Calcium phosphate coatings grown at different substrate temperatures by pulsed ArF-laser deposition

Due to their similarity with the mineral part of bone, calcium phosphate coatings, specially hydroxylapatite, are commonly used to enhance the osteointegration of orthopaedical and dental titanium implants. To obtain more homogeneous and adherent coatings than the commercial ones produced by plasma spraying, pulsed ArF-laser deposition has been investigated. With this technique, hydroxylapatite sintered pellets have been ablated in water atmosphere at different substrate temperatures to produce calcium phosphate coatings. The characterization of the obtained films by profilometry, ellipsometry, Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy, XRD and SEM with EDX shows a strong dependence in the amount of apatite structure on the substrate temperature used during the deposition process. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A.