Characterization of thin calcium phosphate coating

Abstract

For the development and improvement of thin calcium phosphate (CaP) coatings, a thorough understanding of the compositional, structural, and mechanical aspects of the coatings is required. This chapter reports on the basic principles of the techniques and how to apply them for the characterization of (thin) CaP coatings. The advantages and limitations of the techniques are described; and at least one example of how the technique can be used to investigate CaP coatings is provided. The techniques include (1) those that are photon-based: Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction; (2) microscopy techniques: scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy; (3) ion beam techniques: Rutherford back-scattering spectrometry, elastic recoil detection; (4) nuclear magnetic resonance; and (5) several mechanical characterization techniques. © 2009 Springer-Verlag New York.