Calcium phosphate coating produced by a sputter deposition process

Abstract

The properties of implant surfaces play critical roles in inducing a biological response. In the case of dental and orthopedic implants, deposition of calcium phosphate (CaP) coatings on these implant surfaces are often employed as means of enhancing implant osseointegration with the bone. Although most implants are coated using a plasma spraying process, sputtering is currently being accepted by some implant vendors as one of the means for depositing thin CaP coatings on dental and orthopedic implants. Acceptance of the sputtering technology and recent research are indications that the sputtering process is promising and has potential for eliminating some of the problems associated with the plasma-spraying process. This chapter discusses some of the various modes of sputtering, properties of thin CaP coatings, and the biological responses to these coatings in vitro and in vivo. The limitations and strengths of the sputtering process are also addressed. © 2009 Springer-Verlag New York.