Preparation of Biomaterial Thin Films by Pulsed-Laser Deposition Technique.

Abstract

An overview is presented of applications of hydroxyapatite (HAp) thin films prepared using the pulsed-laser deposition (PLD) technique. The conditions for the formation of crystallized HAp films on various substrates, such as metals, alloys, oxides and polymers, are determined. Two different technological processes are performed for the formation of crystallized HAp films: post-annealing after amorphous deposition and in situ crystallization. The formation of crystallized HAp films on polymer substrates using the post-annealing method are also discussed. HAp films grown on lattice-matched material, i. e., Al2O3 and ZnO, show a c-axis orientation. Such a result from a well-defined sample is suitable as the first step in the application to electronic devices. Furthermore, the mechanical properties of the HAp films are evaluated by the peeling-off test. Finally, the preliminary findings of the biological properties are studied by the fibroblast in vitro test. The results indicate that the HAp films formed by PLD are effective for various implant applications.