Fabrication of hydroxyapatite thin films on zirconia using a sputtering technique

Hydroxyapatite (HA) thin films were prepared on a zirconia (ZrO₂) substrate using a sputtering technique, and the film was also coated on a titanium (Ti) substrate for comparison. The coated films were recrystallised using a hydrothermal treatment to reduce film dissolution. The films were then characterised by X-ray diffractometry (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The osteocompatiblity of the films was evaluated by investigating the alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and the size of the bone formation area of osteoblast cells.

In the XRD patterns of the as-sputtered films on the ZrO₂ substrate, there are no peaks except for those from the ZrO₂ substrate. After the hydrothermal treatment, HA peaks appeared in the patterns. Nanoparticles (less than 20 nm) were observed on the ZrO₂ substrates in the SEM images of the as-sputtered films. After the hydrothermal treatment, particles of 20–40 nm were observed on the film, whereas the HA film on the Ti substrate was covered by a larger number of globular particles (20–60 nm). In the osteoblast cell cultures, the ALP activity and bone formation area on the HA films on both the ZrO₂ and Ti substrates increased after the hydrothermal treatment of the films, and the values for the ZrO₂ substrate were higher than those for the Ti substrate.