Peer-Reviewed Journal Details
Mandatory Fields
McNamara, K,Tofail, SAM,Conroy, D,Butler, J,Gandhi, AA,Redington, W
2012
January
Nuclear Instruments & Methods In Physics Research Section B-Beam Interactions With Materials And Atoms
X-ray analyses of thermally grown and reactively sputtered tantalum oxide films on NiTi alloy
Published
()
Optional Fields
X-ray diffraction X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy NiTi Ta-coating Reactive sputtering Oxidation of metals MEDICAL APPLICATIONS SURFACE BIOCOMPATIBILITY CORROSION NICKEL
284
49
52
Sputter deposition of tantalum (Ta) on the surface of NiTi alloy is expected to improve the alloy's corrosion resistance and biocompatibility. Tantalum is a well-known biomaterial which is not affected by body fluids and is not irritating to human tissue. Here we compare the oxidation chemistry crystal structure evolution of tantalum oxide films grown on NiTi by reactive O-2 sputtering and by thermal oxidation of sputter deposited Ta films. The effect of sputtering parameters and post-sputtering treatments on the morphology, oxidation state and crystal structure of the tantalum oxide layer have been investigated by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The study has found that it may be better to avoid oxidation at and above 600 degrees C. The study establishes that reactive sputtering in presence of low oxygen mixture yields thicker film with better control of the film quality except that the surface oxidation state of Ta is slightly lower. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
10.1016/j.nimb.2011.07.106
Grant Details