modification resulted in contact angles exceeding 150 degrees. Superhydrophobic surfaces were made with the addition of a secondary roughness feature and the a PDMS coating.