Biocompatibility and wettability of crystalline SiC and Si surfaces

Crystalline silicon carbide (SiC) and silicon (Si) biocompatibility was evaluated by directly culturing three mammalian cell lines on these semiconducting substrates. Cell proliferation and adhesion quality were studied using MTT [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide] assays and fluorescent microscopy. The reported results show that SiC is indeed a more biocompatible substrate than Si. The surface wettability of SiC and Si samples was evaluated through static contact angle measurements, which provided interesting information regarding the influence of different cleaning procedures on the SiC surfaces. The cell proliferation data are discussed in light of the contact angle measurements results. This joint analysis leads to interesting conclusions that may help to uncover the main factors that define a semiconductor's biocompatibility.