Hydroxyapatite thin films deposited onto uncoated and (Ti,Al, V)N-coated Ti alloys.

Plasma-sputtered hydroxyapatite (HA) thin coatings ( approximately 1 microm) were deposited onto uncoated and (TiAlV)N-coated Ti-6Al-4V-alloy substrates at low temperatures. The (TiAlV)N coating interlayer was deposited by reactive sputtering. Depositions were achieved by utilizing unbalanced and balanced magnetrons in a capacitively coupled RF plasma. Characterization of the thermostability, bioerosion resistance, and chemical composition of the coating layer was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The results show that for deposition temperatures as low as 67 degrees C, the crystalline phase of the HA coating still is clearly detectable and that the underlying (TiAlV)N coating can increase the crystallinity and thermostability of the HA coating before and after heat treatment. The thin ( approximately 1 microm) sputtered HA coating shows strong HA characteristic peaks in the FTIR spectra even after a 30-day dissolution test. The experimental results show that a multilayer structure comprised of a bioinert (TiAlV)N and bioactive HA coating has the potential to improve the biocompatibility of implant materials. The bioinert (TiAlV)N coating also may provide a long-term stable interface between bone tissue and an alloy implant after the bioactive HA coating is remodeled by the surrounding tissue. Copyright 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.