Grant: Collaborative Research and Development Grants

Diamond and diamond like carbon films appear suitable for biomedical tools and implantable devices due to their advantageous bio tribological characteristics and biocompatibility. However, their compatibility with biomedical substrate materials (such as metals, ceramics and plastics), long term stability and their specific functional characteristics pose a considerable concern.In the present project we propose to address specific needs for advanced biomedical coatings, an area of prime importance to Canada. It combines the expertise developed in the Functional Coating and Surface Engineering Laboratory of the Ecole Polytechnique with the expertise of Medtronic, a leading company in the field of biomedical devices. We foresee to evaluate the growth mechanisms of carbonaceous films on different biomedical substrates, as well as the methodology of materials testing in order to assess and optimise the structural, tribo mechanical, and other properties. This work will particularly focus on novel nanostructured diamond like films, in which the structural features, controlled on nanometer scale, are expected to provide new biomedical functions. An integral part of this project will be the development of process control methodology, an aspect of particular importance for technology transfer.