SURFACE CHARACTERIZATION OF TIO2, NB2O5, AND ZRO2 THIN FILMS DEPOSITED BY MAGNETRON SPUTTERING ON SI (111)

Since implant surface is the region in contact with living tissue, corrosion resistance is an important property for biomedical implant materials. The deposition of biocompatible materials by magnetron sputtering is a viable surface modification method for improving the biocompatibility, corrosion resistance, and extends the life time of traditional biomedical implants. Titanium, niobium, and zirconium materials have excellent mechanical properties and corrosion resistance which make them potential candidates for coating implants. In this work, thin films of Ti, Nb, and Zr were deposited on Si(111) substrates in an oxygen/argon atmosphere to create models of biocompatible coatings. The chemical composition, morphology, Young’s modulus, and hardness of the three thin films were analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and nanoindentation. It was found that all thin films were completely oxidized, had nanostructured grains, bulk uniformity, and good mechanical properties, thus thin TiO2, Nb2O5, and ZrO2 films can be considered as good candidates for bioactive implant coatings.