A method of forming a coated implantable medical device including the steps of: removing non-volatile carbon deposits from at least one surface of the medical device 120； applying a layer of carbon 124 over the at least one surface by a carbon deposition process； and applying a layer of therapeutic or bioactive material 126 over the layer of carbon. Preferably the non-volatile deposits are removed by plasma cleaning and the carbon layer is deposited by an ethanol or isopropanol (IPA) plasma. In one embodiment, the volatile deposits are also removed from the at least one surface by cleaning with ethanol. Also claimed is a coated implantable medical device comprising a base structure 120 having a uniform layer of carbon 124 posited over at least one of its surfaces, and a layer of therapeutic or bioactive material 126 posited over the layer of carbon. Preferably the layer of carbon is elemental carbon which is amorphous and the medical device is made of a nickel titanium alloy such as nitinol. In one embodiment the bioactive material is an anti-proliferative substance such as paclitaxel. The layer of bioactive material may be free of binding agents, polymer or other matrix material.
