| Abstract Scope |
Matrix assisted pulsed laser evaporation has several advantages over conventional approaches such as dip coating, spin coating, Langmuir-Blodgett dip coating, and pin arraying for creating thin films containing biomaterials. The thickness of the thin film that is applied to the surface of a medical device can be precisely controlled using this approach. Matrix assisted pulsed laser evaporation also offers precise control over roughness and homogeneity of the biomaterial thin films. In addition, matrix assisted pulsed laser evaporation is a “cold approach” that does not heat the biomaterial. In contrast, thin film thickness in many conventional thin film deposition approaches is not well controlled; for example, surface wetting may affect the thickness of thin film. In this presentation, several examples involving the use of matrix assisted pulsed laser evaporation for growth of biomaterial thin films will be considered. |