Characterization of Sr-substituted hydroxyapatite thin film by sputtering technique from mixture targets of hydroxyapatite and strontium apatite.

Sr-substituted hydroxyapatite thin films were prepared by sputtering technique from mixture targets of hydroxyapatite (HA) and strontium apatite (SrAp). The HA and SrAp powders were mixed at 0-100% Sr/(Sr+Ca) target ratios. The coated films were recrystallized by a hydrothermal treatment to reduce film dissolution. The films were then characterized by X-ray diffractometry (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP). The osteocompatiblity of the films was also evaluated by the size of the bone formation area in osteoblast cells.In the XRD patterns, peaks shifted to lower 2θ values with increasing Sr/(Sr+Ca) target ratios, which indicated Sr incorporation into the HA lattice. In the SEM observation of the hydrothermally treated films, the surface was covered with globular particles, and the size of the globular particles increased from Sr0 to Sr40, and then the size decreased from Sr60 to Sr100. The ICP analysis showed that the Sr/(Sr+Ca) film ratios were almost the same as the target ratios. In the cell culture, the bone formation area on the Sr-substituted HA films increased with increasing Sr concentration, and saturated at Sr60.