Formation of diamond-like carbon (DLC) film on the NiTi alloys via plasma immersion ion implantation and deposition (PIIID) for improving corrosion resistance

NiTi alloys are potentially useful in biomedical application due to their unique superelasticity and shape memory effect. However, the materials are vulnerable to surface corrosion and the most serious issue is out-diffusion of toxic Ni ions from the substrate into body tissues and fluids. In this paper, Diamond-like carbon (DLC) film is fabricated on the NiTi alloys using plasma immersion ion implantation and deposition (PIIID) at room temperature to improve their corrosion resistance and block the out-diffusion of the Ni ions. The results show that the DLC films cannot only improve the corrosion resistance of the NiTi substrate, but also effectively suppress the Ni ions release from the substrate. The reason that the corrosion resistance of the coated samples is markedly improved due to the DLC films formation is systematically investigated.