The plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition of a-C:H films using methane and acetylene as precursors was studied. Noninvasive in situ techniques were used to analyze the plasma processes with respect to the self-bias voltage, the displacement currents to the grounded electrode, the neutral gas composition, the optical sheath thickness as well as current and energy of the ions hitting the powered electrode. The a-C:H films were characterized for their deposition rate, surface roughness, hardness, mass density, and hydrogen content. Ion mean free paths, suitable for low-pressure rf sheaths, have been quantified for both precursors. The film with the highest hardness of 25GPa was formed in the C2H2 discharge when the mean energy per deposited carbon atom was approximately 50eV. The hardness obtained with the CH4 discharge was lower at 17GPa and less sensitive to changes in the process parameters. It was found that the creation of hard (hardness >15GPa) a-C:H films from both precursors is possible if the mean energy per deposited carbon atom exceeds only ∼15eV. Further film characteristics such as surface roughness and hydrogen content show the interplay of ion flux and deposition from radicals to form the a-C:H structure and properties.
We investigated the rotational excitation of the nitrogen molecule ion in a pulsed magnetron sputter discharge (Mg target, pressure 0.1–2.0 Pa) and a 150 Pa dc glow discharge in dependence on various process parameters. For this purpose we used optical emission spectroscopy of the 0–0 band of the first negative system of the
(FNS0–0) and calculated the rotational temperature by fitting the spectra. Often, the best fit could be achieved assuming two populations of the
molecules having two different rotational temperatures. These temperatures and their contributions to the spectrum of the FNS0–0 show a significant dependence on the process parameters. The lower temperature is in the range of 370–800 K and is believed to be equal to the translational temperature of the neutral gas. The higher temperature is in the order of 1500–3000 K and its origin is most probably the excitation of the
state by heavy particle impact connected with rotational excitation.
Alcoholysis of triacylglycerols by heterogeneous catalysisSynthesis of fatty acid esters by alcoholysis, especially methanolysis of triacylglycerols was investigated using metal salts of amino acids as catalysts. The methanol to oil molar ratio was 6:1. It could be shown that salts containing a quaternary amino or a highly basic group as e.g. a guanidino group have catalytic activity in alcoholysis. Some of these salts are insoluble in monovalent alcohols, glycerol, and fatty acids esters and are therefore suitable catalysts for heterogeneously catalysed alcoholysis. Zinc salts of arginine, carnitine or histidine are among others suited for industrial use. These catalysts are also suitable for heterogeneously catalysed interesterification.
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