Fig. 1. Families of samples.

a Schematic illustrating the geometry transition from nanopillar, to truncated cone and finally, to sharp cone. b–d Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images and schematics corresponding to the three families of nanocones. For all surfaces, the cones with height h, pitch p, apex angle β and sharpness Σ = 1/β are arranged on a dense hexagonal array and coated by a hydrophobic layer. b. A is a reference sample made of nanopillars with diameter l = 30 nm. H1 is the smallest nanoconical texture, H2 and H3 are homothetic (constant h/p), with a size ratio of 1.1 and 2.1, respectively. c E1, E2, E3 and E4 are of equal pitch p = 110 nm and gradually extruded from E1 with h = 144 nm by a factor of 1.7, 2.0 and 2.9, respectively. Families H and E intersect: H3 and E2 are the same material. d T1, T2, T3 and T4 have the same pitch but are truncated, with various top diameters l.