Nanocrystalline Diamond Coatings

Carbon—in the form of diamond coatings (nanocrystalline diamond—NCD) on suitable substrates—has attractive properties for biomedical applications. The excellent chemical inertness of NCD films makes them a promising material for medical implants, cardiovascular surgery and for coating of certain components of artificial heart valves. The medical applications of carbon films impose some special requirements on their quality, purity, phase content and the state of the surface. Of particular importance is the smoothness of the surface and good adhesion of the coatings to the substrate. We have investigated carbon films which were synthesized by Radio Frequency Plasma Chemical Vapour Deposition (RF–PCVD). The specimens obtained have been tested to show their structure and their biological, mechanical and chemical resistance. Additional investigations of the NCD films were carried out by micro-X-ray spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, AFM, Auger spectroscopy, corrosion tests, breakdown tests and clinical investigations. Nanocrystalline diamond (NCD) layers obtained by a new method of RF dense plasma CVD onto AISI-316L steel used in surgery were investigated to determine their suitability as biomaterials.