Platelet activation behavior on nitrogen plasma-implanted silicon

To enhance the surface biocompatibility of silicon-based materials used in micro-biomedical devices, nitrogen plasma immersion ion implantation (PIII) was performed on single-crystal silicon wafers. The platelet activation behavior on the N-PIII silicon was investigated in vitro, and the results indicate that the nitrogen plasma-treated surface exhibits less platelets activation than low temperature isotropic pyrolytic carbon (LTIC) that is a common material used in blood-contacting implants such as artificial heart valves. Our results also indicate that Si–N bonds enhance the surface hydrophilicity and combined with good critical surface tension, activation of platelets is mitigated. The mechanism of the platelet activation reactions is discussed from the perspective of the surface energy.