Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering Commons^™

Synthesis And Characterization Of Diamond-Like Carbon Thin Films For Biomedical Applications, Russell Lee Leonard

Masters Theses

Diamond-like carbon (DLC) thin films were produced by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) on silicon, fused silica, and silicon nitride substrates. The films produced were either undoped, made using a pure graphite target, or doped, using multi-component targets made from a combination of graphite and silicon, silicon nitride, titanium dioxide, or silicon monoxide. These films were evaluated for their potential use in biomedical applications, including coatings for artificial joints, heart stents, and bronchoscopes. The films were characterized by Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, ball-on-flat tribometry, contact angle measurements, and spectrophotometry. Film thickness was determined by optical profilometry. Film adhesion was checked …