CVD diamond films with hydrophilic micro-patterns for self-organisation of human osteoblasts

Nanocrystalline diamond (NCD) films were prepared by microwave plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition (CVD) on Si substrates of different roughness (1 and 500 nm). Diamond nano-crystals are up to 50 nm in size and RMS surface roughness is less than 20 nm. The NCD films were cleaned chemically and terminated by hydrogen using plasma treatment (800 °C, 10 min) to generate a hydrophobic surface. Photolithography mask and oxygen plasma (300 W r.f. power, 3 min) were used to generate O-terminated (hydrophilic) patterns (30–200 μm wide) separated by a H-terminated (hydrophobic) surface. Osteoblast-like human cells were seeded on the patterned flat and rough NCD films in McCoy's 5A medium supplemented with 15% fetal bovine serum (FBS). After two days incubation the cells preferentially adhered on the O-terminated stripes. This phenomenon is not suppressed by the surface roughness and is general for other cell types (fibroblast and cervical carcinoma cells), too. The data are discussed with view to further application of NCD thin films in biotechnology and bio-electronics applications.