Study on HfCxN1-x coatings deposited on biomedical AISI 316L by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering

In the paper, it is stated that the HfCxN1-x coating was deposited by magnetron sputtering on the AISI 316L substrate materials at various substrate temperatures (T-s). The results of XRD and TEM indicated that the HfCxN1-x coatings were almost amorphous when the T-s were below 400 degrees C, whereas the nanostructured Hf2CN was formed at the T-s of 400 degrees C. The Hf2CN nanocrystalline formation resulted in a significant improvement in the mechanical properties of HfCxN1-x coatings. The electrochemical tests demonstrated that the stable HfCxN1-x coatings improved the corrosion resistance of the AISI 316L. The platelet adhesion tests and hemolysis ratio tests indicated that the HfCxN1-x coatings presented an improved hemocompatibility when the T-s varied from 25 degrees C to temperatures exceeding 300 degrees C, which might have occurred due to the surface topography, the interfacial tension and the gamma(d)(s)/gamma(p)(s) ratio. (C) 2017 Published by Elsevier B.V.