Deposition of SiOx thin films on Y-TZP by reactive magnetron sputtering: influence of plasma parameters on the adhesion properties between Y-TZP and resin cement for application in dental prosthesis

Abstract

In this paper SiOx thin films were deposited on Y-TZP ceramics by reactive magnetron sputtering technique in order to improve the adhesion properties between Y-TZP and resin cement for applications in dental prosthesis. For fixed cathode voltage, target current, working pressure and target-to-substrate distance, SiOx thin films were deposited at different oxygen concentrations in the Ar+O2 plasma forming gas. After deposition processes, SiOx thin films were characterized by profilometry, energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Adhesion properties between Y-TZP and resin cement were evaluated by shear testing. Results indicate that films deposited at 20%O2 increased the bond strength to (32.8 ± 5.4) MPa. This value has not been achieved by traditional methods.