L’objectif de cette thèse porte sur la synthèse du diamant monocristallin dopé au bore par dépôt chimique en phase vapeur assisté par plasma micro-onde (MPCVD). Ces couches épitaxiées jouent le rôle de couches actives dans des composants pour l’électronique de puissance. Ces travaux s’inscrivent dans le cadre du projet Européen H2020 Greendiamond. Durant cette thèse, un traitement de gravure des défauts surfaciques des substrats de diamant HPHT par plasma Ar/O₂ a été mis au point. L’efficacité de ce traitement a été validée par diffraction des rayons X à haute résolution, spectroscopie Raman et cathodoluminescence. Cette étape s’est révélée essentielle pour l’amélioration des propriétés de transport de couches de diamant dopées au bore pour les applications en électronique.L’optimisation des conditions de croissance de couches de diamant faiblement dopées au bore (<10¹⁶ at.cm⁻¹) a permis la synthèse de films homoépitaxiés allant jusqu’à 5 µm d’épaisseur présentant une haute qualité cristalline. Les propriétés structurales et de transport de ces couches ont été corrélés en combinant différentes méthodes comme la spectroscopie Raman, la cathodoluminescence, la topographie X, l’imagerie MEB des défauts, les mesures par temps de vol et des mesures de Hall.Ces films de diamant dopés au bore ont été intégrés avec succès dans des composants électroniques comme des MESFET ou des diodes Schottky. / This PhD aims to synthetize boron doped single-crystal diamond epilayers by Micro-Wave Plasma Chemical Vapor Deposition (MPCVD) as active layers for power electronic devices. This work was performed in relation with the European H2020 Greendiamond project. A powerful Ar/O₂ plasma etching was optimized which allows the efficient elimination of defects in the subsurface of HPHT diamond substrates as confirmed by High Resolution X-ray Diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and Cathodoluminescence. This step proved to be crucial for the improvement of low boron doped-diamond layers carrier properties for electronic purposes.The optimization of growth conditions performed on low boron-doped diamond layers (<10¹⁶ at.cm⁻³) enabled the synthesis of high quality doped layers, 5 µm thick. The structural and transport properties of these layers were correlated by different techniques: Raman spectroscopy, Cathodoluminescence, X-Ray Topography, SEM imaging of defects, Transient Current Technique, Hall measurements.Finally, low boron doped epilayers were integrated with success in electronic devices such as MESFET or Schottky diodes.

This diploma thesis deals withthe studyof electrochemical behaviorand detection of two structurally different neurotransmitters, dopamine (DA) and serotonin (5-HT), in solutions commonly used for neuron cultivation, namely Neurobasal (NB), NB with phenol red and in phosphate buffer (PB) of a pH close to the physiological value. An electrode based on boron-doped diamondwas used for the study, examiningtwo types of surfaces obtained after oxidation (O-BDD) and mechanical polishing (p-BDD). The results were obtained by two voltametric techniques,namely cyclic and differential pulse voltammetry.The studyrevealedthat DA oxidationis a quasi-reversible process,whereas 5-HT oxidizes irreversibly on O-BDD and p-BDD. Nevertheless, for both neurotransmitters their anodic oxidationonboth BDD surfaces is controlledby diffusion. Due to the passivation of the electrode surface by the oxidation products, anodic reactivation(Eact = +2400 mV, t = 30 s) was first testedto regenerate the O-BDD surface during DA and 5-HT measurements. There was no continuous decrease in DA peak currents on O-BDD and the measuredsignals were characterizedby high repeatabilityin all studiedmedia (sr (Ip) 1.1% in PB of pH 7.0, 1.7% in NB of pH 7.34, 0.9% in NB with phenol red of pH 7.48). In the case of 5-HT, the anodic reactivation was...

Strength and strain analysis of high pressure compound vessel, which is used to produce superhard materials (for example synthetic diamond). This work was elaborated to compare the stresses and strains calculated by Prof. Jan Vrbka making use of the FEM program ‘Prokop’17 years ago with those gained with the contemporary FEM Ansys program. The vessel is loaded by internal pressure of size 6 GPa. The elastic-plastic material be-haviour is taken into account. Real value of friction between rings and non-uniform temperature field is included into the calculation. The process of assembling the compound vessel is simulated step by step.

Diploma thesis is focused on the superhard cutting materials (polycrystalline diamond, polycrystalline boron nitride) and presents their physico-mechanical properties, production, efficient use, new trends. It assesses the range of cutting tool materials and individual front world producers in terms of optimum cutting conditions for turning operations and type of material to be machined. Further, these cutting materials are compared between different manufacturers to bring out thein differences in cutting conditions.

Die Arbeit befaßt sich mit der Charakterisierung der elektronischen Struktur von neuen Halbleitermaterialien. Zu den untersuchten Materialsystemen, welche alle eine relativ kleine Gitterkonstante aufweisen, gehören der Diamant, Siliciumcarbid, amorphes Kohlenstoffnitrid (a-CNx) sowie verschiedene Proben der Serie AlxGa1-xN. Zur Charakterisierung der elektronischen Struktur werden Photoemissionsmessungen für die Bestimmung der besetzten Zustände und Methoden der Röntgenabsorption im Fall der unbesetzten Zustände herangezogen. Mit diesen Methoden wird die Struktur der Oberflächen von CVD-Diamantfilmen für unterschiedliche Oberflächenempfindlichkeiten bestimmt. Außerdem wird die Modifikation der elektronischen Bänder in Naturdiamant durch variierende Cäsiumbedeckungen der Oberfläche ermittelt. Für zwei Rekonstruktionen der 3C-SiC(001)-Oberfläche wird die Oberflächenbandstruktur bestimmt und es werden die Ergebnisse mit existierenden Strukturmodellen und Rechnungen verglichen. Zum Vergleich werden auf dieser Oberfläche weiterhin auch Messungen zur optischen Oberflächenanisotropie durchgeführt und Hinweise auf Beiträge von Oberflächenzuständen zu den Spektren gefunden. In den amorphen Kohlenstoffnitridfilmen können verschiedene Stickstoff- und Kohlenstoffkoordinationen nachgewiesen und deren Temperaturstabilität bestimmt werden. Aus den polarisationsabhängigen Röntgenabsorptionsmessungen an nitridiertem Galliumarsenid bzw. an den Proben der Serie AlxGa1-xN werden Rückschlüsse auf die Phasenzusammensetzung und die geometrische Struktur gezogen.

This Ph.D. thesis is focused on the study of optical nonlinearities and dynamics of excited charge carriers in monocrystalline diamond, nanocrystalline diamond and silicon. The dynamics of high density carriers in bulk diamond is investigated in detail (the transition from excitons and free carriers to electron-hole liquid or plasma). We study the picosecond dynamics of electron-hole liquid condensation using several techniques of time-resolved optical spectroscopy and demonstrate its evaporation by femtosecond laser pulses. We also propose two new optical techniques for measurement of lifetime, diffusion coefficient and surface recombination velocity of excitons in diamond. The results obtained by these techniques are described theoretically using diffusion equation and compared with the results obtained by the transient grating diffraction measurement. Further we study two- and three- photon absorption and nonlinear refractive index in diamond. In nanocrystalline diamond we study the second and third harmonic generation and its physical origin. In superlattices of silicon nanocrystals in SiO2 matrix we investigate the nonlinear transient absorption dynamics and carrier diffusion.

Title: Ultrafast spectroscopy of hybrid nanosystems Author: RNDr. Pavel Galář Department: Department of Chemical Physics and Optics Supervisor: prof. RNDr. Petr Malý, DrSc. Abstract: This Ph. D. thesis is focused on physical phenomena located at the interface of hybrid nanostructure composed of polycrystalline diamond and polymer polypyrrole. The main method used in our experimental study was ultrafast laser spectroscopy that allowed us to gain new findings about electron recombination processes in polycrystalline diamond layers, polypyrrole and in their hybrid structures. The research was focused on mutual influence of both components, especially through energy and charge transfer. In the first step of our research we carried out optical characterisation of different kinds of polypyrrole and complex study of recombination processes dynamics of photoexcited charge carriers in polycrystalline diamond. The measurements were realized by the methods of time-resolved photoluminescence and transmission spectroscopy in the time scale from picoseconds to milliseconds. On the basis of the obtained results the model explaining the origin of luminescence signal related to the different kinds of electron recombination processes in non- diamond phase and on surface defects of diamond grains in polycrystalline layers was...

Nanocrystalline diamond (NCD) films possess great mechanical properties (low friction coefficient, high hardness etc.), chemical properties (e.g. low corrosivity or chemical inertness) and good biocompatibility. This makes them perspective materials for protective coatings of medical implants and devices. As bacteria biofilms are often very resistant to antibacterial treatment, materials with anti-bacterial or at least anti-adhesive properties are needed. The interaction of NCD films with bacteria has not been properly examined yet. The aim of this thesis was to introduce and optimize the methods for routine bacterial biofilm cultivation and analysis, use them to investigate the ability of NCD films to inhibit the attachment and biofilm formation of Escherichia coli and correlate it with the NCD surface hydrophobicity. The materials used for the study were hydrogenated NCD (hydrophobic), oxidized NCD (hydrophilic) and uncoated glass. For bacterial biofilm growth, cultivation in six-well plates and continuous cultivation in CDC Bioreactor was used. Several methods were tested for quantitative biofilm detachment and analysis. The putative anti-bacterial properties of NCD material were not confirmed in this work. Higher bacterial attachment to NCD films in comparison to the uncoated glass was...

The aim of this thesis was the development of a voltammetric method for the determination of 7-dehydrocholesterol as a biomarker of congenital disease Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome. The concentration of 7-dehydrocholesterol in plasma will increase hundred-fold to hundreds to thousands µmol L-1 in patients suffering from Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome. The determination of 7-dehydrocholesterol was carried out in artifical serum in this work, which was prepared to mimic the conditions of postnatal diagnosis of Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome. 7-dehydrocholestrol provides a well developed voltammetric signal at approximately +0.8 V vs. Ag/AgNO3 in acetonitrile. Differential pulse voltammetry with optimized parameters was used for the determination of 7-dehydrocholesterol. The presence of protein in artificial serum (human serum albumin) resulted in an unacceptably high detection limit of the method (178 µmol L-1 in artificial serum). Therefore, human serum albumin was eliminated from the artificial serum samples by precipitating it with acetonitrile and subsequently centrifuging the resulting suspension. At the same time, the ratio of aqueous and organic components in the studied medium was also adjusted with acetonitrile to achieve an optimal voltammetric response of 7-dehydrocholestrol. With regard to the...

This thesis is devoted to the study of electrochemical oxidation of meta-substituted phenolic substances on a boron-doped diamond electrode. In the first phase, it was studied the effect of pH on their electrochemical oxidation by the methods of classical "direct current" voltammetry (DCV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). The study was performed on three types of boron doped diamond (BDD) surfaces: polished, anodic and cathodically activated. In the second phase, attention was paid to the Hammett correlation to study the effect of the substituent on the potential of electrochemical oxidation of selected phenolic compounds. Among the substituents studied were (-H, -CH3, -OCH3, -(CH2)2COOH, -COOH a -NO2). In general, the oxidation potentials were lower in the basic medium than in the acidic medium on all studied surfaces. An exception was the studied phenolic acids, which could not be detected in an alkaline medium on the O-terminated BDD, probably due to electrostatic repulsion between the partially negative electrode surface and the acid dianion. The highest correlation coefficient for the dependence composed of all studied phenols was obtained for the polished and H-terminated surface at pH 11, ie the dissociated form of phenolic substances. The high electron density leads to easy...