“…[1][2][3][4][5] While dense, hard and smooth a-C:H films are used, for example, as wear resistant, biocompatible and/or barrier coatings (requiring energetic particle bombardment, favored by LP plasma deposition conditions), [6][7][8][9] polymer-like films can be used, for example, for their optical properties, for membrane distillation and diffusion control, for single-step loading with nanoparticles, and they can also be deposited on delicate materials of biological origin, the latter being favored by AP plasma conditions. [10][11][12][13][14] Moreover, hydrocarbons can also be used as polymerizing agents when mixed with other reactive gases, so as to obtain functionalized plasma polymer films both at LP and AP. [15][16][17][18] Over the last two decades, the use of DBDs for thin film deposition has gained increasing interest, while plasma sources, diagnostics and modeling made significant progress.…”