The Effect of Low-Energy Ions on the Yield of Nanoparticles From Titanium-Hafnium Nitride Biomedical Material

Metallic plasma of hafnium and titanium arc discharge in a nitrogen allows to form nanocomposite multilayer coatings from nitrides. The thickness of individual layers of such coatings ranges from 14 to 25 nm, with a total coating thickness of up to 3 μm. The coating contains hafnium nitride nanoparticles with a size of 6-20 nm, formed during the condensation of the coating on the substrate surface. Hafnium nitride nanoparticles migrate into aqueous solutions of NaCl (saline), which is used as a simulator of blood plasma. The migration rate of nanoparticles has been determined; it ranges from 35 to 0.34 fmol/cm2 h. The effect of a flow of low-energy argon and nitrogen ions generated by low-pressure plasma with an energy of up to 70-80 eV on the surface of the nitride hafnium coating allows to regulate the migration rate, i.e. its biological activity, which is important for the medical use of coatings.