The influence of substrate bias voltage on the electrochemical properties of ZrN thin films deposited by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering: Biomedical application

Mourad Azibi – Nadia Saoula – Hamid Aknouche

   In order to study the influence of the substrate bias on the properties of ZrN thin films deposited by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering for biomedical application. Films of ZrN were grown onto 316L stainless steel substrate using radio-frequency RF magnetron sputtering from a pure zirconium target in Ar-N₂ gas mixture. The substrate bias voltage was varied from 0 to -100 V, which produces a variation in the structural and electrochemical properties of the obtained films. The deposited films were characterized by X-Rays Diffraction, Atomic Force Microscopy, scanning force microscopy and potentiodynamic polarization.

Keywords: ZrN, 316L stainless steel, RF magnetron sputtering, bias voltage, corrosion

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