Morphological Characterization of Calcium Phosphate Particles Obtained by Pulsed-Injection Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition

ABSTRACTAmorphous calcium phosphate particles were synthesized for the first time by the Pulsed Injection Chemical Vapor Deposition technique onto silicon wafers, using Trimethyl Phosphate and Calcium Lactate mixed in a methanol solution as the precursor. The particles were deposited at a substrate temperature of 500, 550, and 600 °C obtaining the best results at 500 °C in terms of nucleation, density, morphology, and Ca/P ratio. The functional groups and vibrational modes, elemental composition, and surface morphology, were studied using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, Raman Spectroscopy, and X-ray Energy Dispersion Spectrometry, and Scanning Electron Microscopy, respectively. The presence of the phosphate group characteristic of calcium phosphate was also observed. Uniform growth of the microstructures as the growth time and the temperature of the substrate increases were also observed, together with agglomerates of calcium phosphate in microstructures of 10, 50, and 100 nm in diameter. In these calcium phosphate agglomerates, calcium and phosphorus presence were observed, which is an important feature due to the Ca/P ratio gives information regarding biocompatibility.