VAPOR DEPOSITION OF BIOPASSIVATION COATINGS FOR NEUROPROSTHESES

Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) is a technique by which thin, conformal coatings can be synthesized and applied onto substrates with complex topographies and small overall dimensions. The process does not require any solvents and can be performed in a single step. Polymeric fluorocarbon and organosilicon thin films have been synthesized by two different CVD techniques, plasma-enhanced CVD and hot-filament CVD. Uniform, conformal films are produced on various substrates such as platinum wire, silicon microribbons, and neural probes. The synthesis of fluorocarbon-organosilicon copolymers, which offers the possibility of combining the useful properties of each material type in a single thin film, is also discussed.