US 12,416,077 B2
Processes for producing orthopedic implants having a subsurface level silicon nitride layer applied via bombardment
Eric M. Dacus, Salt Lake City, UT (US); and Erin E. Hofmann, Park City, UT (US)
Assigned to Joint Development, Inc., Salt Lake City, UT (US)
Filed by Joint Development, LLC, Salt Lake City, UT (US)
Filed on Nov. 11, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/680,248.
Application 16/680,248 is a division of application No. 15/670,534, filed on Aug. 7, 2017, granted, now 10,563,302.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/371,673, filed on Aug. 5, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2020/0080196 A1, Mar. 12, 2020
Int. Cl. C23C 16/34 (2006.01); A61F 2/30 (2006.01); A61L 27/34 (2006.01); C23C 14/58 (2006.01); C23C 16/24 (2006.01); C23C 16/48 (2006.01); C23C 14/02 (2006.01); C23C 14/06 (2006.01); C23C 14/22 (2006.01)
CPC C23C 16/24 (2013.01) [A61F 2/30 (2013.01); A61L 27/34 (2013.01); C23C 14/5833 (2013.01); C23C 16/345 (2013.01); C23C 16/486 (2013.01); A61F 2002/30003 (2013.01); A61F 2002/3006 (2013.01); A61F 2002/30971 (2013.01); A61F 2240/001 (2013.01); A61F 2310/00317 (2013.01); A61F 2310/00874 (2013.01); C23C 14/024 (2013.01); C23C 14/0652 (2013.01); C23C 14/221 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A process for producing an orthopedic implant having an integrated silicon nitride surface layer, comprising the steps of:
positioning the orthopedic implant inside a vacuum chamber;
vaporizing silicon atoms inside the vacuum chamber;
emitting ions via an ion beam into the vaporized silicon atoms in the vacuum chamber to cause a collision between the ions and the vaporized silicon atoms to form silicon nitride molecules;
driving the silicon nitride molecules with the same ion beam into an outer surface of the orthopedic implant such that the silicon nitride molecules implant therein and form at least a part of a molecular structure of the outer surface of the orthopedic implant simultaneously while maintaining the outer surface of the orthopedic implant at a temperature below 200 degrees Celsius, thereby forming the integrated silicon nitride surface layer; and
forming an intermix layer underneath the integrated silicon nitride surface layer, the intermix layer including a mixture of subsurface level silicon nitride molecules and a base material of the orthopedic implant,
wherein the intermix layer is molecularly integrated with the base material, and
wherein the integrated silicon nitride surface layer and the base material cooperate to sandwich the intermix layer in between.