
Ion Beam Assisted Deposition deposits highly adherent thin films using a low-temperature, vacuum coating process.
Ion Beam Assisted Deposition (IBAD) is a thin film deposition process that combines evaporation with concurrent ion beam bombardment in a high vacuum environment. Unlike conventional Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) coatings, which rest only on the surface, the concurrent ion bombardment intermixes coating and substrate atoms and significantly improves adhesion while permitting control of morphology, density, stress level, crystallinity, and chemical composition.
The ion bombardment also eliminates the columnar microstructure often observed in conventional, low temperature physical vapor deposition to create very dense, adherent film structures.
How Ion Beam Assisted Deposition Works
Watch this video to understand how the IBAD process works and learn more about the benefits.
Ion Beam Assisted Deposition: Reduced Wear and Fretting with NanoCeramic Coating
N2 Biomedical’s proprietary IBAD NanoCeramic process imbeds a nanoengineered ceramic coating onto virtually any metallic, polymeric, or ceramic substrate. Some of the wear and/or corrosion resistant coatings we offer include, Al2O3, ZrO2, TiO2, and SiO2.



APPLICATIONS
- Knee & Hip Implants
- Extremities & Shoulders
- Fixation devices
BENEFITS
- Increases surface hardness
- Reduces friction
- Improves corrosion resistance
- Reduces tackiness
SUBSTRATES
- Titanium
- CoCr
- Stainless steel
- Silicone
- Polyurethane
- PEEK
- PBAX
Ion Beam Assisted Deposition: NanoSilver Coating
N2 Biomedical’s NanoEngineered silver coating is a proprietary, highly adherent nanoscale silver coating with a very low elution profile. The NanoSilver Coating has been applied to medical device implants and devices for over 20 years and is a clinically-proven broadspectrum antimicrobial coating demonstrating up to a 98% reduction in bacterial growth on vascular graft prostheses and 3-4X reduction in dialysis catheter infection rates.


APPLICATIONS
- Vascular grafts
- Active implants
- Orthopedic implants
- Fixation devices
- Vascular access
- Dental devices
BENEFITS
- Broad spectrum antimicrobial
- Highly adherent
- Long lasting
- Minimally leaching
SUBSTRATES
- PET
- Silicone
- PEEK
- Stainless steel
- Cobalt-chromium
- Titanium

Titanium and titanium oxide coatings are deposited at low temperature using our ion beam assisted process, a process that creates very highly adherent thin films. These nanostructured coatings significantly improve the biocompatibility and functionality of orthopedic implants and are particularly useful for PEEK components. The nanostructures have been engineered to encourage osteoblast differentiation and proliferation while preventing bacterial attachment and biofilm formation.
APPLICATIONS
- Spinal interbodies
- Dental implants
- PEEK screws
- Small joints
BENEFITS
- Improves biocompatibility of substrate material
- Increases surface area
- Creates beneficial surface textures
SUBSTRATES
- PEEK
- Stainless steel
- Cobalt-chromium
- Titanium
Ion Beam Assisted Deposition: Spectrum NanoCoating
Spectrum NanoCoating is a proprietary IBAD process that produces a durable, brilliant color coating on virtually any reflective substrate including stainless steel, NiTi and Co-Cr. Spectrum NanoCoatings are very thin (<500nm) and ideal for product differentiation, enhanced aesthetics, as well as improved functionality. The coating is biocompatible and has excellent durability at over 200 cleaning and autoclave cycles. A variety of colors are available including green, purple, gold, blue, and teal.


APPLICATIONS
- Dental devices
- Minimally invasive instrumentation
- Orthopedic instrument sets
- Surgical/fixation
BENEFITS
- Durable aesthetics
- Inventory management
- Size differentiation and error reduction
SUBSTRATES
- Stainless steel
- Any reflective metal
- PEEK and some polymers