Characterization of calcium phosphate bioceramic films using ion beam analysis techniques

The analytical techniques using ion beams are powerful tools for surface analysis of solid materials. Constituent elements are important in determining the biocompatibility and corrosion resistance of a biomaterial implant. The focus of this article is on the application of ion beam analysis towards quantifying the composition of calcium phosphate based biomaterials. Thin films of calcium phosphate bioceramics were prepared on Si and Ti substrates using ion beam sputter deposition (IBSD) and ion beam assisted sputter deposition (IBASD) methods. Precise amounts of calcium, phosphorus, oxygen and hydrogen in these thin films are determined by combining four ion beam analysis techniques. The simultaneous application of proton induced X-ray emission (PIXE) and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) were utilized to quantify composition and amounts of elements heavier than helium. Elastic recoil detection analysis (ERDA) was used to determine hydrogen content while resonance-enhanced RBS (RE-RBS) was utilized to measure oxygen concentration. The amount of assisting ion beam current density during deposition affected the concentration ratios of Ca, O and H to P. Combination of different ion beam analysis methods is useful in characterizing the elemental composition and distribution of composite biomaterials.