Plasma immersion ion implantation for the efficient surface modification of medical materials

The paper reports on a new method of plasma immersion ion implantation for the surface modification of medical materials using the example of nickel-titanium (NiTi) alloys much used for manufacturing medical implants. The chemical composition and surface properties of NiTi alloys doped with silicon by conventional ion implantation and by the proposed plasma immersion method are compared. It is shown that the new plasma immersion method is more efficient than conventional ion beam treatment and provides Si implantation into NiTi surface layers through a depth of a hundred nanometers at low bias voltages (400 V) and temperatures (≤150°C) of the substrate. The research results suggest that the chemical composition and surface properties of materials required for medicine, e.g., NiTi alloys, can be successfully attained through modification by the proposed method of plasma immersion ion implantation and by other methods based on the proposed vacuum equipment without using any conventional ion beam treatment