ABSTRACT
Surfaces and interfaces play an important role in biology and medicine, as most of the biological reactions are surface phenomena. This chapter describes the most important techniques of surface engineering, especially for biomicroelectromechanical systems applications. These techniques are as follows: plasma-mediated surface modification; self-assembled monolayer-mediated surface modification; langmuir-Blodgett monolayers; and layer-by-layer assembly. Plasma treatment employing reactive gases is considered one of the most precise methods of fabrication of surfaces with desired functionalities. Plasma polymer modification is widely used in biomedical applications to improve the biocompatibility of surfaces. The functionalization of a surface by using a plasma process can be achieved with either nitrogen or oxygen, that is, a nonpolymerizable gas, or with unsaturated monomers containing labile groups. The biomaterial used for tissue engineering applications has to be biocompatible and biodegradable and should meet biological needs for the cell proliferation involved in new tissue formation.
