Effect of Nb, Ti, and W ion implantation on surface properties and cell compatibility of silicon carbide

Abstract

Silicon carbide is considered as a bio‐inert semiconductor material; consequently, it has been proposed for potential applications in human body implantation. In this study, we study the effect of implanting different metal ions on the surface properties of silicon carbide single crystal. The valence states of the elements and the surface roughness of implanted SiC were studied using X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy and atomic force microscope, respectively. Osteoblastic MG‐63 cells were utilized to characterize the cytocompatibility of ion implanted SiC. The results show that after Nb ion implantation on the SiC surface, it mainly exists in the form of Nb–C bond, Nb–O bond, and a small amount of metallic niobium. The titanium implanted on SiC primarily forms Ti‐C bond and Ti‐O bond. The tungsten implanted on SiC mostly presents as metallic tungsten and W–O bond. The roughness of silicon carbide single crystal is improved by ion implantation of all three metal ions. Ion implantation of titanium and niobium can improve the cell compatibility and hydrophilicity of silicon carbide, whereas ion implantation of tungsten reduces the cell compatibility and hydrophilicity of silicon carbide.