Disclosed is a printhead having at least one ink drop generator region, which includes an ink chamber, an orifice through which ink drops are ejected, and a heating element positioned below the ink chamber. The heating element includes a resistor defined therein and a nano-structured surface that is exposed to the ink fluid supplied to the ink chamber. The nano-structured surface takes the form of an array of nano-pillars. The printhead is fabricated by a method that includes: forming a heating element having an oxidizable metal layer as the uppermost layer; forming an aluminum-containing layer on the oxidizable metal layer; anodizing the aluminum-containing layer to form porous alumina; anodizing the oxidizable metal layer so as to partially fill the pores in the porous alumina with metal oxide material; and removing the porous alumina by selective etching to produce a nano-structured surface.