[Calcium-oxygen modified amorphous and nanocrystalline carbon layers as biomaterials]

Undoped and Ca-O-modified diamond-like carbon coatings were deposited by a direct current discharge. Hardness and Young's modulus of Ca-O-modified DLCs were reduced in comparison with the undoped DLC, but the adherence of the Ca-O-modified films is improved. Ca-O-modified DLCs have a higher fraction of nano-crystalline regions with carbon in sp2 hybridisation. In addition, an increased oxygen content and CaCO3 was identified in Ca-O-modified DLCs. While mouse fibroblasts of the type L929 attach and grow on unmodified diamond-like carbon coatings synthesized by the decomposition of hydrocarbon, the addition of CaO-H2O into the precursor gas improves the coatings biological acceptance by the cells.