Characterization of plasma fluorinated zirconia for dental applications by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

This paper discusses fluorination of biomedical-grade yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) by sulfur hexafluoride plasma treatment and characterization of near-surface chemistry products by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Deconvolution of the Zr 3d and Y 3d XPS core level spectra revealed formation of both ZrF 4 and YF 3 . In addition, seven-coordinate ZrO 2 F 5 and/or ZrO 3 F 4 phases were deconvolved, retaining similar atomic coordination as the parent oxide and believed to have formed by substitutional displacement of oxygen by fluorine. No additional components attributed to yttria oxyfluoride were deconvolved. Argon ion sputter depth profiling determined the overlayer to be ∼4.0 nm in thickness, and angle resolved XPS showed no angle dependence on component percentages likely due to fluorination extending into the grain boundaries of the polycrystalline substrates. Importantly, the conversion layer did not induce any apparent change in zirconia crystallinity by inspection of Zr-O 3d 5/2,3/2 peak positions and full-width-at-half-maximum values, important for retaining its desirable mechanical properties. © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Duke Scholars

Author Brian R. Stoner Electrical and Computer Engineering