Study on HfCxN1-x coatings deposited on biomedical AISI 316L by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering

In the paper, it is stated that the HfCxN1-x coating was deposited by magnetron sputtering on the AISI 316L substrate materials at various substrate temperatures (Ts). The results of XRD and TEM indicated that the HfCxN1-x coatings were almost amorphous when the Ts were below 400 °C, whereas the nanostructured Hf2CN was formed at the Ts of 400 °C. The Hf2CN nanocrystalline formation resulted in a significant improvement in the mechanical properties of HfCxN1-x coatings. The electrochemical tests demonstrated that the stable HfCxN1-x coatings improved the corrosion resistance of the AISI 316L. The platelet adhesion tests and hemolysis ratio tests indicated that the HfCxN1-x coatings presented an improved hemocompatibility when the Ts varied from 25 °C to temperatures exceeding 300 °C, which might have occurred due to the surface topography, the interfacial tension and the γsd/γsp ratio.