The NiTi alloy has a high nickel concentration of 50 at% which may result in nickel ion release into the body environment, preventing from biomedical application. It was demonstrated that the nickel surface concentration may be reduced significantly using plasma immersion ion implantation (PIII). In the present work the surface processes during oxygen (or nitrogen) PIII and the microstructure and properties of the modified surface layers were studied. The samples were examined by X-ray diffraction analysis, Auger electron spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, spectroscopic ellipsometry and corrosion and blood compatibility tests.
Oxygen PIII at an ion energy of 40 keV and a substrate temperatures below 300°C results in the formation of a transparent rutile TiO₂ surface layer with a Ni content down to below 1 at%. This layer prevents from corrosion and out-diffusion of Ni ions. Biocompatibility tests show a largely superior in vitro blood compatibility compared to the untreated samples.