This diploma thesis aims to optimalization the process of magnetron sputtering and creating of thin layers for use in advanced oxidation processes. During the work was created range of TiOx layers. For this process was used physical method of sputtering called PVD. The photocatalytic activity of the deposited films was tested by degradation of organic dyes Acid Orange 7. Furthermore, the layer was analyzed on surface morphology (SEM) and the layer thickness (profilometry). Study of created layers was focused on the link between the characteristics of each layer, deposition parameters and photocatalysis properties. Based on these results, the layers were applied in a system using AOP for the decomposition of organic substances. The first chapter is devoted to a summary of existing knowledge of photocatalysis and its principles. Another chapter is devoted to the theory and methods of applying thin layers and summary of knowledge of the low-pressure discharges. In the exprimental section there are described various components of the apparatus. Furthermore, the experimental part of the work focuses on the analysis of the optimization process of applying thin layers on titanium oxide. The last chapter of the thesis contains the results of the experiments on the basis of is designed another research progress of this issue.

The aim of this diploma thesis is deposition of TiO2 thin films onto different types and sizes of substrates, and some of these layers dope by iron or silver. During the work was range of TiO2 layers created using a method of physical vapor deposition namely magnetron sputtering. For these processes was chosen the Dreva ARC 400 Hard Material Coating Plant device. The main aim of these depositions was to attempt to create TiO2 thin films on a substrates of larger surface than its in average laboratory processes usual. For this purpose were TiO2 layers deposited onto square glass plates of side length 10 cm. For comparsion and analysis were also as a substrates used microscope slides and fragments of silicon wafers. These substrates were used for testing of photocatalytic activity and on surface morphology (SEM). The theoretical part of this thesis aims to a methods of deposition TiO2 layers and their characteristics. In the experimental part is the used coating equipment and parameters of each deposition process described. Further the characteristics and results of individual experiments are described.

This work deals with deposition of yttrium oxide layers on silicon substrate (P – type) by using magnetron and reactive magnetron sputtering. Experiments which were made are further described. After that, work is focused on evaluation of deposited layers by using FTIR measurement technique and spectrophotometry. At the end of the work results of experiments are discussed also with the future progress.

This doctoral thesis concerns the preparation of porous cerium oxide/carbon bilayers on silicon substrates. In this regard, carbonaceous films in the form of amorphous carbon (a-C) and nitrogenated amorphous carbon (CNx) are considered. The influence of various process parameters of the cerium oxide deposition on the morphology of the final cerium oxide/carbon bilayer is investigated. A correlation could be found between the morphol- ogy of the bilayer and the stoichiometry of the cerium oxide film determined by means of XPS. Furthermore, a study regarding the chemical composition of the used carbonaceous films by means of various spectroscopic techniques is presented. It was found that the chemical composition of the carbonaceous films strongly depends on the deposition con- ditions of these films and influences the behaviour of these films during oxygen plasma treatment and cerium oxide deposition, respectively. 1

NiTi alloys with nearly equiatomic chemical composition are the most studied and the most practically utilized materials from the group of the shape memory alloys (SMA). The NiTi alloy has a thermoelastic martensitic transfor- mation (MT), which its two most important properties are based on: the shape memory and the superelasticity. Thin films of NiTi alloys with thicknesses from hundreds of nm to units of µm have a wide use mainly in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). The doctoral thesis deals with a fabrication of thin NiTi films using a deposition on silicon substrates with two techniques - the magnetron sputtering and the pulsed-laser deposition (PLD), an investigation of their mi- crostructure using x-ray diffraction, a heat treatment of amorphous NiTi films and with a verification of MT using resistometry. Furthermore, thermomechan- ical properties of a system NiTi-polyimide (NiTi-PI), namely a dependence of a curvature radius of a NiTi-PI bilayer on temperature, are studied. 1

The main focus of this master thesis is the investigation of the anode catalysts for the Proton Exchange Membrane Water Electrolyzers (PEM-WEs). PEM-WEs play a pivotal role in the hydrogen economy concept as they allow water decomposition into oxygen and hydrogen. However, their operation requires expensive noble metal catalysts, i.e., iridium or platinum. This issue has yet to be solved to mass-produce PEM-WEs. Consequently, our main objective is to reduce the amount of iridium on the anode of PEM-WEs. We addressed this objective by two distinct approaches: morphological and chemical. With the morphological approach, plasma etching of the membrane and the magnetron sput- tering of CeO2 served to increase the membrane's active surface. Hence we improved the catalysts utilization. With the chemical approach, we focused on the catalyst itself. Thus, we replaced the pure iridium catalyst with a bimetallic iridium-ruthenium one. Therefore, the activity of the catalyst was enhanced while its price got reduced. To ex- plain and describe the catalyst's behavior, we used various electrochemical methods and surface analysis techniques. Finally, we combined both approaches to obtain one active, stable, and low-iridium-loading anode catalyst for PEM-WE.

The presented thesis deals with the design and assembly of the generator for pulse magnetron sputtering. The designed device is capable of generating two square wave signals via its counter-working outputs. Both signals have independently adjustable frequency, pulse count and duty ratio. Both signals originate from two frequency syntheses controlled by microcontroller PIC16F877A. All the settings are entered by four buttons and are shown on an alphanumeric display with 16x4 characters. The duty ratio is adjusted using a special module.

In the present work Mg films prepared by RF magnetron sputtering were studied. Variable energy positron annihilation spectroscopy (VEPAS) was employed for investigation of defects in the Mg films. VEPAS characterization was combined with scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction in order to determine grain size, phase composition and texture. The effect of different deposition rate and deposition temperature, annealing, various substrates and film thickness on the structure and amount of defects present in the Mg films was examined. Defect studies by VEPAS showed that positrons in studied Mg films are trapped at misfit dislocations and at vacancy-like defects in grain boundaries and their density can be reduced by the deposition at elevated temperature. 1

Les piles à membrane polymère à échange de protons (PEMFC) sont une des techniques les plus prometteuses pour une production d'électricité propre et efficace à partir d'hydrogène. Les applications de cette nouvelle génération de piles à combustibles concernent aussi bien des applications portables et nomades telles que smartphones, ordinateurs portables, électronique embarquée que des applications domestiques ou dans les transports. A ce jour, le platine utilisé comme catalyseur est considéré comme le seul choix possible pour un rendement élevé et stable. En conséquence, suite à des ressources limitées en platine, la fabrication des piles à combustible reste coûteuse et la production industrielle généralisée impossible. Pour cette raison, une diminution substantielle de la quantité de Pt incorporée et donc la recherche de nouveaux matériaux d'anode à faible coût avec une activité élevée sont nécessaires. Des systèmes à base d’oxyde de cérium dopés au platine avaient été présentés comme étant des catalyseurs actifs pour l'oxydation du CO, la production d'hydrogène, l'oxydation de l'éthanol et la décomposition de méthanol. Au cours de ce travail, de nouveaux concepts pour la fabrication des piles à combustible ont été développés : la quantité de platine incorporée a été fortement diminuée conduisant à la production de nouveaux matériaux d'anode. Enfin, des catalyseurs à base de platine ont été déposés non pas sous la forme usuelle de nanopoudres mais sous forme de films minces fortement poreux sur substrat silicium.Au cours de cette thèse, le système Pt-CeOx a été étudié. Des échantillons non dopés puis dopés avec une faible quantité de platine ont été élaborés puis caractérisés en vue d'une application comme catalyseurs pour piles à combustibles. L'obtention de ces matériaux avec des propriétés sur mesure implique la maîtrise totale de leurs conditions de croissance. Afin d’étudier ces nouveaux composés de taille nanométrique, la microscopie électronique en transmission (MET) a été un outil précieux, qui a permis d'apporter des informations très précises sur la morphologie des films minces, la composition chimique et la structure à l'échelle atomique. Le cérium possède un double degré d'oxydation (+III/+IV), ce qui explique ses très bonnes propriétés catalytiques. Des analyses par spectrométrie dephotoélectrons X (XPS) ainsi que par spectroscopie de pertes d'énergie des électrons (EELS) ont été effectuées afin de déterminer son degré d'oxydation. / Present doctoral thesis is focused on investigation of novel metal-oxide anode catalyst for fuel cell application by electron microscopy and associated spectroscopies. Catalysts based on Pt-doped cerium oxide in form of thin layers prepared by simultaneous magnetron sputtering deposition on intermediate carbonaceous films grown on silicon substrate have been studied. The influence of the catalyst support composition (a-C and CNx films), deposition time of CeOx layer and other deposition parameters, as deposition rate, composition of working atmosphere and Pt concentration on the morphology of Pt-CeOx layers has been investigated mainly by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). The obtained results have shown that by combination of suitable preparation conditions we are able to tune the final morphology and composition of the catalysts. The composition of carbonaceous films and Pt-CeOx layers was examined by complementary spectroscopy techniques – Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX), Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy (EELS) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). Such prepared porous structures of Pt-CeOx are promising as anode catalytic material for real fuel cell application. / Předložená dizertační práce se zabývá studiem nových katalyzátorů na bázi kov-oxid vhodných pro použití v palivových článcích na straně anody. Platinou dopovaný oxid ceru připravený magnetronovým naprašováním ve formě tenkých vrstev na uhlíkových mezivrstvách nesených křemíkovým substrátem byl zkoumán prostřednictvím mikroskopických a spektroskopických metod. Vliv složení uhlíkového nosiče (a-C a CNx filmy), depozičního času CeOx vrstvy a dalších depozičních parametrů, např. depoziční rychlosti, složení pracovní atmosféry a Pt koncentrace na morfologii Pt-CeOx vrstev byl studován převážně pomocí transmisní elektronové mikroskopie (TEM). Získané výsledky ukazují, že vhodnou kombinací depozičních podmínek jsme schopni vyladit výslednou morfologii a kompozici katalyzátoru. Složení uhlíkových filmů a Pt-CeOx vrstev bylo studováno spektroskopickými technikami – energiově-disperzní spektroskopií (EDX), spektroskopií charakteristických ztrát elektronů (EELS) a rentgenovou fotoelektronovou spektroskopií (XPS). Takto připravené porézní struktury vrstev Pt-CeOx jsou slibným katalytickým materiálem na straně anody pro reálné aplikace v palivových článcích.

The diploma thesis deals with the treatment of polycaprolactone (PCL) nanofibers. PCL fibers were subjected to the deposition of plasma amine polymers in a low pressure pulsed radiofrequency capacitively coupled discharge using cyclopropylamine monomer (CPA). Collagen as an extracellular matrix (ECM) protein was immobilized and cell proliferation on the modified nanofiber surface was monitored. Untreated PCL fibers were also subjected to the deposition of an antibacterial copper layer, and the fibers were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDX).