New roughness parameter for the characterization of regularly textured or ordered patterned superhydrophobic surfaces.

Surface geometry affects strongly superhydrophobic behavior. To characterize the effect, roughness as a comprehensive geometrical parameter is used, but this parameter in its general mathematic expression cannot reflect exactly such a geometrical effect, in particular, for the regularly textured or ordered patterned superhydrophobic surfaces. In this study, we propose a new parameter to mathematically describe roughness for such superhydrophobic surfaces. On the basis of this parameter, an ideal surface texture with the maximum roughness for achieving the superhydrophobicity is suggested, which is consistent with the previous experimental observations and theoretical considerations.