A material that presents both the appropriate set of bulk properties in conjunction with an optimal surface performance is hardly found. For this reason, there is the need of modifying its surface. This is a standard procedure in many application fields but particularly important in the medical and environmental research. In this chapter, we describe the use of sputtering, as the chosen technology for the deposition of thin films. The use of the modified surfaces in the medical and environmental fields will be highlighted by two case studies in each one. In biomedicine, the surface modification of medical invasive devices for orthopedic and neural applications will be presented. For the environmental aspect, the results of two bioremediation tools, for arsenic and uranium removal, based on the immobilization of bacterial cells will be discussed.
Part of the book: Methods for Film Synthesis and Coating Procedures