Processes for producing orthopedic implants having a subsurface level ceramic layer applied via bombardment

A process for producing an orthopedic implant having an integrated ceramic surface layer, comprising the steps of:

• positioning the orthopedic implant inside a vacuum chamber;
• vaporizing at least two different metalloid or transition metal atoms inside the vacuum chamber;
• emitting ions via a relatively high energy ion beam into the at least two different vaporized metalloid or transition metal atoms in the vacuum chamber to cause a collision between the ions and the at least two different vaporized metalloid or transition metal atoms to form ceramic molecules;
• driving the ceramic molecules with the ion beam into an outer surface of the orthopedic implant at a relatively high energy such that the ceramic molecules implant therein and form at least a part of the 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 ceramic surface layer;
• and
• forming an intermix layer underneath the integrated ceramic surface layer, the intermix layer including a mixture of subsurface level ceramic molecules and a base material of the orthopedic implant,
• wherein the intermix layer is molecularly integrated with the base material,
• wherein the integrated ceramic surface layer and the base material cooperate to sandwich the intermix layer in between.

A process for producing an orthopedic implant having an integrated ceramic surface layer, comprising the steps of:

• positioning the orthopedic implant inside a vacuum chamber;
• vaporizing at least two different metalloid or transition metal atoms off at least two respective metalloid or transition metal ingots;
• emitting ions via a relatively high energy ion beam comprising an energy level between 0.1 and 20 kiloelectron volts (KeV) into the at least two different vaporized metalloid or transition metal atoms in the vacuum chamber to cause a collision between the ions and the at least two different vaporized metalloid or transition metal atoms to form ceramic molecules;
• cleaning an outer surface of the orthopedic implant with the ion beam at an energy level between about 1-1000 electron volts;
• driving the ceramic molecules with the ion beam into the outer surface of the orthopedic implant at a relatively high energy such that the ceramic molecules implant therein and form at least a part of the 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 ceramic surface layer;
• and
• forming an intermix layer underneath the integrated ceramic surface layer, the intermix layer including a mixture of subsurface level ceramic molecules and a base material of the orthopedic implant,
• wherein the intermix layer is molecularly integrated with the base material,
• wherein the integrated ceramic surface layer and the base material cooperate to sandwich the intermix layer in between.