Carbon*in the form of diamond coatings "nanocrystalline diamond*NCD# on suitable sub! strates*has attractive properties for biomedical applications[ The excellent chemical inertness of NCD _lms makes them a promising material for medical implants\ cardiovascular surgery and for coating of certain components of arti_cial heart valves[
The medical applications of carbon _lms impose some special requirements on their quality\ purity\ phase content and the state of the surface[ Of particular importance is the smoothness of the surface and good adhesion of the coatings to the substrate[ We have investigated carbon _lms which were synthesized by Radio Frequency Plasma Chemical Vapour Deposition "RFΓPCVD#[
The specimens obtained have been tested to show their structure and their biological\ mechanical and chemical resistance[ Additional investigations of the NCD _lms were carried out by micro!X!ray spectroscopy\ Raman spectroscopy\ AFM\ Auger spectroscopy\ corrosion tests\ breakdown tests and clinical investigations[ Nanocrystalline diamond "NCD# layers obtained by a new method of RF dense plasma CVD onto AISI!205L steel used in surgery were investigated to determine their suitability as biomaterials[